Green Party

Little eco-friendly choices make parties merrier.

By Charity Ferreira

From the natural soap and the organic cotton towels in the guest bathroom to the soy candles on the table, party planning for Renée Loux means taking advantage of dozens of opportunities to make choices that are kind to the environment as well as to her guests. "Hosting guests is a great opportunity to turn people on to green practices and products, and to exemplify that living green is not a compromise but an enhancement," says Loux, the author of Easy Green Living and host of It's Easy Being Green on the Fine Living Network.

The art of balance seems to come naturally to Loux, who began practicing hatha yoga when she was 17. "Ahimsa [nonharming] is one of the first principles of a yogic lifestyle. When I think about being non-violent, I think about being in harmony with everything around me, about living in balance with our ecological system. It just feels kinder."

When planning a menu, Loux considers how far everything from produce to beverages has to travel as well as whether they are produced organically. Instead of buying cut flowers, she chooses potted flowers that can decorate the house or be planted outside after the party. And rather than buy water in plastic bottles, she fills reusable glass bottles with filtered water. Loux tries to avoid using anything disposable in general, but for occasions when real tableware is not an option, she recommends biodegradable plates, cups, and cutlery that can be composted.

The most important thing to remember when trying to make Earth-friendly choices is that "being green isn't an all-or-nothing game. It's a spectrum," says Loux. "It's about taking every opportunity to make the best choices you can. If you're using disposable plates, that doesn't mean you can't use real glasses. Or cloth napkins might be something to put into the mix."

Loux compares tackling all of the seemingly minute choices involved in living a greener lifestyle to beginning a physical yoga practice, where it's the effort that is important, rather than the perfection of the finished pose.

"It's a process that takes concentration and effort, but it happens, slowly but surely. It's a daily practice, and it really does add up."

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