It's that time of year, and your favorite grad is about to walk the stage. They learned so much and accomplished some great goals they set out for themselves and now it's time to celebrate their achievement with a great graduation party.
There's a strong possibility your favorite grad was inspired by their school's promotion of a culture of environmental stewardship, learning how they can be better stewards of the planet, how they can waste less, and contribute to cleaner air and water. So knowing how to host a sustainable graduation party may bring a more relatable vibe while continuing to encourage them to become active participants in preserving the environment.
In this quick guide, we will give you the steps on how to host a sustainable graduation party, including things to consider and how to create an extra special PATH custom refillable bottle for graduation.
Do graduates really want a more sustainable graduation party?
The awareness students gain in school can shape how they make responsible decisions as young adults, including the choices they make around sustainability and lifestyles that lower their environmental footprints. That demand is already influencing decision making in places students spend their time, including financial institutions.
Public concern over the impact of climate change on themselves, their families, and their communities continues to grow, putting more pressure on expectations from colleges and universities to lead and take more action.
A Yale Center for Business and Environment study surveyed students and found that students want their business schools to put more emphasis on sustainability. In fact, 70% said they want more experiential learning focused on sustainability. 65% said they want to see more case studies on business sustainability. 62% said they want better career services that are focused on sustainability roles.
Sustainability on campus has become so important over the last few decades that two key ranking systems help colleges benchmark their efforts against other schools. Those systems include the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS) from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
But the proof for hosting a sustainable graduation party really comes down to how students feel about the actions they take in real life. And, based on another study about student views on climate change action, 76% of the students said they were knowledgeable about actions they could take to reduce their environmental footprints, and 70% said they were knowledgeable about climate change issues.
Student responsibility is growing in public conversations, and they are taking actions like recycling and reducing their energy usage that contribute to moving the needle on action. So if graduates are having this level of awareness, it’s only right to throw them a party that meets them at their level. So let’s get started on planning that clean grad party!
Steps for hosting a sustainable grad party
Step 1. Consider a centrally located venue for a more sustainable graduation party
When throwing a sustainable graduation party, you’ll want to consider the size of the party and the best location with the lowest environmental footprint. Depending on the size, you’ll want to keep the party centrally located where people can easily walk, ride a bike, carpool, or get there in an easy way. The farther the location, the more likely gas powered cars, trains, or airplanes will need to be used. If possible, the most sustainable option is to keep the party local or in a downtown area that is more likely to have public transportation.
If the party is large, you can rent a hall, but an outdoor party at a park or a backyard can keep traffic free and flowing as people come and go. Think centrally located when considering the location.
Step 2. Creating sustainable graduation invitations
Depending on how formal your graduation event is, you can choose to go 100% digital on the invitation. If you're choosing a text invitation or a well designed digital invite like those from Greenenvelope, there are options that are appropriate for every formality.
If a printed paper invitation is what you're going with, the biggest considerations are choosing 100% made from recycled paper and also nontoxic ink. You can also consider paper printed with seeds so guest can later plant the paper and increase wildflowers and wildlife planted. Learn how to make your own seed embedded cards with instructions from Of the Earth, or you can source plantable cards from companies like Botanical Paperworks.
Another great option is to find a reusable card, or one from a thrift store, something creative that can be repurposed, printed on, or handwritten.
Step 3. Deciding on décor, signage, and party favors for a sustainable graduation
It's time to decorate, and we've got some tips that can keep the process more sustainable.
The number one tip when it comes to décor, signage, and party favors is to always veer toward reuse. Single use and single use plastic decorations that are cheap and tossed out after one use are some of the biggest contributors to waste in our waste stream.
It might not seem like a huge deal for one small party, but the many graduation parties happening across the world combined are where the plastic avalanche starts to hit hard. Like, did you know that popping 100 balloons, for example, can release up to 33 million microplastics?
Consider repurposing decorations from other holidays or events, using recycled paper for the signage, and you can recycle the paper after the party. For décor, wherever you can upcycle or find items from a thrift store is a great start.
For larger events or catered parties, find local party rental companies to supply everything you need, like dishware, a rental tent, and rentable grad décor. Companies like Ivan's Party Rentals in Los Angeles and Central Party of Rentals of NYC are great examples of sourcing reusable/rentable party decorations.
Step 4. PATH custom bottles are excellent for sustainable graduation party gifts
A popular grad party gift is a custom PATH bottle since it's sleek, personalized, and the best part is it's refillable. Families are designing them tailored to their grad’s favorite colors and sayings, sometimes with a photo of the grad on the bottle. There are endless ways to customize a PATH custom grad bottle on the PATH custom platform, and it's super easy to design and create.
The bottle can be ordered in as little as a box of 9 up to thousands for large events and parties. You can even download our free templates when visiting our PATH custom Graduation Pinterest Page.
Step 1. Head over to the PATH custom page and click Customize.
Step 2. Choose the color of your bottle and PATH label.
Step 3. Upload your image or logo.
Step 4. Add text or a slogan to your bottle (60 characters).
Step 5. Finalize your design and order.
Step 5. How to choose the most sustainable food & drink options for a graduation party?
When it comes to choosing food and drinks, prioritize reusable plates, cutlery, and beverage containers, and avoid single use items, as they quickly build up in the trash and can become litter, depending on the venue. For large parties you can opt to rent reusable dishware and cutlery with catering.
Be sure to create enough PATH custom graduation bottles to share with everyone in attendance which also acts as a special gift of the event.
For the most sustainable food and beverage options, prioritize local fruits and vegetables, especially for Hors d'oeuvres. Where possible, veer toward whole foods and less processed items, as these often travel further from production locations. Now is a great time to source your local bakery and florist, and depending on the size of your party, you can also choose to bake your own cake and make your own dishes using local ingredients. There are some websites that can help you source local farmers for the best produce, like the California Farm Directory.
Step 6. What to consider when choosing sustainable graduation gifts
When deciding on a great graduation gift, cash is often a popular option, since it gives the grad some freedom on what they can spend it on. But when you want to go for something more thoughtful or sentimental, it’s time to think of the person you are gifting. What are some of the experiences that they would like, favorite music, and events they can participate in? Focusing on experiences is one of the most sustainable gift options, rather than physical products.
When you do want to give a physical gift, consider making it sentimental, memorable, and of course, reusable. Here's a quick list of sustainable grad gift ideas to consider.
Gift experiences (instead of stuff)
1. Concert tickets or a festival pass for their favorite artist
2. Tickets to a play, comedy show, or live sporting event
3. A weekend trip or "adventure fund" (hiking trip or national park pass)
4. Cooking class, pottery class, or other hands on workshop
5. Museum or zoo/aquarium membership
6. A subscription to a local theater or arts series
7. Spa day or wellness retreat pass
8. Escape room or axe throwing outing with friends
Give reusable, gift worthy gifts to your party guests
1. Refillable PATH water
2. Bamboo or stainless steel utensil/straw travel kit
3. Reusable produce bags and grocery totes
4. Beeswax food wraps (instead of plastic wrap)
5. A durable, well made backpack or reusable tote bag built to last for years
6. French press or pour over coffee setup (skips disposable pods/cups)
7. Solar powered phone charger or power bank
8. A refillable razor or bamboo toothbrush starter kit
List of gifts that give back to people and helps the planet
1. Gift CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to support local farmers and receive seasonal produce delivery
2. Tree planting donation in their name (One Tree Planted, Arbor Day Foundation)
3. Membership to a conservation org (Sierra Club, local land trust)
4. Carbon offset subscription
5. Beehive or coral reef "adoption" symbolic gift
6. Donation to an environmental nonprofit made in their honor, with a card explaining the gift
7. Farmers market gift card or credit
8. Compost bin or countertop compost starter kit
Step 7. How to provide the after party reuse, recycling & waste bins
It's clean up time! Here's what to consider when thinking about graduation party waste. Hopefully there isn't much if you followed the steps above and opted to stay away from single use items. When you start from the beginning and look to reduce waste by implementing reuse, you can minimize the after party cleanup. Here's a quick checklist of what to do when the goal is to handle waste as best as possible.
1. Separate waste into clear bins like recycling, compost, and landfill. *This is a good time to find out if your area has a recycling and compost program.
2. Rinse out cups, cans, and containers before recycling so food residue doesn't contaminate a whole batch.
3. Break down cardboard boxes to save space and make them easier to recycle.
4. Check labels because not all "compostable" plates and cups are accepted in curbside recycling or compost. *Know your local rules before the party so bins are labeled correctly.
5. Pack up leftover food for guests to take home. *There are compostable paper and reusable containers your guests may appreciate.
6. Donate untouched, unopened food to a local shelter or food bank. *Know your local organizations and options before the party to make the pick up or drop off easier.
7. Compost food scraps, napkins (if compostable), and other biodegradable waste.
8. Donate reusable decor, tableware, or unused supplies to a thrift store or community center.
9. Offer leftover decorations to a friend or family member with an upcoming event. *Also consider donating unused supplies to a thrift store or community center.
10. Break down and recycle any paper decorations or signage.
Section 8. Avoid falling into the trap of single use plastic items
Some common grad party mistakes that happen when trying to be more sustainable are falling into the trap of single use. Single use plastic bottled water, plastic cups, or cutlery are the first items to avoid that come to mind. More common pitfalls are the usage of balloons and glitter. Yes, they're cute, they fill a space decoratively, and they're very festive, but the downside is that they last for one event and sometimes they end up in places that can be harmful to animals. Here are some of the most common pitfalls that can be avoided.
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Buying "eco friendly" single use items (bamboo plates, compostable cups) but still treating them as disposable. The best option is always reusable, not just biodegradable.
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Using balloons and glitter, which are major sources of microplastic and wildlife hazards, even when marketed as biodegradable.
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Buying brand new decorations for one time use instead of renting, borrowing, or reusing from a past event.
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Choosing mylar balloons or banners that cannot be recycled or composted at all.
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Assuming compostable products can go in a regular compost bin, since many need industrial composting facilities and won't break down at home or in a backyard pile.
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Putting food soiled or liquid filled containers straight into recycling without rinsing, contaminating the whole recycling bin.
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Not clearly labeling bins, so guests toss items in the wrong place, and everything ends up in landfill anyway.
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Over ordering or over catering "just in case" leading to major food waste.
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Serving food on single use plastic even when reusable dishware was an easy option.
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Handing out cheap, single us plastic party favors that guests will toss within days, consider encouraging reusable items like a PATH bottle and elevating your party.
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Not communicating expectations to guests (like no info on carpooling, reusable dishware, or where to put waste and recyclables).
What’s next for your sustainable graduation party?
Now, it’s time to plan that party! Go have fun and celebrate big with your grad and their friends and family. We’re so proud of their accomplishment and the contribution they will be making with their new education. Take it one step further and commemorate their accomplishment with a custom PATH bottle to celebrate the occasion. Get started on PATH custom now!
Resources
https://drinkpathwater.com/blogs/news/path-custom-water-bottles-how-does-it-work
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-role-of-students-in-promoting-sustainable-development
https://forum.academica.ca/forum/students-share-their-views-on-climate-change-and-campus-action
https://insights.collegepulse.com/vault/question/636bc288c5c18b0019d71fba