April 25, 2021

10 Tips for a Plastic-Free Socially-Distant Gathering

As more and more people are being vaccinated, we’re finally getting to spend time with those we love. If you’re planning a gathering to celebrate a birthday, a milestone, or even just because you’ve finally been vaccinated, keep these tips in mind.

Gauge Your Guests

You’re excited to see your friends and family, awesome! Before getting everyone together, make sure your guests feel welcomed by understanding their potential concerns. While it might not be apparent, your friend or family member might be weary of indoor gatherings or touching something someone else has touched. Before planning your party, take a few minutes to listen to your guests about how they feel. This shows that you care about their worries without judging them.

Have an Outdoor Gathering

When picking a venue for your gathering, choose something outside. Even if your guests are vaccinated, many people are still are cautious or have concerns about gathering in indoor spaces. Don’t exclude friends by assuming they’re ok with gathering inside. As the previous tip mentions, ask them first.

Also, it’s still unclear whether vaccinated people can pass the virus to others. So, while you may be vaccinated, if you’re exposed to someone with COVID-19, you could still potentially pass it onto someone else.

Pre-Pack Meals

If you’re having a small gathering, consider pre-packing a meal for each guest. Pack a few extras in case the portion size was not enough. Creating a small bistro box for each guest is an easy way to avoid washing extra serving plates and will make those worried about eating food from a communal table feel more comfortable. Again, the likelihood of contracting the virus from eating something is very small, but you want your guests to feel comfortable.

These glass containers with dividers and a bamboo lid are a great plastic-free option for packing meals:

Serve Handheld Foods

If pre-packing meals is not an option, the easiest way to avoid waste from plastic utensils, or if you don’t want to wash reusable utensils, is to order or make handheld foods. Some examples are sandwiches, burritos, and pizza. Think of any food you can eat without a knife and fork.

For items like sandwiches and burritos that are easy to wrap, have then wrapped in paper or foil. For things like pizza, either partition the slices onto plates so people don’t have to touch multiple slices, or designate a server.

Choose Single-Serving Foods

Think of foods that are easily separated into single-servings but NOT packaged in plastic. Some examples include:

sandwiches
burritos
tacos
bananas
tangerines
cupcakes
donuts
cookies

For any baked goods, if not homemade, see if the bakery has paper boxes, which can be composted if soiled, instead of plastic clamshells. Individual fruits such as tangerines, bananas, and apples are a great plastic-free side to any meal and can be bought loose at the grocery store or farmer’s market.

Avoid Dips

This one makes me sad because I LOVE dips! But dips are a common place where people linger and while I scoop out a portion with a spoon, I’ve witness plenty of people dipping a chip or vegetable into a dip bowl. For now, unless your guests are very comfortable and have no anxiety about the virus, just avoid dips.

Roll Utensils in a Cloth Napkin

If handheld foods aren’t your jam and you absolutely need utensils, roll your reusable utensils in a cloth napkin. While it’s been shown that contracting the virus from touching surfaces is highly unlikely, some people are still worried about touching the same item as others. So, rolling utensils in a napkin prevents people from touching the utensils of others.

Space Items Out

Again, to avoid people touching all the forks, space the utensil rolls out so it’s easy to grab and just touch one. This goes for anything else people might need to grab off a food table. If there are a lot of people or a lot of space, consider setting up two tables of the same contents.

Pre-Fill Reusable Drink Cups

Consider setting out reusable cups with drinks pre-filled. Choose water and a second drink to keep things simple. This allows people to avoid handling the same water or drink jug.

Again, contracting the virus from a surface is highly unlikely. But you want your guests to feel comfortable and some people are still weary about touching the same surfaces as others.

I have multiple sets of these stainless steel cups which are great for kid’s birthday parties:

Set Out “Dirty” Bins

Place bins labeled “dirty” for when guests are finished with their plates, utensils, cups and etc. This helps keep the table orderly and prevents any mix ups of drinks.

If you have a tub that’s normally used to hold ice and drinks, this would be a great tub to use for collecting dirty dishes.