It's easy to be green

  With the wedding season around the corner many couples are thinking of ways to have an environmentally sound wedding. There are several things to consider when working towards a “green” celebration. Wedding invitations on recycled paper, locally grown flowers and greens, organic and local food, guests served on compostable paper plates, and flatware made of corn, all are environmentally sensitive. Do we just use proper china and glassware? What considerations do we make regarding the companies we use?  All of these are very valid questions in today’s green environment.

  Currently on the market, are any number of products that go a long way toward helping a wedding produce less waste. There are compostable paper plates, flatware and drink ware made of corn, as well as compostable napkins. Some of these products are even made from a large percentage of post-consumer recycled paper. The use of china, silverware and glassware is the obvious choice in the pursuit of a green wedding. Not only does their use save trees but also the fuel necessary to produce and transport the paper products. Your caterer should have a selection of service ware available for use in addition to a relationship with a vendor that rents service ware.   

  Occasions Catering & Special Events is a catering company that works hard to be a green company from the office to the kitchen to on-site catered events.  They have received a green company designation from Puget Sound Energy and continue to strive to find new ways to protect the environment.

 In the office, that translates into using recycled paper for printing, lighting with low energy bulbs, heating and cooling the building with an efficient system and using several trash bins at each desk. The various bins are used to sort trash into recycling, compost and non-recyclables.

  The kitchen utilizes Le May’s compost program for food waste as well as recycling packaging and paper towels. At each event catered by Occasions, a green compost bin for food waste and compostable paper and corn products are available.                The alley way behind Occasions is lined with a variety of trash containers in which items are sorted for recycling.  A catering company can produce a lot of trash, packaging, plastic bags, cans and bottles, as well paper and food waste. By taking advantage of the recycling and composting   programs available to them, Occasions puts roughly         pounds less garbage in the land fill annually.

While not romantic thoughts, composting and recycling are valid concerns when choosing a company to be part of your wedding celebration.