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.
