Need ideas for cups, plates, etc. for party (not paper/plastic)

[CrunchyParent]

I'm having a party at the end of the month. I'm not sure how many people will attend, but we've invited upwards of 75 adults and children. Much of the party will be outside, and I'll be serving food throughout. I woud prefer not to use throw-away cups, plates, and utensils, but with the number of people combined with the great outdoors (many will need to eat on blankets on the lawn) I'm not sure exactly what else to use. I'd love some "green" ideas if you have any.

[nathansmum]

Would your guests be adverse to bringing their own crockery and utensils? Or could you hire some?

[reducereuserecycle]

could u rent or borrow from a church.

[Slabobbin]

I had this same dilema at my son's recent party. I ended up not doing so well with my goal. I did use paper plates that I had purchased from thrift stores (people often donate their un-used party supplies) and it was quite the eclectic mix of characters on the plates and cups, lol.

Just throwing an idea out there off the top of my head...could you make plates by taking a cardboard box, cutting it into squares and then covering them with aluminum foil? That way they would be completely recyclable (they would, of course, have to be taken apart again before recycling).

[gmvh]

I was going to vote for renting stuff. If you have parties like this a lot, or if you're in a group of friends/family that has parties like this a lot, it may be worth scouring thrift shops for pieces or post a wanted ad on Freecycle. Once your party is over, pack the stuff up in a Rubbermaid-type box and let everyone you know know that you've got placesettings for X available to borrow. A box for twenty combined with the dishes in your cabinet plus dishes borrowed from one or two families should outfit you well for now and for all future parties! It's plastic, but I've ended up with 18 placesettings of the Ikea dishware for children. It lives in a box and travels to the birthday parties of our friends and all the potlucks we attend. Good luck!

[MissMommyNiceNice]

If you do decide to do disposable, we use these, and they can be tossed right into the compost pile:

http://www.greenlinepaper.com/produc...bcategoryID=41

[kdabbler]

Like suggested, you can ask your guests to BYO.

My local freecycle just had a posting where someone was looking for princess and Spiderman birthday plates. You never know.