July 30, 2021

GRATITUDE | SUSTAINABLE CELEBRATIONS + 5 YEARS OF IMPRINT HOUSE

Celebrating in any way whether it be a party, wedding, festival or more, the idea is for a collective of people to come together to share an experience. While these events are often fulfilling and special, there can sometimes be hidden consumption or waste that we aren’t often aware of or don't think about.

On July 29th we celebrated the 5 year anniversary of Imprint House. While reflecting on five years of trading and eating a raw raspberry cheesecake we considered the amount of unconscious consumption that can happen while having any celebration so we were inspired to share some tips on choices we can make to have a more sustainable celebration.

 

1. Sourcing food

For many cultures and families food is huge part of celebrating. So knowing what’s in your food, where it came from, and it's effect on the environment is always important.

SHOP LOCAL
Sourcing local and fresh produce from farmers markets really is the best way to go. It tastes great, supports local farmers and doesn't have the carbon miles or plastic packaging of food purchased at the supermarket. When buying ingredients for cakes and desserts, buy from low waste bulk food stores many of which now sell flours and sugars.

Reusable plates & utensils

While reusable plates and utensils might seem obvious, it can often be something that is overlooked as there is more effort involved when using them. The waste created from single use plastics has a direct effect to marine life and will last many lifetimes. Here's how we can reduce that.

  • Ask friends and family to bring their own
  • Use eco-friendly paper plates and cutlery
  • Find a local party business you can hire or borrow from
  • Buy second hand from op-shops
  • Source enamel tableware that can be re-used for picnics and camping trips 


Care free wrapping

Gift wrapping is another part of celebrating that can be overlooked and cause a large amount of waste. As many wrapping papers these days can have micro plastic, it’s great to be able to avoid them. Using cloth bags or pieces of scrap fabric is a simple way to reduce waste and is a more thoughtful way to wrap that can then be reused again in future. See our journal article on ‘The Art of gifting' for more ideas.

 
Sustainable decorations

Decorations are another big part of celebrations. They can create the atmosphere and bring your space to life. Here are some sustainable swaps you can use at your next celebration

  • Handmade bunting - Make your own or buy cloth or paper bunting that can be used over the years at countless celebrations.
  • Confetti - Forage dry leaves and use a whole puncher to get a lovey natural plant based confetti. Collect flowers from the garden or buy some from a local florist to press and scatter on the table.
  • Candles - Candles are a necessary addition to most birthday parties, weddings and more. Most supermarket candles contain parraffins and other toxic chemicals that are harmful for you and the environment. Use natural non-toxic beeswax candles instead that add a sweet honey-like scent.

Imprint House through the years:

Our first retail space in Yarramalong, NSW.

 

Our retail space at Newrybar Merchants when we first moved in.




Our retail space at Newrybar Merchants now.