Jo says:

Kids parties don’t have to cost the earth… Here’s how to put together an eco kids party with 100% of the fun without the environmental impact. And there’s more good news too: there’s less waste and still no washing up.

First off, let there be bright. Our Birthday Brights Rainbow Stars paper collection just pops with vibrant colours. And it’s home recyclable too, so after party tidying up couldn’t be easier.

There are lots of crafty uses for the collection too. Why not reuse the tablecloth as gift wrapping, and the paper cups make great seed pots. For especially creative types, we’ve even seen the plates transformed into party hats.

It wouldn’t be a kids party without balloons, but take care to inflate them with good old fashioned air and not helium. Helium is a very limited resource and has some very important uses – like cooling special magnets used in MRI scanners in hospitals. So let’s save it for those more important functions. It’s also important not to let them blow away – they could harm wildlife.

There are lots of sustainable yummy options when it comes to food. We’re about to become a B Corp – the gold standard for companies doing good socially and environmentally. So we like to support other B Corps – like Ben & Jerry’s. And local independent businesses, like the London-based baker who made the cake.

And why not continue the theme with goody bag gifts – we particularly love Willsow’s plantable children’s books. They’re embedded with veggie and herb seeds. So you read them and then plant them. Brilliant.

Kids shouldn’t have to worry about the state of the planet – but the sad fact is that three-quarters of them do. Let’s make their birthdays a day they can celebrate with a feeling of optimism for the future.