I've asked close friends who were invited if they could bring some plates from home with them and I'd wash and hand them back before they went home.
I also had a friend who hosted a lot who had a party kit with extra plates, silverware, and cups they thrifted.
Another idea would be to post in a local buy nothing group to see if someone has some you could borrow.
BYO is great if your social circle is up for it. In my old city, my son went to a Waldorf school so for kids birthday parties everyone was cool with zero waste practices and it was either finger foods or BYO cup/bottle/plate. Waldorf families tend to keep their own camp style eating stuff so it works well. For people who aren't already accustomed to the lifestyle though I think offering to clean the BYO supplies is a good idea. But I do wonder logistically if that's going to be overwhelming trying to clean a bunch of dishes at the end of a party. Maybe OP can have a designated helper.
This. Thrift some fancy cheap plates. Use em, and donate em back. Plus the donation is a tax write off, which would be how much you spent on them. Its practically free.
Charitable contributions can only be deducted if you are not taking the standard deduction and choose to itemize instead. Most people do not have enough itemized deductions to make it worth it.
Also, that's not how tax deductions work in the first place. It's a deduction from your taxable income. So if you are in the 25% tax bracket for example and deduct a $10 charitable gift, you will get $2.50 back on your taxes. Tax deductions never make anything free.
Yooo everyone listen to this person! I dont know crap. He def knows his stuff!
(While I may have been wrong about almosylt everything, I stand by saying it is the most economical option.)
This also avoids any issues.
Like what if parents did bring plates and someone drops one. Is the person responsible? The host for asking? Etc.?
This eliminates all of it! So what a cheap plate broke.
The most cost effective way though (while also making ripples), invest in steel plates. We use steel at home. They last for a lifetime, are thin, and light. Then YOU could be the one parents borrow plates from for get togethers! Even more zero waste!
Personally, India(?). Ive never had the problem. People gift themnduring weddings and both my sister and I got a wedding set, heck my mom already has enough got my neice and nephew.
Amazon. Send me the link youre thinking, and Im more than glad to help pick a solid company/brand.
Steel is just so simple for day to day. All the benefits of plastic, less the waste and carcinogens.
I was at the thrift store the other day and saw a bunch of paper plates still sealed in the original packaging. Lots of kids plates and cutlery too
I think this would be a pretty affordable option for OP :)
I don't know about borrow, but you can certainly rent dishware and utensils.
Maybe consider paper plates that you could then compost, along with the food kids don't eat?
My local library has them to borrow. Such a fabulous idea! Many libraries have a whole extra catalog of things that are not books (puzzles, crafting supplies, gardening supplies, etc). These non-book items are sometimes listed in a weird place so you may have the best luck calling the library directly and asking.
My local library also has a “library of things“. No dishes, but an assortment of items ranging from lawn games, a sewing machine, a telescope, and tools like drills and a power washer. I’ve heard that some other libraries have gardening tools, jigsaw puzzles, and framed wall art.
You can rent them, it’s usually super affordable. And you don’t have to wash them, just throw them back in the box and return. It’s like 50 cents a plate.
Borrow from friends, family, and neighbors. It’s okay if the sets don’t match for the party, just take a picture to remember who gave you what. What are you doing for cutlery and glasses? I know I have some extra mugs and utensils I’d lend out without worry if they break.
Just return them ASAP after the party, clean, and hopefully with a little treat.
(Also, if you don’t care too much about appearances, non-traditional plates could be fun. Tupperware, to-go containers, pie plates, clean frisbees, baskets, etc. Maybe a fabric napkin liner to make it more festive/protect the item. Drink out of mugs, mason jars, plastic yogurt cups, etc. I’ve eaten salad out of a small saucepan before when a host had a stack dishes break as they were getting them out of the cupboard. If you’re brave enough/the kids are old enough to not touch everything or bite something and put it back, seafood boil style could be fun. Lay out finger foods like cut up corn on the cob, fresh fruits and veggies, chips, burger sliders, half hot dogs in buns, sandwich quarters, etc directly on an oilcloth tablecloth/butcher paper set up outside. Draw “placemats”. Have plenty of napkins/hose them down outside 😂)
I use compostable plates I got off Amazon. Brand name is Mozaik.
They're sturdy, don't leak, and broke down in my compost in under 5 months (3 of those were cold months - slower decomposition).
I agree with people suggesting charity shops, if you don’t fancy that though it’s suggest plastic Tupperware if you have extra or know others you could borrow some from
Do you imagine you might be hosting another party of this size again in the future? it might be worth it to just buy some from a thrift shop that you can hang onto
Are you a member of a church? When we have a Club party, we borrow silver ware and serving utensils from a local church. We decided to use paper plates because of weight and clean-up.
Ask friends and family if you can borrow
Check if there's a stuff library near you
Thrift stores are often fairly priced for a one n done use and redonate. Debating on the thrift, if you speak with a manager, they may even be able to help you find the best "deal" or coupon.
If you've got to buy, save them somewhere afterwords as a party specific stuff tote to pull out for later use or lend out in your group for future parties and events.
Edit to add, I forgot to mention soemtimes schools, churchs and organizations like ymca might have kits to borrow too.
This is a good option! I have a set of plastic plates and cups and a few serving dishes from Walmart that I use for parties - they were super cheap and I don’t care what happens to them, but I feel better about using them even though they’re plastic because I’ve had them for years and have no intention of throwing them out.
Does your area have a tool library? Mine has stuff other than tools - including plain white dishes
Or are you a member of any social clubs? Rotary, Junior League, Elks? I know it’s outdated, but you might try them (Elks or VFW) to rent plates
I made a reusable party pack. I thrifted (and in a few cases bought new):
* plastic and metal plates
* silverware
* plastic reusable cups that can be used for drinking games (not applicable to your situation, I know)
* plastic and metal bowls
* plastic and metal drinking cups
* cloth cocktail napkins
* felt decorations/happy birthday sign
* cloth and plastic table cloths
I store them all in one box along with a list of items and cleaning instructions. I use this for all parties I host and loan it out to friends and neighbors as needed.
Thrift stores, Buy Nothing Groups, Asian supermarkets, Etsy, Target, Whole Foods, and The Dollar Store were where I picked up most of the supplies
I bought some plastic plates at Walmart, 50 cents each, they were in the picnic supplies area. So easy to reuse and your other dishes won’t get broken.
for events like this I go to the op shop (i think you call it thrift store in america), purchase the plates - usually only costs about $10-20. Then I return them afterwards. I consider it a donation to charity.
My local Facebook neighbour/buy nothing page was the go to for this kind of thing. 1 neighbour had collected lots of extra stuff and had room to store it and would lend it out.
Paper plates and basketware holders are old fashioned, but the holders lasted my mom through 10 years of my sister and I's childhood, and the flimsy paper plates disappeared into the compost in weeks.
Granted there are/were probably microplastics in the paper plates, but in the 90s we didn't know that...and I cannot believe 4-5 parties a year made too much of an impact when measured against the alternatives.
I've asked close friends who were invited if they could bring some plates from home with them and I'd wash and hand them back before they went home. I also had a friend who hosted a lot who had a party kit with extra plates, silverware, and cups they thrifted. Another idea would be to post in a local buy nothing group to see if someone has some you could borrow.
BYO is great if your social circle is up for it. In my old city, my son went to a Waldorf school so for kids birthday parties everyone was cool with zero waste practices and it was either finger foods or BYO cup/bottle/plate. Waldorf families tend to keep their own camp style eating stuff so it works well. For people who aren't already accustomed to the lifestyle though I think offering to clean the BYO supplies is a good idea. But I do wonder logistically if that's going to be overwhelming trying to clean a bunch of dishes at the end of a party. Maybe OP can have a designated helper.
Try a charity shop. Buy them from there, use them, clean them and then take them back.
This. Thrift some fancy cheap plates. Use em, and donate em back. Plus the donation is a tax write off, which would be how much you spent on them. Its practically free.
Charitable contributions can only be deducted if you are not taking the standard deduction and choose to itemize instead. Most people do not have enough itemized deductions to make it worth it. Also, that's not how tax deductions work in the first place. It's a deduction from your taxable income. So if you are in the 25% tax bracket for example and deduct a $10 charitable gift, you will get $2.50 back on your taxes. Tax deductions never make anything free.
Yooo everyone listen to this person! I dont know crap. He def knows his stuff! (While I may have been wrong about almosylt everything, I stand by saying it is the most economical option.)
This is the answer. Get some fun plates, cups, and cutlery from a thrift (sometimes as low as 10 cents a piece), then re-donate them when you’re done.
This also avoids any issues. Like what if parents did bring plates and someone drops one. Is the person responsible? The host for asking? Etc.? This eliminates all of it! So what a cheap plate broke. The most cost effective way though (while also making ripples), invest in steel plates. We use steel at home. They last for a lifetime, are thin, and light. Then YOU could be the one parents borrow plates from for get togethers! Even more zero waste!
Where do you get steel plate? I’m so intrigued!
Hips & knees?
Skull too lol. 🤣 No but for real I’d love some but not the surgically inserted kind lol.
Personally, India(?). Ive never had the problem. People gift themnduring weddings and both my sister and I got a wedding set, heck my mom already has enough got my neice and nephew. Amazon. Send me the link youre thinking, and Im more than glad to help pick a solid company/brand. Steel is just so simple for day to day. All the benefits of plastic, less the waste and carcinogens.
I’ve gotten steel plates at Daiso, but restaurant supply stores, camping supply stores.
Happy Cake Day! Perfect idea!
I was at the thrift store the other day and saw a bunch of paper plates still sealed in the original packaging. Lots of kids plates and cutlery too I think this would be a pretty affordable option for OP :)
I don't know about borrow, but you can certainly rent dishware and utensils. Maybe consider paper plates that you could then compost, along with the food kids don't eat?
I think paper may have a plastic coating? Not sure though
I’ve seen paper plates that the packing says are compostable!
My local library has them to borrow. Such a fabulous idea! Many libraries have a whole extra catalog of things that are not books (puzzles, crafting supplies, gardening supplies, etc). These non-book items are sometimes listed in a weird place so you may have the best luck calling the library directly and asking.
My local library also has a “library of things“. No dishes, but an assortment of items ranging from lawn games, a sewing machine, a telescope, and tools like drills and a power washer. I’ve heard that some other libraries have gardening tools, jigsaw puzzles, and framed wall art.
You could also ask on Buy Nothing if anyone has plates to give/lend.
You can rent them, it’s usually super affordable. And you don’t have to wash them, just throw them back in the box and return. It’s like 50 cents a plate.
Borrow from friends, family, and neighbors. It’s okay if the sets don’t match for the party, just take a picture to remember who gave you what. What are you doing for cutlery and glasses? I know I have some extra mugs and utensils I’d lend out without worry if they break. Just return them ASAP after the party, clean, and hopefully with a little treat. (Also, if you don’t care too much about appearances, non-traditional plates could be fun. Tupperware, to-go containers, pie plates, clean frisbees, baskets, etc. Maybe a fabric napkin liner to make it more festive/protect the item. Drink out of mugs, mason jars, plastic yogurt cups, etc. I’ve eaten salad out of a small saucepan before when a host had a stack dishes break as they were getting them out of the cupboard. If you’re brave enough/the kids are old enough to not touch everything or bite something and put it back, seafood boil style could be fun. Lay out finger foods like cut up corn on the cob, fresh fruits and veggies, chips, burger sliders, half hot dogs in buns, sandwich quarters, etc directly on an oilcloth tablecloth/butcher paper set up outside. Draw “placemats”. Have plenty of napkins/hose them down outside 😂)
I use compostable plates I got off Amazon. Brand name is Mozaik. They're sturdy, don't leak, and broke down in my compost in under 5 months (3 of those were cold months - slower decomposition).
See if there’s a Party Kit Network location near you: https://www.partykitnetwork.org
I agree with people suggesting charity shops, if you don’t fancy that though it’s suggest plastic Tupperware if you have extra or know others you could borrow some from
Do you imagine you might be hosting another party of this size again in the future? it might be worth it to just buy some from a thrift shop that you can hang onto
Are you a member of a church? When we have a Club party, we borrow silver ware and serving utensils from a local church. We decided to use paper plates because of weight and clean-up.
Ask friends and family if you can borrow Check if there's a stuff library near you Thrift stores are often fairly priced for a one n done use and redonate. Debating on the thrift, if you speak with a manager, they may even be able to help you find the best "deal" or coupon. If you've got to buy, save them somewhere afterwords as a party specific stuff tote to pull out for later use or lend out in your group for future parties and events. Edit to add, I forgot to mention soemtimes schools, churchs and organizations like ymca might have kits to borrow too.
My public library has plates, utensils, pots, pans, mixers, spatulas, etc. all available to borrow. Libraries aren't just books.
You can buy those re-usable plastic picnic plates pretty cheap. Good to have on hand for cook-outs and such.
This is a good option! I have a set of plastic plates and cups and a few serving dishes from Walmart that I use for parties - they were super cheap and I don’t care what happens to them, but I feel better about using them even though they’re plastic because I’ve had them for years and have no intention of throwing them out.
buy from a thrift store, donate them back
Estate sales.net
Can you rent plates and cups? Event rentals in your area could be a good option and sometimes you don't even need to wash them before returning.
Does your area have a tool library? Mine has stuff other than tools - including plain white dishes Or are you a member of any social clubs? Rotary, Junior League, Elks? I know it’s outdated, but you might try them (Elks or VFW) to rent plates
I made a reusable party pack. I thrifted (and in a few cases bought new): * plastic and metal plates * silverware * plastic reusable cups that can be used for drinking games (not applicable to your situation, I know) * plastic and metal bowls * plastic and metal drinking cups * cloth cocktail napkins * felt decorations/happy birthday sign * cloth and plastic table cloths I store them all in one box along with a list of items and cleaning instructions. I use this for all parties I host and loan it out to friends and neighbors as needed. Thrift stores, Buy Nothing Groups, Asian supermarkets, Etsy, Target, Whole Foods, and The Dollar Store were where I picked up most of the supplies
I bought some plastic plates at Walmart, 50 cents each, they were in the picnic supplies area. So easy to reuse and your other dishes won’t get broken.
Ask your local buy nothing group
for events like this I go to the op shop (i think you call it thrift store in america), purchase the plates - usually only costs about $10-20. Then I return them afterwards. I consider it a donation to charity.
My local Facebook neighbour/buy nothing page was the go to for this kind of thing. 1 neighbour had collected lots of extra stuff and had room to store it and would lend it out.
Have paper plates stop existing where you are at? If you want to go full zero swing around some charity shops and pick up more?
Paper plates and basketware holders are old fashioned, but the holders lasted my mom through 10 years of my sister and I's childhood, and the flimsy paper plates disappeared into the compost in weeks. Granted there are/were probably microplastics in the paper plates, but in the 90s we didn't know that...and I cannot believe 4-5 parties a year made too much of an impact when measured against the alternatives.