How to Plan a Zero-Waste Potluck
A zero-waste potluck is gathering of friends and community members with the dual goal of sharing in a homemade meal and reducing food waste.
Why this recipe matters
Food waste is a major contributor to landfill mass, and packaging waste from single-use containers adds to pollution. Hosting a zero-waste potluck is a simple and fun way to raise awareness about reducing waste and help your community adopt sustainable practices in everyday life.
Ingredients
- Location (a house, school gym, courtyard, local park ... get creative!)
- A couple of folks willing to lend a canopy in case you end up outside and weather rolls in.
- Invitations or flyers (digital preferred to avoid paper waste)
- Reusable or compostable dishware, utensils, and cups
- Local composting guidelines
- Recipes for sustainable dishes (focus on plant-based, local, or low-packaging ingredients)
- Tables and chairs. You could also opt for "BYO seat and picnic blanket"
- A few volunteers to help with setup and cleanup
Recipe
- Pick a location.
- This will likely be weather dependent, but there's not much you need! Maybe you'll be able to volunteer your home or find a space (school gym or library meeting room) that somebody is willing to donate. If the weather is nice, consider an outside gathering! Just make sure you have a few canopies on hand.
- Be strategic about timing.
- If it works for you, your guests, and the location, try for a Sunday afternoon. There's a better chance that attendees will have some leftovers from the week/weekend to bring along and reduce food waste even more!
- Invite your community.
- Get the word out! You can make this as big (or small) as you want (and your selected space will allow).
- Encourage attendees to bring a dish made with minimal packaging and to bring their own reusable containers for leftovers.
- Also be sure to ask guests to bring their own dishware and utensils.
- Consider a waste station.
- Set up an area with bins for compost, recycling, and a very small bin for trash (if needed).
- Create and display clear signage so people can dispose of everything responsibly.
- Share sustainable recipes.
- Prior to the event, share some recipes that will inspire attendees to prepare dishes using what they may already have in their kitchen/pantry and using ingredients with a lower environmental impact.
- Share your success.
- Share your success on social (and with us!) after you've wrapped up your potluck. And then plan the next one!
Nutritional Information
How this recipe has nurtured a community
We haven't tried this one yet, but we'd love to hear from you if you did! Did you gather neighbors and friends for a zero-waste potluck? What was the most eco-friendly feature of your unique event? What was your favorite dish? Please let us know in the comments how a zero-waste potluck has nurtured your community!
Finishing Touch
Encourage guests to bring their own containers from home for leftovers (who doesn't love some good leftovers?!).