Green Partying: Five Easy Steps

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4. Favors

You may want to give your guests a small gift--for instance, a cup that they can drink from and take home, cutting down on dirty dishes and waste.

*Try a 100-percent recycled glass tumbler or goblet from Green Glass's new Modern Collection ($25/set of 4; www.greenglass.com).

*Memories of your party will flourish as your guests grow Good Luck Gardens in a Bag ($8; www.wishingfish.com) or Windowsill Herb sets of starter pots containing lemon mint, oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage ($27; www.gardeningbulbs.com).

*Endangered Species Belgian Chocolate Bug Bites are made of organic milk or dark chocolate and come with endangered insects trading cards ($28.99/64 pieces; www.mothernature.com).

*Send kids home with organic cotton dogs, cats, rabbits and elephants ($9.95 and up; www.store.yahoo.com).

*Get kids thinking big with Tree in a Box kits, which provide everything needed to grow a tree from seed ($2.50 and up; www.treeinabox.com).

*Other great summer favors for nature lovers: birdfeeders, gardening sets and wildflower presses ($18 and up; www.naturalplay.com).

5. For the Table

It's always greenest to use washable linens, napkins, cutlery and dinnerware.

*Start setting the mood with the table. Rawganique sells organic hemp and French linen tablecloths (starting at $54) and matching napkins ($10.95), in vibrant colors like burgundy, russet orange, olive and alpine meadow (www.rawganique.com, 877-729-4367) .

*Bamboo plates are light and nonbreakable ($4-$20; www.bambuhome.com, 877-226-2829). Handcrafted seaglass plates and bowls by Riverside Design Group make cool summer settings ($132/4-piece set; www.pangaya.com, 800-872-6618). Also see "Dishes and Glassware," GG #111.

*When you must use paper, try to buy recycled, such as Seventh Generation's paper plates, which are made from 100-percent recycled paper, with a minimum of 83-percent post-consumer materials. They are also whitened without chlorine bleach ($1.39; www.seventhgeneration.com).

*Mix and match with Marcal's paper napkins, multicolored and also made from recycled paper ($3 and up; www.marcalpaper.com).

*Finally, keep your clean-up simple: Set up a recycling center in your kitchen or backyard. Use one container for aluminum, one for glass and one for compost--guests will enjoy helping to sort. And use earth-friendly cleaners like baking soda. See the new Household Cleaning Product Report at www.thegreenguide.com.

*For more ideas, see "Green Weddings," GG #96.

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