So, we see that recycling is not always the ideal an- swer that we wish it were, and other options need to be considered. Another popular approach to work toward sustainability has been the use of biodegradable, compostable food service items such as bamboo plates, utensils, and serving plat- ters. The problem with these items is that they are meant to be composted.


“Compostable items are designed to be composted in a compost heap only. Composting is a very spe- cific process which does not occur in landfills. Microorganisms, carbon, water, oxygen and nitro- gen are all essential parts of the compost process, and these factors need to be present in the right circumstances (such as in a compost pile) for composting to occur… If compostable products are placed in the more common anaerobic (air- locked or capped) landfill and deprived of oxygen and micro-organisms, then the ability of the com- postable products to decompose will be severely restricted. This is true of all biodegradable materi- als placed in this setting, including paper, yard waste and food waste.” [2]


So, if these compostable products are thrown into the trash, the end result is no different than using regular disposable paper or plastic goods and throwing them into the trash. The same volume of material is still going into the landfill. And, “Land- fills are not designed to break down trash, merely to bury it.” [3] If the compostable items are put into the recycling, the same contamination issues occur as when dirty disposable goods are put into the re- cycling.


As we consider this complicated problem and ask ourselves what we can personally do to increase sustainability, an easy practice comes to mind: “Dispose of your Disposables.”


The party rental business is, by nature, a sustain- ability business. Everything in a rental warehouse is specifically designed to be manufactured once and then reused over and over. A party rents flat- ware that is then returned to be used again for a charity gala, and so on. Adding up the square footage of landfill space that our customers are saving each year by renting instead of using dispos- ables just boggles the mind.


Many people don’t realize that “reduce, reuse, recy- cle” is actually a waste hierarchy. Reducing usage is the first step. Reusing items, which is the focus of a rental company, is preferable to recycling because you prevent the constantly repeated consumption of manufacturing materials and shipping re- sources.


Reusable rental items also give you more style and customization possibilities than disposables.


By offering everything from traditional buffet chafing dishes to rustic mason jars to posh brushed gold flatware, A to Z Party Rental offers the benefit of customizing the look of your event while you are eliminating unnecessary waste.


Our rental inventory offers a wide selection - for example, we carry over 100 linen fabrics and colors, far more than you’ll ever find in the dispos- ables aisle.


Rental products are the perfect


draw to add that special spark to your next event. Owner of A to Z Party Rental, Melani Kodikian, shares that “we aim to be the life


of the party while respecting the life of our planet.”


REFERENCES [1] https://www.inquirer.com/science/climate/recycling-costs- philadelphia-incinerator-waste-to-energy-plant-20190125.html [2] https://www.ecoproducts.com/faqs-composting_and_ recycling.html [3] https://www.advanceddisposal.com/for-mother-earth/ education-zone/learn-about-landfills.aspx


*photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)] Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/ b/bd/Litter_on_Singapore%27s_East_Coast_Park.jpg


Expand your Landscape or Reach for the Stars— Let us help you Celebrate in Style.


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AtoZPartyRental.net 215-646-6777 Mid-Atlantic­EvEntS Magazine 43


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