Prom Spot - 5 Tips for an Eco-Friendly Prom Night

Prom is the perfect, highly publicized event to go green and make a statement that everyone will hear. And remember, even the smallest planning decisions could influence your school leaders to find greener ways to do things on a daily basis! Here are ideas to make your prom more earth-friendly.

Borrow blooms
Instead of using flowers that are flown in from afar, wasting energy, go local. Ask a nearby greenhouse or nursery about renting plants. You can slip the plants into containers you've decorated or wrap them in ribbon and fabric. If you do buy, you can plant them afterward to spruce up your school’s grounds.

Travel together
If your prom is being held off-campus, consider shuttling everyone rather than having individual cars and limos. After all, everyone's making the same trip. You’ll cut down on carbon emissions. Another option is having your prom committee donate money to offset your carbon footprint. Websites like TerraPass.com have more info.

Eat wisely
Ask the subcommittee in charge of ordering food to find options that are good for the planet. Opt for fair trade, organic food and you'll know it’s better for you and that the conditions for the workers growing and harvesting it are up to snuff. And always try to keep it local. For more information on organics, check out SustainableTable.org.

Go paperless
Still using paper invites? Take the modern (and tree-saving) approach. Use Evite.com or even Facebook.com to manage attendees. Or set up a website for prom. If you have everyone's email addresses, updating your classmates on prom plans, fundraisers, and so on will take just a few clicks of the mouse -- and zero stamps.

Give back
Save the money you'd use on prom favors and make a donation to a charity or nonprofit organization in your class’ name. You might pick a cause that goes with the theme of your prom -- for example, a clean oceans charity, like the Surfrider Foundation (Surfrider.org), is perfect if you're having a beach-themed bash. Or choose a local cause and your prom will have a lasting impact in your community.

Final note
Whatever steps you take, make sure you broadcast them well. No one will appreciate locally grown organic vegetables if they don’t know that’s what they’re eating. You want to do your part but also influence others who aren’t quite thinking like you yet. See? Prom can have a higher cause than romance or fun.

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