Parties of all kinds—holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, congratulations—are a time of celebration, meant to hone in on a few carefree moments with friends and family around us. When entertaining larger groups, it is easy to reach for disposable solutions for easy clean-up. Before you do, however, remember that there is no such thing as throwing anything away. Disposable plastic plates, cups, forks, etc... all end up somewhere, until nature breaks them down.

A number of studies show that disposable plastic dinnerware, made from petroleum (i.e. crude oil), not only takes generations to break down, but also releases toxins into the soil, water, and air, as they are breaking down. (Recent studies have also found that some of these plastics are harmful to serve food or drink from.)  Find out more here.