Planning a Plastic Free Children’s Party? From Cups and Plates to Decorations, ‘Make it Pop’ May Have it Covered

When recently hosting a children’s party, we obviously wanted to avoid unnecessary single use plastic and waste. We put up minimal reusable paper decorations and avoided balloons entirely. We gave away books wrapped in paper with paper tape in place of party bags full of plastic rubbish. And we avoided the traditional plates and cups, that aren’t as easy to recycle as it might seem, thanks to ‘Make It Pop’. Here’s our interview with its founder, Laura Button…

Tell us about ‘Make it Pop’?

“Are you fed up of party waste and looking for an alternative to single-use children’s party products? Finally you can wave goodbye to disposable party tableware, and say ‘hello’ to our gorgeous range of eco friendly party supplies available to hire across the UK.

From our luxury melamine plates, cups and bowls to zero-waste party decorations, ‘Make It Pop’ enables you to pull off a stylish eco friendly party, where waste is kept to a minimum.”

Where did the idea for ‘Make it Pop’ come from?

“I have always loved hosting birthday parties for my three children. From deciding on a theme to executing a stylish party table, my key frustration in the early days was sourcing items to create a certain ‘look’ that weren’t mismatched or too few to make an impact. I would invest in bunting that could adorn a bedroom between birthdays so I could justify a particular theme.

I’d priced up multiple disposable cups for my husband’s 40th birthday party in our garden and realised that it was cheaper to buy 100 glass mason jars that guests reused. I also bought bamboo bowls for the catering and as flimsy paper plates wouldn’t stand up to curry, and it dawned on me that if I had lovely, quality items other people could use, how much waste we could save on these celebrations.”

What are the issues with traditional party tableware?

“We haven’t changed the way we ‘do’ children’s parties in decades. We can be the most dedicated recyclers at home, but when it comes to hosting our children’s parties, we seem to lose sight completely in terms of the amount of waste they are generating. Yes, convenience comes into it, but we need to change our bad habits.

Plastic plates, cutlery, drink stirrers and balloon sticks feature in the top 10 items that account for 70% of all marine litter. Not something we should celebrate really, is it?

The EU and the UK passed a single use plastics ban in 2018 that has kicked in from this year, which will mean that thankfully we will no long be able to purchase single use party products. But why do we need to wait until then, when there are ways to reduce your party waste now?”

What does it cost?

“Items are priced individually on the website, and there are also different levels to the product pricing too, so you can tailor it to your party budget. You can hire from as little as 10 per piece for an ice cream bowl, and I’ve tried to keep the cost on a par with the mid-range disposables market. 

Postage costs (inc. box return) are calculated at the checkout, and most party boxes come well under the 10kg threshold, meaning that the delivery cost for a party box comes in at £8 each way.”

What areas do you cover?

‘Make It Pop’ covers Wales, England and Scotland, making party tableware hire available to all who look to cut down their party waste.”

Why aren’t there more companies doing this?

“In the last year, there has been an increase in the number of school PTAs offering out their own party kit to local parents in a bid to reduce party waste. I think this is a great initiative, and some parents have even done the same thing.

The Party Kit Network has been set-up as a directory for these local party kit suppliers, and we are delighted to be a part of this also.

On a business level, ‘Make It Pop’ focussed not only on the reduction of waste, but also inspiring parents to create a beautifully styled party as part of the process. We do this through our party theme page and carefully styled photography.”

For more information, visit www.makeitpop.shop.

Our personal experience

Laura offered a flexible, friendly and helpful service and the cups and plates were perfect for the occasion. A number of parents noticed and commented on them. The items arrived ahead of time and were well wrapped using biodegradable and reusable packaging. We would happily recommend ‘Make it Pop’ and use the service again.

You can find us on Facebook by searching for Plastic Free Home or at http://www.facebook.com/plasticfreehomeuk.