Summer is party season in so many ways. Between the BBQs, graduation parties, “bon voyage” parties for teens going to college, family reunions and so on, it seems like these three months are just one party after another. All those parties can wreak havoc on the environment if you don’t use the right disposable party ware. The Sustainable Earth line from Staples makes it easy to change that.

Make Your BBQ More Eco-Friendly with Sustainable Earth Party Ware at Staples

I received a selection of Sustainable Earth party ware for review and a gift card to help me buy party food. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate until this past weekend. We’ve had rain pretty much every single day since my son got out of school. Finally, the weather forecast called for sun! Not just “partly sunny” or “chance of thunderstorms” but real sun! Hot, hot sun too! It was in the 90s this weekend! Perfect time for Sal and I to take the kids to the pool, then up to his parent’s house for a BBQ!

Sustainable Earth handles all your BBQ needs

Make Your BBQ More Eco-Friendly with Sustainable Earth Party Ware at Staples

Between me and my son, Sal and his kids, and Sal’s parents, we all have very different tastes. Sal’s mom is wonderful because she always keeps turkey burgers on hand for me. She also makes amazing grilled chicken. While the food was grilling, Sal, Raina (Sal’s daughter) and I took a walk. His parents neighborhood is filled with deer that are pretty used to people. They even pose for pictures!

Make Your BBQ More Eco-Friendly with Sustainable Earth Party Ware at Staples

Back at the house and ready to eat, we loaded up our Sustainable Earth party ware with delicious BBQ food! For me, it was a turkey burger, grilled chicken and a side of corn. I’m probably the pickiest eater, next to my son. I should have taken a picture of Sal’s plate because he puts more stuff on his burgers.

Make Your BBQ More Eco-Friendly with Sustainable Earth Party Ware at Staples

Whether you’re loading your Sustainable Earth plate full of tasty (and messy) food or going on the lighter side (my son had a piece of chicken and a hot dog), they hold up to anything you put on them. The first thing I noticed about them was how thick they were. The plates and bowls are made of the same super sturdy recycled material. They were so thick that I thought I had two plates stuck together!

Make Your BBQ More Eco-Friendly with Sustainable Earth Party Ware at Staples

For reference, these stacks each have 7 of everything, so you can see how they definitely have some strength to them! The napkins are soft, so they don’t chap your sensitive skin after a day of swimming in chlorine. Yet they don’t fall apart when you’re cleaning up after eating messy food. The cups are fantastic for windy days because they don’t seem to blow away or tip over easily. The bowls are so strong, I bet you could eat soup out of them! I didn’t, because it was 90 degrees.

The best part, of course, is the fact that every Sustainable Earth item is not only made from recycled materials, but it’s also compostable. They only come in white, but that means they won’t clash with your other party decor. White matches everything! The Sustainable Earth line is also incredibly budget friendly. A pack of 250 9″ plates is just $44.39. You can get 300 Cold Cups for $45.99, 125 bowls for $19.99 and a 400-pack of napkins for just $4.99. The forks, spoons and knives are sold separately or together. They’re definitely below budget, above expectations!

With back to school season around the corner, I was also thinking that the reasonable price for a case of the plates combined with the eco-friendliness would make them perfect for all those fun paper plate crafts that you can do with kids. If you’re a preschool teacher, these would be perfect for that! I’ve always felt a little guilty using a paper plate to make crafts with Jacob because I feel like I’m wasting paper. Using Sustainable Earth plates for those crafts is a great way to help preserve the environment while still having fun.

Check out all the Sustainable Earth products at Staples.com, or in your local Staples store. Follow Staples on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with all their news (especially with back to school season, they’re like THE headquarters for all your needs!)

Do you have any parties or BBQs coming up? Tell me about your summer celebrations!