The morning after Smara’s first birthday party, all the leftovers fit into a single bowl.

No overflowing garbage bags. No crumpled paper plates or plastic streamers. Just a handful of leftovers, which is pretty remarkable for a celebration that hosted 50 guests. For Smara’s parents, that wasn’t surprising at all. It was exactly what they had planned for.

Their daughter had just turned one. The celebration, they decided, would not begin with excess and end in waste. 

It would be a test of intention, and of whether a milestone could be marked without leaving a trace (or trash) behind.

A celebration without disposables

Children’s birthday parties are often shorthand for abundance. Balloons, single-use........

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