Sustainable ceremonies
Thinking about how you can make your ceremony and celebration more sustainable and eco-friendly?
As humanists, we believe that we have just this one life. We have a responsibility not only to our fellow human beings but also to other living beings – and the earth – to live that life as best we can. That means trying to be loving, respectful, tolerant and kind.
Going ‘green’ might be easier than you think. Even small considerations can make a big impact. Creating a beautiful, sustainable ceremony with Humanist Society Scotland, and the subsequent celebration, is possible without sacrificing style or budget. In fact, it can make it even more magical.
Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints.
Chief Seattle
Avoiding certain things in your ceremony or celebration is perhaps where you can most easily make a difference.
No matter how much some of us love them, fireworks cannot be considered eco-friendly. And not only do they cause animals to run and hide, they can cause trauma for people suffering from conditions such as PTSD.
When releasing balloons or sky lanterns, it is impossible to control where they will eventually come down. Whether that’s on land or sea, they pose a number of potential hazards for animals, birds and sea life. Many balloons contain helium too, which is an increasingly scarce resource and has other more important uses. Lanterns can also be a fire risk.
If you like the idea of releasing white doves, we would advocate hiring a professional who releases trained, white, homing pigeons instead. They have more chance of survival.
Avoiding single-use plastics is where we can all make a difference.
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