Compostable dishes for reception tacky?

Wouldn’t real dishes be more environmentally friendly? I know you have to use water to wash them but they’re reusable as opposed to the production needed to manufacture the compostable ones.

I'm not sure how the glass dishes harm the environment. Presumably they are reused many times?

Hi Jaden! Welcome to WeddingWire and congrats on your engagement!

I have worked at a few venues and have seen equal compostable and washable dinnerware used before. It's really up to you.

Agreeing with the others, there are environmental pros and cons for both routes technically. It just depends if you'd rather compost everything, which would accumulate a lot of waste, or use water to wash all of the plates to be reused. Renting reusable dishes is always an option.

First, go online and see if there are any attractive compostable plates. you never know what's out there. Second, does the venue have a compost pile? If not, are they willing to pack up your garbage so your mother can take it home? Is she expecting the wait staff to separate compostable from non compostable waste? None compostable ware would be any meats and any foods made with a high fat content such as butter, sauces, and cake frosting. Does she realize that if the compostable plates are soaked in meat juices and thick sauces, they essentially become non compostable because meat products are never to be put in compost piles because it will attract flies and the resulting maggots? I'm assuming she intends to take the plates home and put them in her home compost pile. Does she really think she is going to drag home bag upon bag of garbage? I myself would never use paper plates of any kind at a wedding but for me it's about esthetics. go rent those plates and flatware. Pay for them yourself.

I am a bit confused by this- reusable real plates would surely be more environmentally friendly than using paper plates?! And yes, I agree it could be seen as tacky. I mean if you're having a BBQ then I guess that's OK but with a $2k dress, I am guessing not?

A personal pet peeve for me is disposable dishware. I understand it for cake and desserts but other than that...its a no from me.

Especially since glass/chinaware can be used so many times

OK first off, going out and buying manufactured compostable plates is worse for the environment than just using real dishes that are already made and can just be washed. The manufacturing process for the plates puts more strain on the environment than using water to wash a dish...

Secondly, this is your WEDDING. If it was going to be a casual affair then this would be fine, but you wearing a 2K dress eating off a paper plate just does not work for me.

I totally agree. While I can understand her love for composting, your wedding is not the time or place for it.

The environmental toll of shipping compostable dishes to your door (CO2 emissions from flying and driving) is much higher than using a local rental place for your dishes. The first rule of recycling is DON'T (as in, use things that can just be reused).