Ruth is the owner of Eco Party Packs Harborne, a party hire company who offer reusable crockery (plates, bowls, cups and cutlery – in pretty pastel and beautiful bright rainbow sets!), tablecloths, bunting and other items (including cake stands, jugs, and a letterboard) for you to hire for parties and other events. The idea is to in reduce the amount of waste created by parties, by encouraging people to move away from single-use items that are then disposed of at the end of the event. They offer good quality items that not only look good and are nicer to eat off but can be used again and again. They are also really affordable, with the aim of being cheaper than buying single-use.
Shockingly, an estimated 1.1 billion single use plates are used in England each year, and only an estimated 15% of plastic cutlery is recycled. Since opening the business, Birmingham residents have saved well over 1000 items going to landfill!
Ruth is also looking to expand the business to include a fancy-dress library and is taking donations of preloved children’s fancy dress costumes and accessories, so that these items are reused, rather than being thrown away or sitting unloved in a cupboard when they no longer fit. This will be a fantastic addition to the business, as it is estimated that around 7 million fancy dress costumes are thrown away each year after Halloween alone!
We asked Ruth a few questions:
What do you love about running your business?
“I love knowing the number of items that have been saved from landfill, and that such a small change can have such a big impact”
And finally, what do you love about Birmingham?
“I love the energy in the city – there is so much going on! There is both a sense of history, and the feeling of positive changes for the future. I also love the number of independent businesses we have in the city, and the strong sense of community.”
Can’t wait to start planning a party and want to hire from Eco Party Packs?! You can find them on Facebook (Eco Party Packs Harborne) or Instagram (@ruthsecopartypacks).