Hosting a book club at the park can be charming, affordable, and surprisingly low-waste — as long as everyone skips the disposable habits that often come with group gatherings.
That was the idea behind a Reddit thread offering a practical checklist of sustainability tips that work outside the home, from carpooling to bringing your own plates and utensils.
What happened?
In a post on the r/sustainability subreddit, the original poster asked how to make meetups in public spaces greener rather than in a living room or backyard.
As an example, the user pointed to "a book club meetup at a local park" and laid out a short list of starter suggestions.
"I'd love some tips on how you make your events more sustainable! Specifically, tips for events hosted outside of your home — I feel like a lot of articles assume that you are hosting at home, but I am thinking more like a book club meetup at a local park."
They then added a list of ideas they have so far:
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• "Utilize digital invites and avoid printing anything.
• Encourage guests to carpool, walk, bike, or use public transportation.
• Make it a potluck and ask everyone to bring a plant-based dish.
• Guests bring their own plate, utensils, napkin, and drink container.
• Provide composting and recycling receptacles.
• Bring all natural cleaning spray and cloth kitchen towels to wipe down with afterwards."
Why does it matter?
For many people, casual social events can generate a surprising amount of trash, from disposable cups and takeout containers to plastic cutlery, bottled water, and single-use decorations.
In Central Park alone, which receives around 115,000 visitors on an average day across its 843 acres, over 2,000 tons of garbage can accumulate a year.
Simple shifts to reusable items and lower-impact food choices can significantly reduce that waste without making gatherings feel difficult or inconvenient.
Getting guests to share rides or bikes, or to take public transportation, can reduce travel-related pollution, and digital invitations help avoid unnecessary paper waste.
Sustainability does not have to mean perfection. It can be as simple as choosing a centrally located park, bringing a refillable water bottle, or using reusable towels instead of paper products.
What are people saying?
Commenters offered even more practical suggestions in the conversation.
"Choose a location centrally located and accessible via public transit," and if food logistics are too complicated, hosts could "consider just skipping food unless it's a food-centered event," one commenter wrote.
Another Reddit user took a broader view, writing that "commencing with a gratitude exercise is helpful in reducing scarcity mindset and thus consumption."
"Use refilling water stations to reduce single-use plastic, inform guests to BYOB (bring your own bottle)," another added.
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