We are a Seattle company, and we share the values of what makes this region special - innovation, sustainability, and a commitment to protecting the environment. We are plastic-free, and high-quality compostable cups, straws, stirrers, garnish picks, and beverage napkins are included with every booking. Party like it never happened and make your wedding or party waste-free!
I achieved my Masters in Public Administration (MPA) degree from the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs, specializing in Environmental Resource Management and Sustainable Business Practices. In May of 2012, I attended a tour of sustainable eco-tourism sites in Costa Rica, where forward-thinking entrepreneurs educated me on the importance of viewing all business decisions through the scope of eco-consciousness, an awareness that it is the planet that gives our businesses value, not the other way around. It is crucial for business owners to consider what impact they have on the world around them, while the top business leaders can envision the future - and the future is sustainable processes and products, where the life cycles of products do not begin and end, but only continue.
In 2018 China, the world’s largest recycling processor of plastic products, ended their policy of accepting refuse from around the globe, including the United States. Utilities all over America are scrambling to find alternatives to recycle their stockpiles, while plastics continue to stack up in landfills instead of being reused. There is no good solution in sight, and Emerald City Cocktails will no longer contribute to the problem. The choice for us is clear: everything we use from now on will be 100% compostable and processed by Cedar Grove composting facilities here in the Pacific Northwest, made by Greenware, an industry leader for compostable goods.
Our Composting Program is now included with every booking. Our bartenders will provide green bins lined with compostable bags, and 100% biodegradable HAY Straws, bamboo garnish picks, and beverage napkins. If you are not renting glassware for your event, we will provide high-quality compostable cups for cocktails, wine, and draft beer. We also offer to provide free water dispensers with cups for every event, and our coffee bar service features compostable cups, lids, and stirrers. At the end of the service, if the venue does not have a container for accepting compost, we will take it with us and deposit it at a Cedar Grove facility.
We will no longer work with single-use plastic cups, straws, bottled water, or garnish picks.
We do not, of course, want to lose your business over plastics! That’s why are compost program is already included with every booking, no additional fees. If you have already purchased plastic cups or bottled water, no worries. Return them or keep them, and we will provide compostable alternatives at no charge. It’s a win-win-win!
We can see the future, and it is sustainable.
Cheers! -
Neil Ratliff, MPA
Owner of Emerald City Cocktails
