Everyone these days is looking for ways to benefit the environment—so why not include your prom night in your efforts to go green? Just because you’re celebrating, doesn’t mean you can’t still “Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle.” To help you reduce your prom’s carbon footprint, von Hottie has come up with some ideas to help you green up the best night of your life!

THE DRESS
• Instead of hitting the department store, shop at vintage or thrift stores. You’ll guarantee no one else at prom is wearing your same dress.
• If you’ve been to prom with your friends before, coordinate a dress exchange for this year. You’ll all look good, and you’ll all save money.
• Keep it in the family! Does your mom or aunt still have their old party dresses just collecting dust in the back of the closet? Bust them out and rock the retro look.

TRANSPORTATION
• When shopping for prom, carpool with your friends or take public transportation.
• For the big night, MyPromStyle.com suggests either carpooling or renting a 30-passenger party bus rather than a limo, which uses more fuel.

ACCESSORIES
• Movie stars borrow gems for big events, so why can’t you? Harry Winston might not sponsor your prom, but your mom will probably open her jewelry box to you.

FLOWERS
• Ask your florist for locally grown flowers, which don’t have to be transported as far.

DÉCOR & PICTURES
• Instead of buying flower arrangements for tables, buy potted plants that can be planted later as a gift from your class to the school.
• A lot of money and materials are used in making souvenir items, such as glasses. Opt for more environmentally friendly party favors, like the bamboo coasters sold on Beau-Coup.com.
• Ask the photographer for digital copies of your prom pictures, and you won’t waste money or paper on prints.
• Don’t waste paper by printing tickets. Sell tickets for the event on a site like BrownPaperTickets.com and simply print a check-in list for the door.

PROM DATE
• Recycle last year’s prom date. This is not a joke. If you had a good time with someone at your junior prom, invite him to your senior prom. Instead of asking my junior-prom date to the senior prom, I asked a different guy, just because he was on the swim team. What did I get? A date dressed as the Mad Hatter and a bunch of half-dead, ugly flowers. My bad mood at prom was more air pollution than I could ever offset.

Want more ideas? See how other girls went green for prom by watching the videos at Project Green Prom. PD


von Hottie is a performance artist, pinup, and one-woman global empire based in New York City. Check all she has to offer, and pick up one of her gorgeous calendars, at vonHottie.com.