Green Event Planning

Whether you’re planning a family reunion, an annual meeting for your workplace, or a community-wide festival, make it a more environmentally friendly event.
Planning a green event takes a little more time and effort, but the rewards are great. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve conserved resources, reduced landfill waste, and shown a commitment to preserving a sustainable quality of life for our community and our world.

Best of all, you will provide a model for others to follow. Your family, neighbours, customers, clients, and community members will note with approval that you have taken the time to ensure that your event is environmentally friendly.

Top 10 Ways to Make Your Meeting Environmentally Responsible

1. Write It Up
Create an environmental statement or policy for the meeting as simple as, "We commit to minimize the environmental impact of our meeting by increasing the use of recycled materials wherever possible, reducing the amount of solid waste and disposing of waste responsibly." Be sure to get sign-off from hosts and suppliers.

2. Go Paperless
Using Web technology can cut paper use dramatically. A simple Web site for the conference can offer registration and confirmation. Email can serve advertising needs.

3. Meet Close
Insofar as possible, minimize the average distance that participants must travel. Choose venues close to the airport and within walking distance.

4. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Ask your hotel and meeting venue to provide visible and accessible reduction, reuse and recycling services for paper, metal, plastic and glass.

5. Avoid Individual Servings
Use bulk dispensers for sugar, salt, pepper, cream and toppings.

6. Choose Green Hotels
Choose a hotel that offers a linen reuse program and bulk dispensers for shampoos and soaps in guest suites.

7. Eat Green
Include vegetarian options, and use caterers willing to provide locally produced foods in season.

8. When You Must Print…
Print all materials on earth-friendly papers, using vegetable-based inks, and use both sides of every page if possible.

9. Lights Out
Make sure that lights and air conditioning are turned off when rooms are not in use.

10. Inform, Instruct, Inspire
Tell participants and speakers about the "green" commitment of the meeting. Include verbiage on printed items and table tents.

Check here more tips of how to make your own green event!

Renata Altrão & The Gatherings Team