Going green is a theme amongst event
organization these days. There will be an estimated 9 billion people on the
planet in just 12 years, so consuming responsibly is a very important aspect
and one which will only increase in importance. Before you can put on a green
event there are a few basics that need grasping – that’s where this week’s post
comes in, with the many ‘R’s of being green.
Reduce
The first point with adopting a
sustainable approach is making use with less – less energy requirement; less
food going to waste; and less packaging, transport and excess products
distributing. This is where planning comes in. Do you need to give out
paper when you could be distributing data at a conference for example? Can you
reduce the distance people need to travel or the energy needed to achieve your
goals?
Reuse
So you’ve tried to reduce the amount
of ‘stuff’ you need for an event. You also need to make sure the stuff you’ve
already got can be reused. Can you, for example, reuse name badges that you’ve
already had produced, or perhaps by buying better quality items you’ll be able
to keep reusing them in the future.
Most of us will have seen trade
shows that look like garbage tips at the end, with mountains of unused trash.
Let’s hope it’s going to the next trade show and not into the ground. As was
alluded to above this may lead to you purchasing better quality materials that
can be better reused, the classic example is the banishment of single use
plastic bottles at meetings in favor of glasses and jugs of water. We all
prefer glass or china to a squishy single use plastic cup and we’re reusing, so
everybody wins by this approach.
Recycle
For everything that you can’t reuse,
you should consider before you purchase it, if it can be recycled – is
it the sort or material you can recycle. Then you need to put in place
protocols that actually lead to these materials being recycled. For example,
when you give name badges out, tell guests there will be a large paper box at
the conclusion of the conference for used badges that will then be recycled.
Re-gift
Even with perfect planning and a
sensible approach to recycling there may still be consumables that do not get
used. Food and drink are prime examples that can often not be reused. So they
should be given to someone who can use them. For food, local food banks are the
obvious solution; many caterers will already do this. For other items, you may
simply be able to gift it to workers or colleagues that assisted with the
event. Either way your approach will be much more sustainable.
