If you’re new to event planning or sustainability, our simple tips will help you get started! We recently published part 1 of our sustainability blog, where we offered 12 tips for organising a more sustainable event. We promised 26 tips, so here are the remaining 14:
Food waste
Events create huge amounts of food waste, which also includes wasted valuable resources needed to produce it. Also, food that rots in landfills releases methane, a strong greenhouse gas.
- If possible, get attendees to confirm food choices before the event to get an accurate estimation of the food needed, reducing the chances of having way too much food.
- Donate: surplus food can be donated; here is a list of UK-based organisations to collaborate with.
- Compost: look into options for composting food scraps, or work with venues that already have composting policies in place.
- It’s 2019, please supply good vegetarian and vegan options, which have a lower environmental impact.
- Whenever possible, choose suppliers that have eco-friendly policies.
Venue
Choosing a venue with good sustainability practices will take you a long way towards a more eco-friendly event. Whether you’re looking for a sustainable venue, or you are a venue trying to become more eco-friendly, here are some tips:
- Reduce resource use: this can be achieved in many ways, using very simple solutions, such as energy-efficient lighting and other appliances, sensor lighting systems, sensor water-saving taps etc.
- Technology can do a lot nowadays, so look out for smart tech solutions that can measure and automatically adjust resource use, or measure overall carbon footprint.
- Green energy: look into sources of cleaner energy such as solar panels and charging benches.
Transport
We all know transportation comes with an environmental footprint, so here’s how to lower it:
- Choose a venue with good public transport access, for people to eliminate the need for driving to your event.
- Remote attendance options: there are various ways to offer and encourage remote attendance, which can be especially useful for people who would otherwise need to travel a long distance to your event. Several options include live streaming, video-conferencing, and hybrid meetings that will likely increase in popularity as VR advances to offer a better user experience.
- Virtual product demonstrations: VR can be a great way for people to experience a product demonstration through the simple use of a headset, removing the need to transport large items or a large number of items.
- Depending on your event, hybrid or electric vehicles might be relevant. For example, if you offer a shuttle service, consider using a more sustainable car.
Other
- Carbon offsets: let’s be realistic, lowering the environmental impact of your events is a process that takes time to achieve. You can make a positive change now by buying carbon offsets to compensate for your carbon footprint.
- Transparency: If you want to be sustainable, you should also be transparent about it. Be open about the positive steps you are taking, but also about where you are in this journey, and not making exaggerated or vague claims.
