How can you make your event more sustainable?

The demand for a more sustainable approach to organising events is increasing. As an event planner, you have the ability to make significant changes in your field, because let’s face it, change is in your own hands. What options do you have for a more environmentally friendly event?

Read on to discover several ways in which you can introduce sustainable initiatives into your upcoming event:

Reuse

• Encourage guests to bring reusable water bottles that they can refill throughout the day. This reduces the amount of waste produced by attendees.
• Badge holders, lanyards, notebooks and pens are just a few items that can be saved and reused at future events rather than thrown out.
• Use recyclable materials when creating branded items for the event or create branded items that are not event specific and can be used at multiple events.

Zero Waste

One of the major problems is the event location itself. Choose an event location that is committed to clean energy and take measures to reduce waste.

Reduce the amount of waste generated by your event and its attendees by providing composting for uneaten food and sourcing recyclable materials to use.

Zero waste requires a closed loop. Products should be reused and recycled rather than discarded, burned, or dumped. Waste is inefficient and does not fit into this cycle of sustainability.

Travel & Food

Encourage guests to use public transportation or hire shuttle buses from the accommodation/airport. You could even take it a step further and provide a sporty alternative, such as cycling. This is especially appropriate for hospitality programmes during a city trip.

Say goodbye to meat and instead provide more sustainable catering, such as vegetarian or vegan. Meat consumption is one of the leading causes of CO2 emissions, so limiting suppliers who only offer meat-based meals will reduce the event’s carbon footprint.

Buy and use materials, food and drink from local suppliers and businesses in the community of the event’s location.

Go Digital

An easy way to make a big impact is to go paperless. Instead of sending out physical invitations, send an email invite, or create an event page on social media. Not only does this reduce your footprint, but an event page also allows you to easily communicate with guests. A last-minute change? No problem, it is easily adjusted online!

Following the online invitation, you could create an online registration platform that is paperless and cost-effective. Send registration notifications via email, followed by an e-ticket that can be scanned from smartphones.

Printed invitations, maps, and tickets are a thing of the past. Mobile apps and websites are a much more environmentally friendly way to interact with guests before, during, and after an event.

Article written by ATPI, click here to find out more about the work they do