Green Event Planning

Green Terminology

2012-02-04T22:29:00.000-08:00

If you're going to plan a green event you need to understand the different terms commonly used when relating to environmental sustainability.

Biodegradable: products that will break down and decompose into elements found in nature.
Example) You may purchase bidegradable plates for your event

Compostable: paper, food, leaves, and other items that can decompose into organic matter through composting, the art of turning organic waste into soil-conditioning material.
Example) You can purchase invitations that you can plant after (so neat!)

Eco: short for ecological that is designed to be in harmony with the environment.

Green: environmentally friendly products and activities.

Green Washing: falsely claiming to be green.

Local: said to be 1-200 km radius.

Reclaimed: salvaged materials that are returned to use, as in wood recovered from a demolition site.
Example) Use old wine barrels as cocktail tables. Looks awesome!

Sustainable: the result of practices that "sustain" our natural resources rather than deplete or permanently damage them. Reusing, recycling, and powering your home with renewable energy are all sustainable practices.

Hopefully understanding these terms help you get the most out of your eco-friendly event!

-Nicole

Green Catering

2012-02-04T21:52:00.000-08:00

An important part of every event is "getting people fed and watered" (as my mom would say). Aside from using as much local food as possible, there are a few other things to consider when organizing the food and beverage aspects of your event to be more environmentally friendly.

1. The # of Courses
The number of courses you serve will impact your eco-footprint. The more meals you serve may mean more transportation and definitely more dishwashing. For the least impact, limited the amount of courses you serve and choose a seated dinner rather than a buffet to limit the amount of dishes used.

2. The Bar
Serve just wine and beer and a signature drink or cocktail rather than a full bar. A full bar requires several different kinds of glasses. Also, limiting your bar stock helps save you money! Win-win.

3. Bottled Water
Ban bottled water to avoid the plastic and the energy required to deliever all those bottles. Consider water stations or water jugs on tables instead.

4. Leftovers
Reduce your food waste by offering leftover meals to the catering staff (if they don't already get it) or send them to a soup kitchen so that nothing is wasted. Make arrangements to have the scraps composted.

5. Location
Host your event at a restaurant, cafe, or garden with a kitchen onsite. The less your caterers have to travel to deliver your food, the lower your eco-footprint.

6. Seasonality
Pick items that are in season and as close to home as possible. Not only will your food taste better, it will suit your theme of your event for the time of the year (ex. pumpkin soup in October).

Happy menu planning!

-Nicole

Tips to a Sustainable Event

2012-01-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

6 Easy Tips to a Sustainable Event!

1. E-vite Your Guests
Emailing invitations saves paper and money, especially if you have a long guest list. If a printed invitation is an absolute must for your event, use postconsumer recycled paper or seed paper and give a phone number for RSVP's instead of reply cards.

2. Serve Local Food As Much as Possible
Look for a restaurant or caterer that uses fresh, local or organic foods. If you're planning on serving seafood, make sure it's sustainably caught or farmed and low in mercury. Make arrangements with a local food collector to pick up any leftovers at the end of the day.

3. Use Reusable or Biodegradable Tableware
Stick to cloth napkins and real tableware to reduce the amount of resources your event consumes and the amount of garbage you'll need to dispose of at the end of night. For a gathering at home, use your own dishes. If you have to go for the take-and-toss variety, look for post-consumer recycled content paper napkins and biodegradable plates, cups and utensils made from corn starch or agricultural waste. They'll degrade in just a couple of months in a commercial composter!

4. Decorate Naturally
Try using 'living' décor such as moss, stones and succulent plants, or organic flowers instead of traditional pesticide-laden bouquets. Send your decorations home with your guests at the end of the night, or reuse them for another event.

5. Dazzle with Energy Efficient Lighting
A daytime event held outdoors or in a place with plenty of windows lets you save big on energy costs and global warming pollution from conventional lighting. For additional lighting, use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use only about one-third of the energy that regular light bulbs do. Look for energy efficient bulbs and fixtures marked with the Energy Star label. Alternatively use solar powered lights.

6. Make Recycling Easy
Don't rummage through trash bins the next day looking for stuff that shouldn't have been thrown away. Make recycling easy by setting out clearly labeled recycling bins for items such as bottles, paper and cans.

If you impliment even one of these tips from your regular event routine you're on your way to positively impacting our environment. Next event you do try to see how many more tips on this list you can use up and maybe one day you'll use them all!

-Nicole

The Importance of Eco-Friendly Events

2012-01-26T17:08:00.000-08:00

It is 99.9% likely that all of you will plan an event at some point in your life whether it be large scale like a festival, small scale like a birthday party, or even your own wedding (which usually lies somewhere in between only you can up the stress exponentially...). It is important to note however, that while much effort and planning goes into that event, there is also a lot of waste and harm to the environment that can occur from the single event you host. Not to worry, there are many ways that can be easily reduced. Over the next 6 weeks I will be posting about how to reduce your harm to the environment while planning an event and the importance of doing so.

There is much more to being "green" than recycling (though it is important!). Here are some common myths about going "green". I will note that as I'm a wedding planner aside from being a student, many tips will be referenced towards the industry.

1. Being eco-friendly is expensive.
Surprisingly it's not. Think about it, if you're having your wedding in one location from ceremony to reception take out your cost of your limo as you no longer need it. Poof. There goes $600+ not to mention you're reducing the harm to the environment by all your guests driving here and there and they all love you for being so convenient with your venue. This is also applicable to a meeting or conference as well.

2. If you can't be 100% eco-friendly then why bother?
Every effort towards sustainability makes an impact. "According to Green Suites International, if one hotel adopts the bath and linen program, 200 barrels of oil are saved per year-- enough to run a family car for 180,000 miles" (Professional Meeting Management 5th Edition, page 469).

3. Individuals are powerless to change their workplaces and communities.
Just because you're the only person in your workplace or community actively standing to make a difference doesn't mean that others don't care or that they aren't willing to jump in and be a part of your initiative. There are many success stories of individuals that have led the way for their company. "Empowerment is a primary goal of eco-efficient conference management, giving attendees the opportunity to reduce their own environmental impact and adopt responsible behaviors. These individual changes continue beyond a single event" (Professional Meeting Management 5th Edition, page 469).

Stay tuned for tips on how to "go-green" at your next event!

-Nicole