Today’s world is undoubtedly one of the most health-conscious in a long time. Many people are aware of the impact of unhealthy practices on their bodies and the environment. This emerging trend has affected the world of event planning as more hosts look for the least destructive ways to entertain people while protecting the environment. 

Sustainability in events is an essential subject for many event planners, corporate responsibility officers, and environmentally conscious organizers. Here, we’ll provide the best practices and tips for planning and executing sustainable events. We’ll incorporate eco-friendly practices you must implement throughout the event lifecycle. 

What is a Sustainable Event?

A sustainable event minimizes its environmental impact while promoting social and economic benefits. Green events are a global affair, as their principles address the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) created by the United Nations. 

When you host a sustainable event, you should focus on reducing waste, conserving energy and using resources efficiently. You could also ensure that the event supports local communities and economies through corporate social responsibility or buying goods and services from them. 

A sustainable event requires sustainable planning in all stages of the event lifecycle, from planning and execution to post-event activities. 

Some key elements to feature in your next sustainable event include:

• Waste reduction- Minimize the amount of waste you generate and have responsible ways of disposing it, for instance, through recycling and reusing, before considering dumping it in a landfill. 
• Energy efficiency: Reduce energy consumption from artificial sources and prioritize renewable energy that uses natural elements. You can also use energy-efficient technologies like solar-powered appliances, heaters, and lighting. 
• Sustainable sourcing: Choose partners who have preexisting environmentally friendly products and services—for example, a caterer who reuses utensils or low-flow toilets/ waterless urinals as hired restrooms. 
• Community engagement—Support local businesses and communities by purchasing most of your services and products from them. This move will also encourage your attendees to participate in sustainable initiatives in the future. 

Planning Your Sustainable Event

Planning for a sustainable event is easier than you may anticipate. You need a practical plan for the venue, food and drinks, and waste reduction. These three are the heart of any sustainable event and can make or break our sustainability agenda. 

Choosing the Right Venue

Selecting a sustainable venue is one of the most critical decisions about your event. Several factors must be considered to minimize environmental impact and promote sustainability. 

Key among them is the location and its accessibility. Choose a venue close to public transport to reduce the carbon footprint of those who will attend. Make sure it’s a central place that is safe and accessible to most people, either through walking or cycling.

Secondly, consider the venue’s sustainability practices. Check whether they have LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or Green Key. Do a walkthrough to investigate how environmentally friendly they are- do they use renewable sources, efficient lighting, and cooling systems? 

Also, note whether the venue has a proper waste management system, which you can determine by looking at their recycling practices and compositing programs. Every event uses a considerable amount of water, and you need an eco-friendly venue that conserves water through practices such as low-flow fixtures and water recycling systems. 

Prioritize venues that have embraced green policies and programs. When planning your sustainable event, check for spaces with preexisting sustainable policies and inquire about any programs they participate in. Also, ensure that the venue’s suppliers and partners are equally passionate about sustainable practices. 

If guests will stay at the venue overnight, you need to pick eco-friendly hotels for accommodation. Partner with hotels that offer carbon offsetting programs. They should also have options like solar power heaters instead of electric ones, water harvesting schemes, recyclable linen and tablecloths, to mention a few. 

Lastly, use eco-friendly event materials to reduce waste. Once you have settled on the venue for your sustainable event, communicate the details using digital invitations that are paperless. If you must use paper, you can opt for sustainable printed materials and event decorations. During the event, have recycling stations where attendees can throw different types of waste in designated separate bins. 

Sustainable Food and Beverage Options

Food and beverages are essential areas to address in addition to the venue. A sustainable event has eco-friendly catering services. Here are a few things you can consider when planning all things food and drinks. 

Begin by sourcing as many ingredients as possible locally and using those in season. Reach out to local farmers for produce like fruits and vegetables to eliminate emissions from transporting the goods from far off. Locally sourced produce that is in season as it’s often fresh, tasty, and requires fewer resources to produce. 

Go for organic ingredients and promote fair trade. Organic foods are grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, which minimizes the impact of climate change. Organic food also keeps water supplies clean and helps us reduce our carbon footprint. Go a step further and buy fair trade certified products to ensure the farmers and workers who produced the food are compensated fairly in their wages. 

Another way to make the most impact with your eco-friendly events is to choose plant-based menu options. Plant-based foods typically have a lower environmental impact than meat. They come in many varieties, so you don’t have to settle for a boring menu. You can try vegetarian options like beans, lentils, tofu, and tempeh as clever alternatives to meat. 

Add some interest with a sustainable seafood segment on your menu. In your next sustainable event, you can serve certified seafood like MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) or ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council). Make sure to avoid overfished species, as these are environmentally damaging to the ecosystem. Go for seafood that is readily available and abundant. 

Once you’ve settled on your menu options, focus on reducing food waste by controlling portions and managing the leftovers. Serve a little bit of everything to avoid food wastage, and leave it open for guests to go for seconds if they want more. If there’s more food left in the serving trays, you can donate it to shelters and local food banks, as these places often need an extra meal for the communities they support. 

If some guests want to carry food or snack snacks, have several eco-friendly packaging options on standby. These can include biodegradable materials like bamboo, palm leaves, and recycled paper. Ensure that guests at the sustainable event are served with reusable plates, glasses, and cutlery instead of single-use plastic. 

Regarding beverages, you can show more eco-consciousness by ordering them in bulk containers like eggs and dispensers, as these reduce packaging waste. If possible, let your drinks menu feature local and organic drinks like coffee, tea, juices, and alcoholic beverages. Have some hydration stations on standby to offer water from refillable containers. Encourage attendees to carry reusable water bottles to eliminate single-use bottled water. 

During the sustainable event, take time to highlight to attendees all the eco-friendly practices you’ve implemented, hoping they’ll replicate them in their future events. Educate them on why this was necessary and how their individual efforts can significantly impact the environment in which they reside. Inspire them to be the change they want to see regarding environmental conservation. 

Reducing Waste at Your Event

Since we often can’t achieve zero waste during an event, the next most practical option is to reduce the waste as much as possible. You can take these measures in your next sustainable event to minimize waste:

Meticulous Planning and Detailed Communication

• Set waste reduction goals to clarify how much waste you’re likely to generate and what steps you can take to ensure it’s as little as possible.
• Educate attendees on these sustainable goals from the monster and possibly in the invitations. When they arrive, inform them of ways they can help you achieve these goals, such as disposing of waste in the correctly labeled bins.

Registration and Ticketing

• Use digital ticketing and communication as much as you can. Invite attendees through messages, texts, emails, and chats instead of paper invitation cards. When they arrive at the sustainable vent, they use electronic tickets and registration to note their attendance, eliminating a paper trail.
• Use online communication after the event to thank them for attending and remain consistent with your sustainable practices.

Event Materials

• Opt for reusable signage, banners, and decorations that can be utilized in other events you host in the future. For example, you can use a charming, decorated chalkboard to write instructions and a welcome note. 
• Embrace eco-friendly printing and minimal packaging. If necessary, print information on recyclable paper and use eco-friendly inks. Print double-sided to save on paper. Similarly, reduce packaging for any materials given to attendees and use carbon-neutral options. 

Food and Beverage

• Use reusable dishes, glasses, and utensils. You may incur an extra charge for cleaning them, but they are much more environmentally friendly than disposable ones. Alternatively, you can use paper cups and plates that are combustible and secure. You burn them after the sustainable event.
• Buy and serve food and drinks in bulk to avoid packaging waste. If a guest wants to carry something home, wrap it in reusable packaging material and place it in a reusable container. 
• Manage food waste by planning the food portions per guest to avoid throwing them out. The leftover food in the serving trays can be donated to communities in need. 

Waste Management

• Have recycling stations clearly marked in writing and symbols so attendees know where to throw the different types of waste. Place the bins strategically throughout the venue to avoid littering. 
• Hire compost bins for organic waste, which can be reused after the sustainable event as a natural fertilizer. 

Decorations and Giveaways

• Decorate your sustainable event with natural and recycled materials. Rent out these decorations if you still need to get them on hand and DIY those that you can, e.g. simple centerpieces. 
• You can hand out eco-friendly giveaways to appreciate your attendees, such as bookmarks, travel coffee mugs,reusable food bags, stickers, and zippered pouches. You could also opt for digital alternatives like e-gift cards. 

Venue Selection

• Choose a green venue with a robust waste management and recycling program. 
• Having on-site recycling and composting would be convenient to avoid additional charges. 

Vendor and Supplier Practices

• Prioritize zero waste vendors and suppliers who use organic materials and sustainable practices and are keen on waste reduction.
• Promote the local community by partnering with local farmers and businesses. Encourage them to use reusable material in supply and packaging that is aligned with your sustainability goals.

Post-Event Actions

• Do a waste audit to determine how much waste you’ve generated and whether it is within your sustainability goals. If it exceeds them, you can know which steps to take in your future sustainable events for better outcomes. 
• Provide feedback to attendees, vendors, and staff on their efforts to boost the event’s sustainability. Encourage them and show them areas they can improve. 

Innovative Solutions

• Use digital displays of the sustainable event’s program instead of printed schedules and materials.
• You can also opt for app-based information, with a specific mobile app for attendees to access schedules, maps, and any other relevant information.

Engaging Attendees in Sustainability

Engaging attendees in your sustainable efforts can improve the impact of your initiatives. You can involve them through pre-event communication, telling them about your sustainable practices and encouraging them to participate. Provide them with information on public transit options, carpooling, and any green initiatives they can take. 

Also, use on-site education to remind them of your course, for instance, through signage and frequent announcements highlighting your event’s sustainable features. Set up educational booths or displays for those who want additional information. 

Have some interactive activities to promote sustainability without disrupting the event’s focus. Some good examples include workshops on recycling, upcycling crafts, or plant-based cooking demonstrations.

Encourage participation by offering incentives to those who show excellent sustainable behaviors—for example, discounts for attendees who carry reusable water bottles or use public transport or carpooling. 

Solicit for feedback from attendees. Let them describe the event and provide key takeaways from the positive social impact. They may also voice some eco-friendly suggestions to help you improve our next sustainable event. 

Conclusion

Sustainable event planning is not just a trend; it’s a practical way to plan events with minimal negative impact on the environment. You can have a memorable sustainable event when you carefully consider the venue, sustainable food and beverages, reducing waste, and engaging the attendees. 

By implementing the above-mentioned practices, you can have an enjoyable, responsible, and forward-thinking event. Your efforts will set an example for others to follow, helping many take their first step to consciously living for a healthier planet and a more sustainable future.