THE ART OF CREATING AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY EVENT IN 2021
When planning an event for 2021, be it virtual or safely in-person, there are so many factors to keep in mind. If you’re in-person, you have to sort out the venue, the safety protocols available in the space, how to serve those guests safely, especially those who are allergic to gluten, dairy, and eggs? With a virtual event, you’re considering the technology available, lighting, audio, etc. With all this in mind, it’s probable that you don’t have much time to figure out where your trash is going or what light bulbs your event is using.
However, we would like to share a few of our favorite tips for reducing the environmental impact of any event. Whether you’re planning a wedding, conference, or socially distant drive-in music festival, a few simple swaps go a long way in making your important day a little greener. Creating a successful event that’s good for Mother Earth is as simple as: Plan, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Offset.
Plan
Regardless of what a year might throw at you, like with everything in the events industry, if you don’t plan it, it’s not going to happen. Scrambling for sustainability at the last minute is likely to result in a mishap. The best way to go green at your event is to plan green. Be intentional throughout the planning process to incorporate eco-friendly strategies. Whether in-person or online, make sure to engage your vendors, caterers, and designers with your efforts in order to maximize your success. No matter the size or type of your event, intentionality is always an essential.
Reduce
Paper, plastic, and gasoline all negatively impact our planet. By reducing your event’s consumption of these resources, you can save a significant amount of cash in addition to locking down a few green initiatives. We call that a win-win.
If your event is in-person, choose paperless invites. Swap invitations for e-vites and save money on postage.
Local and seasonal food is always more environmentally friendly, and tastes more delicious.
To ensure safe food consumption, ditch plastic straws in favor of a more eco-friendly alternative. Paper, bamboo, and wood are all preferable options.
For virtual or in-person events, seek out spaces with solar panels to power your event with sunshine.
Event apps > event binders. Everyone is looking at their phone anyway.
Reduce food waste by giving your caterers as exact estimations as possible. Get a more precise sense of your guest count sooner to the date, and remember to individually serve them in a sustainable way.
Reuse
It’s no secret that events consume a lot of resources, many of which end up in the dumpster the next day. A few small changes could make a big difference of how much of your big day ends up in a landfill and could also play an important role in making in-person events feel safe for everyone in attendance.
Encourage your guests to bring their own reusable bottle
Class up your floral centerpieces and decorations with reusable glass vases. Floral foam takes hundreds of years to break down in a landfill.
After sanitizing effectively, re-use decorations from a previous event, or ask your event management company what they have in stock.
Send your guests home with sustainable initiatives such as reusable shopping bags branded with your logo
Bring unopened box lunches or unserved meals to a local food pantry or soup kitchen instead of tossing them. Even though food waste is technically “biodegradable”, it will not biodegrade in a landfill. Food waste in a landfill produces methane gas, which is 20x more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide.
Recycle
Everyone knows it’s important to recycle, but one of the biggest obstacles is accessibility. Most people only spend a fraction of a second deciding where to discard their waste. There are real temptations to toss waste into the nearest bin, but there are ways you can make sure that your event attendees get it right every time.
Make sure your trash can, recycling bin, and compost are all physically attached. Your guests are much more likely to recycle if they don’t have to go searching through your event space for the nearest recycling bin.
Make sure your bins are clearly delineated and easy to read. Your guests should be able to toss whatever they’re holding without missing a beat of their conversation.
Offset
Even if you don’t follow any of the tips listed above, there is still more you can do! It’s possible to help counteract the harm you create. Trees and other greenery actually consume the carbon in the air, and can help neutralize your impact. There are fun and creative ways to incorporate this into your event.
Instead of thanking your speakers with a gift, make a donation to an environmental organization.
Consider donating a portion of your event’s proceeds. You can make a big impact by supporting a local community garden or non-profit environmental organization.
Green gifting – send your guests home with party favors like house plants or seeds.
Show your guests of honor your appreciation by planting a tree in their name.
Even implementing one of these tips is a great start. The events industry has a long way to go in making our work more environmentally friendly, but if 2020 taught us anything, it’s that we can do a lot if we plan ahead and work together. Contact Wizard Studios to get started today!