Gathering people together has required many not-so-green ingredients:
Today, event planners are taking a look at ways to reduce their waste, and concentrate of the real, sustainable values of getting people together. "Green events" now consider each element of a meeting more carefully and find lower-impact alternatives. Here are a few ideas for your next events:
Transporttation
Encourage carpooling and make public transportation easy to use.
Invitations and promotion
Use online communications and email invitations and online registration
Too much food
Take RSVPs so you know the right amount of organic or locally grown food.
Give members a reusable mug and provide refreshing water in a jug
Disposable flatware
Use fingerfood, or reusable plates and silverware. Caterers make these available.
Decorations
Use live, organically grown plants and give them a good home afterwards
Energy for lighting, food storage, etc.
Open the drapes, use energy-efficient appliances when necessary
Disposable name tags
Provide permanent nametags and set up a system for reusing them.
Speaker gifts
Provide the ultimate liquid asset -- an honorarium
With a little thought for your "system" approach to meetings, you can reduce your costs as well as your impact on your environment. And that makes our communities more stable, more healthful, and our groups can focus on what they really want -- great relationships!
- Transporttation
- Invitations and promotion
- Too much food
- Disposable flatware
- Decorations
- Energy for lighting, food storage, etc.
- Disposable name tags
- Speaker gifts
- ... and on and on
Today, event planners are taking a look at ways to reduce their waste, and concentrate of the real, sustainable values of getting people together. "Green events" now consider each element of a meeting more carefully and find lower-impact alternatives. Here are a few ideas for your next events:
Transporttation
Encourage carpooling and make public transportation easy to use.
Invitations and promotion
Use online communications and email invitations and online registration
Too much food
Take RSVPs so you know the right amount of organic or locally grown food.
Give members a reusable mug and provide refreshing water in a jug
Disposable flatware
Use fingerfood, or reusable plates and silverware. Caterers make these available.
Decorations
Use live, organically grown plants and give them a good home afterwards
Energy for lighting, food storage, etc.
Open the drapes, use energy-efficient appliances when necessary
Disposable name tags
Provide permanent nametags and set up a system for reusing them.
Speaker gifts
Provide the ultimate liquid asset -- an honorarium
With a little thought for your "system" approach to meetings, you can reduce your costs as well as your impact on your environment. And that makes our communities more stable, more healthful, and our groups can focus on what they really want -- great relationships!
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