Ever get that dreaded feeling at an event when you walk past all the single-use items or a bin destined for landfill that’s overflowing with recyclable items? Us too.
But in an industry that’s wasteful by default – since events are one-time shows – we know it can be hard to affect change sometimes.
So if you’re looking for an easy starting point, this is it.
Here are a handful of steps you can take to make your next event better for the environment.
1. Replace personal care items with low-impact products
Switch over the toilet paper with Who Gives A Crap. Replace the hand wash with Thankyou. Use fabric hand towels instead of paper towels.
Seek out products like these by businesses who put their profits towards reducing environmental damage.
2. Donate any leftover food to OzHarvest
Work with your caterer and partner with OzHarvest to distribute any leftovers to people in need.
Better yet, hire the OzHarvest Food Truck which creates delicious zero-waste meals for your guests whilst enabling OzHarvest to deliver free, nourishing meals to vulnerable Australians.
3. Use mugs or reusable cups for coffee
Encourage guests to BYO mug or reusable cup from home for tea and coffee, or even gift them a branded KeepCup.
4. Bring in portable water stations
Do the endless stacks of plastic water bottles at events give you the creeps? Then bring in water stations and encourage guests to BYO reusable water bottles so they can refill them.
Check out Meet PAT for a branded station (did someone say sponsorship opportunity?)
5. Use eco-friendly name badges and an event app
Look at your registration process and ask yourself; are you printing unnecessary programs or name badges?
Sprintr by AV1 provides onsite registration kiosks that print badges on-demand, which means there’s no unnecessary waste. The badges are also plastic-free, instead made from fully biodegradable and recyclable materials.
Sprintr also creates custom event apps which negate the need for printed programs and other event information.
6. Place dedicated separated recycling bins around the venue
Whilst some venues are great at separating waste into streams and recycling appropriately, it’s best not to assume your chosen venue does this.
Ask the question before locking your venue in. Request details about where their recycling goes.
You may even want to bring in your own recycling bins and dispose of properly if required.
7. Engage a sustainable AV partner (like us!)
If you didn’t already know, AV1 is a Certified B Corporation. That means when you choose to work with us, you’re choosing to work with a vetted supplier that meets the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
What’s evident in all of these steps is that selecting the right suppliers who are on board your sustainability goals is key.
Don’t be afraid to ask your venue, caterer, AV and styling teams to bring more sustainable solutions to the table. The more clients who demand it, the quicker industry-wide change can occur.
Like this article? You might also like our earlier piece; 5 ways to make your event more green.
