Sustainable Event Planning

Events and gatherings are starting to become acceptable again post-pandemic. This rise of sustainable events is tied to recent studies seeking to educate everyone on the significance of maintaining a green environment.

These studies have fostered certain changes in event planning. Event planners are beginning to pay more attention to the effect of certain items on the environment, seeking to use more eco-friendly tools to carry out their plans and execute them without dropping standards.

What are Sustainable Events?

Sustainable events are event planning practices that reduce man's carbon footprint on the world. Such methods include implementing more environmentally safe procedures that bring social and economic growth.

The environmental, economic, and social discomforts your event may cause should be factored into your planning to ensure your event is sustainable. In simpler words, your event management and planning should be from a greener perspective.  

The Most Important Aspects in Planning Sustainable Events

Planning a sustainable event is more than just looking for better ways to carry out your plans without harming the environment. Yes, the health of the environment is vital in your planning, but this alone is not enough.

There are three keys or aspects that you must implement in your planning to ensure sustainability, they are:

1. The environment
2. The economy
3. The society
   

The frequently asked questions about these aspects are: How can the environment benefit from an event? In planning an event, will there be any economic improvement? What impact does my event planning methods and procedure have on society?

Let us look at some practices that will inadvertently answer these questions and improve your sustainability practices.

Some Useful Event Sustainability Practices for You!‍

In organizing a sustainable event or gathering, here are some tips to help you enhance sustainability irrespective of the events' size.

Recycling

Simply having a trash bin tagged recycle can go a long way, instead of throwing bottles with little content in them and plastic cans and plates on the floor. Your guests should be encouraged to use the recycle bin. That way, the product (bottles, for example) would not be added to another set of useless rubbish.

This rise of sustainable events is tied to recent studies seeking to educate everyone on the significance of maintaining a green environment.

Sorting Trash

Simply sorting the degradable from the non-degradable and recyclables will go a long way in culminating a sustainable event. Sorting out waste according to its kind and placing it in a suitable container is good practice.

Reusables

During events, catering to the guests can be burdensome, especially at a large party. As a result, it may put a strain on your finances when purchasing catering materials. As a possible solution, instead of buying plastic cutlery that ultimately becomes waste, we advise you to hire reusable cutlery or buy one that you can use repeatedly.

For even better sustainability, avoid plastics entirely. This way, the kind of waste going out will be easily managed and controlled. Apart from the typical ease of plastics, there are numerous other options available that are biodegradable that also have a low carbon impact.

Furthermore, if you want to go the extra mile, you can use biodegradable plastics. These plastics come from renewable materials such as orange peels, starch, corn oil, and plants. Being from biodegradable raw materials, they are decomposed naturally by bacteria which is only beneficial to the environment.

Food Waste

Instead of burning transportation resources and even cooking resources, the event could eat local food or food in-season. Apart from that, just consuming organic foods goes a long way in maintaining a sustainable event.

Another thing to note is to order food according to a person. Serving food in bulk during these events would only lead to waste.

During the event, partnering with a good donation organization is also a positive impact. Instead of wasting whatever food is left, you can donate to them.

Transportation

Many guests would prefer to use their vehicles, hire rental cars, or even book a bus ride. The abundance of vehicles in use will only cause an increase in the emission. To reduce the use of multiple vehicles for transportation, you can hire a large bus to convey everyone to and fro for your event. Virtual events can cut out transportation altogether, as guests can attend from the comfort of their homes.

Replace Printed with Digital

Marketing strategies for event planning agencies must often use Big posters to improve publicity and awareness. On the other hand, the event itself may require posters to enhance marketing and awareness. However, these posters are not easily degradable, and they cause harm to the environment. An eco-friendly route to take is going digital.

This is especially true when it comes to online events, where you can feature a “register now” CTA button or landing page link in your promotional assets.

Instead of printing on paper or something similar, creating a digital poster and publicizing it via social media networks, texts, and other online platforms is better for the environment. You can also put up a digital poster on a personalized event website. Additional information that your attendees may need will be available there. Another benefit is that minor last-minute changes can be made easily instead of throwing out the original posters and creating new ones.

Conclusion

Improving sustainability reduces the amount of waste generated. It ensures that proper waste management takes place and reduces water and electricity consumption using natural light and tap water where necessary.

In addition, a reduction in the emission of CO2 on the environment is achievable as sustainable events are carbon-neutral. These sustainable events provide a sure way to preserve the environment while fostering social welfare.