Plastic is a convenient material for many event supplies. It’s lightweight, durable, and widely recyclable. What’s not to love? However, with some recent changes to the global recycling market, plastic isn’t as easy to recycle as it used to be.
In the last installment of my cost-saving series, I talked about ways to plan a sustainable menu without busting your budget. Now we’re going to pivot from the kitchen to the event floor and talk about decor and giveaways. Decor
Many planners and event professionals consider waste part of the cost of doing business. They view waste as an unfortunate but unavoidable side effect of producing a dazzling experience. Waste is certainly unfortunate, but it’s far from unavoidable. Evaluate these
In the industry conversation about zero waste events, it can be easy to get caught up in the numbers. Sometimes it feels like the only question that matters is, “Did the event reach 90% waste diversion?” That 90% benchmark is
As I was working on finalizing the details of the zero waste program for Indy VegFest this year, it struck me how zero waste is more than a sustainability problem. It’s a psychology problem. I’m using the word “problem” here
Second Helpings held its annual Corks & Forks fundraiser at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 14, 2018. I was honored to serve as a sponsor and coordinate the zero waste program for the event, resulting in a waste diversion rate
Lately I’ve been reflecting on my experiences putting on zero waste programs. I find myself smiling about the aspects of the events that felt personally and tangibly satisfying. I advocate for zero waste events for a number of reasons that
I’ve never been into negative messaging. Sure, there’s a lot of gloom and doom in the sustainability world. And it’s not inaccurate—the scientific forecast for our planet is pretty dire. But in terms of motivating people to change their actions,
Have you ever been overwhelmed by the concept of sustainability? I have. There are so many things we can do to improve in the areas of waste, greenhouse gas emissions, energy, water, social impact… the list goes on. But each
One thing I hear frequently from event planners is concern about the cost of implementing sustainable practices. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by the Events Industry Council, 75% of events will only pursue sustainable programs if they are