4 Tips for Planning a Sustainable Event

Julie Starr • June 21, 2022

Did you know that the average event has a carbon footprint of 10,000 pounds and the typical event attendee produces nearly 2kg of waste per day? That’s a lot! Whether planning your company’s annual holiday party or hosting an external client as part of your PR strategy, sustainability should be one of your top priorities. The benefits are plentiful: green events increase employee happiness, customer loyalty, and company value. Best of all, implementing sustainable practices for your next event is easier! Read on for some top tips for planning a sustainable event:

Host locally to reduce travel times .

When planning your next event, think about where the best location would be for your Corporate event Venue — both in terms of price and sustainability. Hosting your event locally has many benefits, including reduced travel times. Planning an event in a nearby location cuts down on transportation costs, emissions, and wear-and-tear on the environment. If you’re planning an off-site event, look into carpooling options. Additionally, be sure to factor travel time into your event timeline plan to ensure everything is on time — no one likes a late event!

Rent equipment instead of buying

Hosting an event that requires massive amounts of equipment? Instead of purchasing it, why not consider renting it? Renting equipment is much more sustainable than buying it, even if you plan to use it again. Rental companies must follow strict regulations to ensure that the ability to reuse equipment is not damaged — meaning that renting equipment is much more sustainable than buying it.

While renting equipment costs more than buying it, that cost is often offset by the fact that you don’t have to store it for years. Plus, you can return the equipment at the end of the event so that it can be used by someone else. Renting equipment also gives you options you may not have had if you had purchased the gear. You can pick the specific equipment you need, and you may even be able to choose the model if the rental company has various options.

Use local suppliers

Looking to build a relationship with a supplier? Consider using a local supplier to help reduce the carbon footprint of your event . Using local suppliers means that the supplier can ship products more efficiently, thereby reducing the CO2 emissions produced by transportation. Plus, it also cuts down on the amount of fuel that needs to be used and the amount of time your products are in transit. In addition to being more environmentally friendly, purchasing products from local suppliers also helps strengthen your company’s relationship with the community. You can find suppliers using a search engine like Google — plug in the type of goods you need and your city, and you’ll find lots of results! If you’re hosting an event and need food or drinks, consider choosing a local supplier to help reduce your event’s carbon footprint.

Go digital

While printed materials are essential during event planning, they aren’t as sustainable. Instead of printing materials, consider going digital. Not only is it more bearable, but it also has the added benefit of saving you money. This is particularly important if you have an event with an extensive guest list. Printing materials for a large number of people is not only a time-consuming project, but it’s also an expensive one. By going digital, you can avoid paying to print a large number of materials. With social media, you can communicate event details , manage RSVPs, and create a hashtag for attendees to use. Email marketing is another excellent way to get the word out about your event. Consider making an email series that promotes both your company and the event. Email marketing is also a great way to keep in touch with event attendees after the event is over.

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Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • October 7, 2024

Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • October 4, 2024

Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.