Creating a Sustainable Event: 8 Tips for Reducing Your Environmental Impact

There are lots of ways to reduce your environmental impact as an individual. But here’s a strategy you may not have considered: Planning more sustainable events.

Events can leave a considerable carbon footprint after you factor in transportation, energy use, and waste. Follow these tips for planning events that are more sustainable and leave less of an imprint on the environment.

1. Choose a sustainable venue.

Hosting your event at a sustainable venue could mean prioritizing places that don’t allow single-use plastics or opting for a luxury venue built with sustainable design. 

There are also ways to find a sustainable venue on a smaller scale with a minimal budget. A virtual or hybrid event can drastically decrease your event’s cost and carbon footprint; an event hosted in a local park or green space can be affordable while also putting Mother Nature on top of mind for your attendees. If you’re renting a venue space, ask the organizers about their sustainable practices and find ways to work together to reduce energy use and waste.

2. Use eco-friendly materials and supplies. 

It’s not just about avoiding plastic water bottles. Here are a few other green alternatives to consider for materials at your event:

• Email your tickets and/or use QR check-in instead of printing and mailing paper tickets.
• If possible, opt for reusable cutlery and plates.
• Use recycled and/or biodegradable materials for necessary single-use items like plates and utensils.
• Send event details and materials electronically instead of printing handouts for attendees.
• Spice up the space with sustainable decor. Avoid decorations like helium balloons, which are not biodegradable and can have negative impacts on the environment and wildlife.

3. Encourage public transportation or carpooling.

Cars are notorious emitters of greenhouse gases. Make it easy for attendees to carpool and reduce their carbon footprint by helping them coordinate convenient carpool groups. Depending on where you live, you may also want to encourage public transportation, walking, or bicycling as sustainable alternatives to driving to your event.

4. Choose environmentally-conscious vendors.

From caterers to swag shops, look for suppliers who share in your goal of sustainability. You might have better luck inquiring with small local vendors rather than shopping from online retail giants. 

Ask about each vendor’s sustainability practices and find ways to highlight sustainable goods and services at your events. That could mean planning a menu based around local, in-season produce or procuring swag made from recycled materials.

5. Reduce waste with composting and recycling programs.

Speaking of recycling, be mindful of how you manage waste generated from your event. Take care to separate recyclables from trash and properly dispose of them at a local recycling center. Take your sustainability efforts to the next level by composting organic waste. If you’re new to composting, look into local companies that can help by taking your organic waste to a nearby composting site.

6. Use energy-efficient lighting and appliances.

Wondering how to illuminate your venue without burning through too much electricity? To start, take advantage of natural daylight as much as possible. For evening events, use timers, motion sensors, and LED lights to minimize your energy use. When shopping for light fixtures, look for certified Energy Star options that use 90% less energy than traditional lighting.

7. Evaluate your sustainability efforts and share the results.

Put some effort into keeping tabs on your events’ green initiatives. Seeing your impact by the numbers can provide motivation, both for you and for others hosting their own events. 

Possible metrics to track include:

• How many pounds of organic waste did you compost? 
• How much plastic waste did you avoid by using reusable water bottles?
• How many guests carpooled/took public transit to your event? Use an online calculator to estimate the carbon offsets from avoiding car travel.

8. Use lessons learned to improve sustainability in future events.

Hosting sustainable events isn’t about doing everything perfectly—it’s about making a series of small efforts that create a greater impact over time. As you build sustainability into your event strategy, it will become easier over time to reduce your carbon footprint and continue hosting events that are kind to the environment.

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