“Without urgent action, global waste will increase by 70% on current levels by 2050” according to the World Bank. Although the official celebration of Earth Day is once a year, the well being of our planet should be prioritized every day.
As a leader in the event planning industry, we want to shed light on the vast amounts of waste produced by events, and some tips to reduce it. The event planning industry has found creative ways to approach events more sustainably, and we wanted to share them.
In our panel discussion, Let’s Talk Sustainability, the panelists address our social responsibility, as an industry, to ensure that events do not unnecessarily contribute to the increasing amounts of global waste. If you were unable to attend, check out the recording: here.
Our panelists shared their experiences in creating a greener event industry:
Halley Chambers, Director of The Oberon Group
Simeon Priest, Founder of Equal Parts Cocktail Company
Megan Munro, Founder and Owner of Caribou Gifts
Don Sagarese, VP Sales & Marketing at Ascari Hospitality Group
Keith Gispert, Co-founder of Popcorn Palooza
Here are a few tips that were shared:

A thought worth considering… The annual events that your company hosts are also hosted within other companies (i.e. holiday parties). Thus, the amount of waste produced from your event is most likely amplified ten fold by the other events. If each company takes their annual events as an opportunity to promote sustainability, then the waste produced will hugely decrease.

Creating a community…It takes a village to ensure sustainable events become the norm. Rather than fighting the battle against unnecessary waste alone, partner with suppliers in your area who also practice green initiatives. By creating a network of sustainable suppliers, it allows green events to become the norm in your area!

Focus on local…Be sure to source local products whenever possible to reduce potentially negative affects on the environment (i.e. less carbon emission). As well, learn about local businesses in your area that can assist you in producing greener events.

Let’s all continue to restore our Earth, one event at a time. Stay tuned about upcoming Planned events through our bi-monthly newsletter: here.