Photograph by lovelyday12 for Adobe Stock
Happy Earth Day! The theme for 2025 is "our power, our planet" — a call to action for people everywhere to make more sustainable choices.
An estimated 550 cities around the world are expected to participate in Earth Action Day activities. But true change requires an ongoing commitment that stretches beyond a single day or week, and the events industry is well positioned to support the sustainability movement. Even small changes can have a big impact on carbon emissions and event waste.
According to MeetGreen, the eco-conscious conference-management firm out of Portland, Ore., each event attendee produces an average of four pounds of waste per day. A conference attended by 500 people could therefore generate as many as 2,000 pounds of waste in a single day.
Follow the steps below to make your upcoming meetings more environmentally friendly without increasing costs.
1. Choose your location wisely
When scouting sites, it's best to opt for a venue and a city with a strong public-transportation system. This will help reduce carbon emissions and make it easier for attendees to get to your event. In addition to transportation, keep an eye out for certified facilities that are energy- and water-efficient. LEED is the most widely used rating system for green buildings.
2. Partner with responsible suppliers
Making small changes to your preferred suppliers can have a major impact. Look for locally sourced, seasonal and organic food for your menu. Relying on regional suppliers reduces the travel distance and carbon emissions of acquiring the food and often results in a lower cost. When possible, offer vegetables and poultry-based dishes rather than red meat.
3. Remember the "3 Rs"
Look for ways to reduce waste, recycle plastics and reuse event materials throughout the conference. Most conferences at this point have gotten rid of paper event programs and use other digital ways to present attendees with that information. Not only does this save trees, but it will also cut printing costs. In addition, planners should replace plastic bottles with water stations and pitchers, and use reusable plates, silverware and glasses instead of disposables. Choosing naturally lit event spaces can help reduce the meeting's energy bill.
4. Get attendees involved
At the start of the event, tell participants about your green goals, and ask them to separate waste, turn down the heating-and-cooling systems in their guest rooms, and use public transportation or the meeting's buses whenever possible. Plan sustainability-minded team-building and CSR activities that give back to the community, such as planting trees or cleaning up a park.
5. Consider carbon-emission offsets
Some carbon emissions are unavoidable; luckily, they can be offset. Meeting planners can take advantage of certified programs for this, such as Terrapass to compensate for attendee travel — the organization balances carbon emissions through wind farms and methane digesters. The programs come at a cost but could be presented in place of extravagant giveaways to remain in budget.
6. Tackle your food waste
This hot topic in sustainability certainly can have cost-saving implications. Overordering is a tremendous budget drain. Make sure you are tracking the number of meals ordered and the amount that actually is consumed by having the catering company report after each meal to determine the percentage of your order that actually was served.
According to Nancy Zavada, president of MeetGreen, "For one event we determined that 85 percent of the attendees consistently showed up for a continental breakfast on the first day before the keynote, and only 47 percent on the last day of the show." Imagine the savings if you planned accordingly for each day's meal and more. Another suggestion: Fewer selections on a buffet can save on both food waste and the budget.
Implement these sustainability practices and you will be in good company. Here's some of the ways the TED organization is greening its conferences.