greening your event

Greening Your Event

Gary Jones,

Chair, Greenhouse and Nursery Production

School of Horticulture.

BC Orientation Directors Nov 09

• Getting Started• Planning the Event• At the event• After the Event

• But first, WHY?


Why do we need to ‘green’ our events?

• Population is growing• Resources are depleting• Consumption is out of control

We need action for the sake of future generations


Resources and Consumption• New houses (in N. America) were

38% bigger in 2002 compared to 1975, despite having fewer people in each household. (Gardner, et al “The State of Consumption Today”, in Pojman and Pojman)

• The 12% of the world’s population who live in N. America and Europe account for 60% of global private consumer spending. (Gardner et al.)


Human consumption• Hunter-gatherer: 2,500

calories• Human today: 31,000

calories• Average N. America: 6x this!


Getting Your Event Started:What can you do?

Break-out, brainstorm.3mins


Getting Started• Engage planning team to commit to a

sustainable event – set goals, discuss criteria

• Publicise your commitment to green in your materials

• Meet at transit friendly sites (or teleconference)

• Research event partners committed to sustainable practices

• Think about your carbon footprint:


Carbon footprints• Use a climate calculator to estimate total

energy use:• http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calcula

tor.aspx• http://www.carbonfriendly.com/carbon-

calculator/footprint/• http://calc.zerofootprint.net/one_minut

e/personal/Do the carbon footprint for attendees

travel needs

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

http://www.carbonfriendly.com/carbon-calculator/footprint/

http://www.carbonfriendly.com/carbon-calculator/footprint/

http://calc.zerofootprint.net/one_minute/personal/

http://calc.zerofootprint.net/one_minute/personal/


Plan the Event• The Site• The Presenters• Publicity• Transport• Materials• Catering• Amenities and Signage


Education spot:Re-cycling one case (12) of alumin(i)um

cans saves 1 ½ gallons gasRe-cycled aluminium uses only 5%

energy as that of new cansNewsprint from re-cycled paper takes

up to 60% less energy than that made from wood pulp


Annual CO2 emissions, LangleyAnnual amount: 820,000 tonnes

80% of transport output is for private vehicle useageSource: Langley Township, Community Energy & Emissions Planning Committee


Planning your event – what can you do?• The Site• The Presenters• Publicity• Transport• Materials• Catering• Amenities and Signage

Break-out, brainstorm 7 mins


Plan the Event• The Site: Near transit? Already

committed?• The Presenters: Local? Track

record? Accommodation (Green Hotels Association)

• Publicity: Use electronic means. On-line registration. Cards (not envelopes) for mail-outs.

• Transport: public or carpool? Shuttle busses? Calculate footprints for car users and purchase off-sets?


Plan the Event• Materials: Paper?(delete

duplicates) Name tags? (re-cycleable) Markers and whiteboards?(non-toxic) Presentations on-line?

• Catering: Local? Vegetarian? Compost? Cutlery / plates? Napkins? Drinks containers?


Education spot:To produce one kg of beef requires 16,000

litres of waterOne ¼ lb hamburger uses 11,000 litres water

To produce 1kg beef, requires 16kg grain, and 1kg beef produces 40kg manure

To produce one cup of coffee, requires 140 litres water


• Amenities and Signage: Tell your green story, e.g. signs for re-cycling containers


At the Event• Room choice Catering• Logistics Goodie

bags• Decoration Education• Name tags Transit• Volunteer T-shirts Evaluate


At the event, what can you do?

Break-out, brainstorm.7 mins


At the Event• Room choice: natural lighting

possible?• Logistics: Signage for re-cycling

bins is clear• Decoration: live plants, re-useable

materials, centre-pieces, raffle off plants to participants and donate to local school


At the Event, contd

• Name tags: business cards in a badge holder (collected at end of event), consider starch bio-plastic

• Volunteers’ Tee-shirts: Bio-degradable (corn)

• Transit: post info on website, signage to transit

• Education: inform at the event


At the Event, contd

• Handouts? (double sided, post consumer re-cycled paper only, on-request, on-line, CD?)

• Evaluate: Ask for feedback, post on website


At the Event, contd

Catering: local, organic. Careful head count of attendees to avoid waste If bar-b-que: use lots of side dishes to reduce

meat consumption Re-useable (ceramic) plates, mugs, glasses,

cream/milk jugs (no creamers), re-fillable drinks containers

No bottled water. None. Zero. Nothing. Zilch. Compost bins for organic waste Donate excess to food bank, charity


At the Event, contd

• Goodie bags:• NO PLASTIC – Reduce, reuse or

recycle• No junk – pens, fridge magnets -

really???• Vouchers to local, organic food store


After the Event• Give back to the host venue –

spread the commitment • Examples?

Break-out, brainstorm.3mins


After the Event• Waste: prevent if possible, but do clean up• Give back to host venue – spread the committment

• Seed packets? • Tree seedlings?• Carbon offsets?

• Evaluate:• Measure waste and re-cycled products• Survey participants on green aspects of event


Final Thought for the day… Still wondering why green is good?• “Providing adequate food, clean

water and basic education for the world’s poorest could all be achieved for less than people spend annually on make-up, ice-cream and pet foods.” (Gardner et al.)


Web resources:• Sustainable Communities Network:

• www.sustainable.org/information/susevent.html

• ‘Green Tips’, Union of Concerned Scientists• www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips

• Carbon footprint calculators (many!)

http://www.sustainable.org/information/susevent.html

http://www.sustainable.org/information/susevent.html

http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips


Thank you – questions?

greening your event

Documents

mins bc orientation

total energy use

recycled paper

sustainable event set

carbon footprintsuse

education spot

beef p

annual co2 emissions