By: Teang Tang, Mingle Event Management

The event industry is the second most wasteful industry after construction. By greening your holiday event, you can make a positive and sustainable impact on the environment. Here are 10 ways you can make yours a green Christmas party this year:

1. Start with a green venue. Choose a venue that has an environmental strategy in place, that makes energy and water conservation and waste management a priority, and that uses local, organic and fair trade products. Use the Green Key Eco-Rating Program to identify possible venues with a commitment to environmental issues. In Calgary, the Fairmont Palliser has an outstanding Green Partnership Program. LEAF (Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice) certified restaurants are an excellent place to start.

2. Serve local and/or organic food. The average plate of conventional food travels 1,500 kms from factory farms to your table. Consider sourcing your food from regional producers or hiring a LEAF certified restaurant like River Cafe or Boxwood to cater your meal.

3. Reduce waste. Ask your venue to setup up visible recycling stations or hire a company to do this for you. Green Start Initiatives and BluPlanet Recycling both offer recycling services for special events. You can make recycling stations elegant by framing recycling signs and using stainless steel bins. Ensure that any garbage bags used are biodegradable.

4. Limit your carbon footprint with transportation planning. Choose a venue that is accessible by public transit and setup carpooling options. Many taxi companies now offer hybrid vehicles, so ask your guests to reserve in advance through the Hail a Hybrid program. Compared to conventional cabs, hybrids reduce fuel consumption by an average of 58%. Alberta Co-op Taxi Line, Associated Cabs, Mayfair Taxi and Checker Cabs all have eco-shuttles. Consider purchasing offsets for all of your guests to achieve a carbon neutral event. Less is Canada’s only Eco-Logo certified provider of carbon offsets.

5. Use wind power to reduce carbon emissions. Bullfrogpower your festivities to minimize the environmental impact of the energy consumed by your event. Most of Alberta’s electricity is generated by coal, so have Bullfrog Power inject the equivalent amount of wind power onto the provincial electricity grid on your behalf and breathe easier.

6. Reuse collector’s elements for your décor. The new trend is to incorporate vintage elements into your event… a great example of one of the 3 R’s - REUSE!

7. Use potted plants instead of cut flowers. Think outside of the box when it comes to plant pots and bases, choosing reusable glass vases layered with polished rocks, woodchips or moss. Or hire a local florist who grows her own flowers so that you can celebrate local over imported. Greengate Garden Centre and Bow Point Nursery are great places to start.

8. Set the tone for your event with green invitations. There are many digital options for event invitations now, which allow you to get the word out without killing trees and expending other resources. When digital won’t do, use post consumer recycled paper and/or those that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Nametags, menus and place cards can all be made from recycled or recyclable materials and recycled after use. Use only no VOC, soy-based inks for printing.

9. Rent foodservice items instead of buying disposables. Your guests will appreciate the investment which will reduce waste and make for a more luxurious event. If numbers make this an impractical option, use compostable items and a commercial composting facility to eliminate waste. Earth Distributors offers a wide variety of compostable products that have all been third party certified to break down completely. They can even coordinate composting pick up for you after the event.

10. Dispose of the remnants of your event in a safe and sustainable manner. Left-over food should be diverted to homeless shelters and the scraps composted. Flowers can be dropped off at the local hospital, church or seniors’ home and decorations should be collected and recycled.

TAKE ACTION:

1. A little bit of planning goes a long way. Think about your environmental commitment and what you hope to accomplish with your event in advance. Use this vision to guide your decision making.

2. Need some help? Talk to the experts at Mingle Event Management to plan your next event. They are committed to reducing the environmental impact of all of their events without compromising on style or quality.

3. Work with and source your event materials from local companies. Research shows that businesses that are rooted in your community are more likely to act with social and environmental responsibility, not to mention the boost they offer the local economy. Click here for a list of locally-owned businesses that have met REAP’s criteria for sustainability.