As corporate event planners, we have the power to make a significant impact on reducing waste and promoting sustainability in the events industry. Eliminating single-use plastics is a great first step in controlling waste and reducing the environmental impact of your meetings and events. In this post, we’ll explore practical strategies to help you ditch single-use plastics and help support Plastic Free July and lower your waste and carbon emissions at the same time.

Understand the Impact of Single-Use Plastics

Single-use plastics are used for a brief moment but take hundreds of years to decompose. They contribute to the more than 8 million tons of plastic waste entering our oceans every year, harming marine life and ecosystems. These harmful pollutants end up in our food chain in the form of microplastics, and like many materials come with carbon impacts to consider as well, which can really impact your event carbon footprint. 

Going completely plastic free is a great but more challenging goal for your event program waste management policy. But many existing plastic elements that include plastic can be reused, reducing their overall impact. This is why starting with single-use plastics makes sense, since they make such an outsized contribution to your total event waste compared to the utility they provide for your attendees. But how do you go about it?

Assess Your Event’s Plastic Footprint

The first step is identifying areas where single-use plastics are commonly used at your events. These often include water bottles, straws, cutlery and utensils, bags, packaging, swag and giveaways. Once you figure out where you are using a significant amount of single-use plastics, you can start taking action to reduce and conserve.

Strategies for Eliminating Single-Use Plastics

Hydrate Responsibly

Water is a necessity of events and of life. But disposable water bottles, cups and other such things are one of the biggest sources of plastic waste in events. The best solution is to try and find responsible alternatives that allow your attendees to hydrate conveniently and sustainably. Consider offering refillable water stations, provide reusable water bottles or encourage attendees to bring their own and make sure to provide adequate recycling bins.

Eat and Drink Sustainably

Another major source of single use plastics at events are plates and cutlery. Consider a catering service who uses compostable or biodegradable utensils and packaging. An eco-conscious partner like Huddle Agency will also be able to suggest other possible ways of making your events greener, like offering plant based meals or fish / chicken instead of red meat options.

Bag It Up

The tote bag is a staple of corporate events, but making sure yours are environmentally friendly can be easy to overlook. By making sure bags provided at your event are reusable and made out of sustainable, biodegradable materials will mean less impact on the environment and less wasted merchandise. 

Get Creative with Swag

We love swag. But it is all too easy for disposable items made from non biodegradable plastics to sneak their way into gift bags or onto desks. But there are a number of solutions to help reduce the impact of all this merch. Offering digital event materials or swag bags is a great way to provide the same kind of benefits without the physical object that attendees must carry around for the rest of the session. And when you do provide physical swag, consider sustainable options like reusable water bottles, bamboo toothbrushes, or tree-planting kits. 

Educate and Engage

The reality of trying to achieve big, complex goals like reducing plastic pollution is that nobody can do it alone. Our impact can be the most dramatic by encouraging others to make small changes that can, together, add up to something impactful. So while you are reducing the use of single use plastics at your next eco friendly event, make sure to tell somebody. Measure your event impact using a carbon calculation tool like EventZero so you can track and offset the impact of your event on the environment. Raise awareness about the impact of single-use plastics through event signage and communications. Encourage attendees to participate in sustainability efforts themselves with social media campaigns and interactive activities at events. 

Eliminating single-use plastics from corporate events requires creativity, collaboration, and a commitment to sustainability. By implementing these strategies and staying up-to-date with innovative solutions, you can make a significant impact on reducing waste and promoting eco-friendliness in the events industry.

Take the first step towards a plastic-free future for your events. Contact an expert at Huddle today!