“Without urgent action, global waste will increase by 70 percent on current levels by 2050” according to the World Bank’s latest report. Although Earth Day is only celebrated one day of the year, the well being of our planet and its natural resources should be prioritized every day.
As a leader in the event planning industry, Planned wanted to shed light on the vast amounts of waste produced by events every year, and share the measures we can all take to greatly reduce it. The event planning industry has found creative and innovative ways to approach planning events in a more sustainable and eco-friendly manner, and we wanted to share those with you.
In our discussion, Let’s Talk Sustainability, we address our social responsibility, as an industry, to ensure that every event planned does not contribute to the increasing amounts of global waste produced.If you were unable to attend, check out the recording: here.
The conversation was hosted alongside five of our leading Planned suppliers. 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… It is important to recognize that the annual events that your company hosts are likely also hosted by other companies (i.e. holiday parties), and the amount of waste produced from your event is most likely amplified ten fold by those other events. If everyone takes their annual corporate events as an opportunity to promote sustainability, then those annual events that would’ve produced a lot of waste are no longer doing so.
Creating a community…It takes a village to ensure sustainable events become the norm. Rather than fighting a battle against unnecessary waste alone, partner with other 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…Sourcing local products whenever possible greatly reduces potentially negative affects on the environment (i.e. less carbon emission from shipping). Learn about local businesses that can assist you in producing greener events. Reach out to businesses around you and source your supplies locally whenever possible.
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.
