Green Meetings

What are green meetings?

Green meetings incorporate environmental considerations throughout the entire meeting process, from planning to implementation, in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment. All aspects can be considered, including meeting location, printed materials, food, energy used, and the waste produced. So how can you make your meetings greener? Try some of these tips below when organizing your next event or meeting.

Paper Reduction Tips

• Don’t print agendas. Send agendas out though email ahead of time, project it on a screen, or write it on a board at the meeting.
• If you must use paper, use 100% post-consumer recycled content.
• Use paperless technology. Use new media and electronic technology to cut down your paper use. Create a conference web site; offer electronic registration and advertise using the web and/or email.
• If you must print, be sure to print double-sided.
• At the end of the meeting collect the agendas that people don’t need or aren’t used and use them for scrap paper or printing drafts.
• Make presentations handouts available online or send them out electronically.
• Make promotional banners and wall posters that are non-dated, so they can be reused in the future.

Transportation Tips

• Stay close. Reduce distances travelled by attendees. Choose a venue that is close to as many of the attendees as possible.
• Where possible suggest public transport options or a shuttle service. If driving is necessary try to arrange car shares to reduce emissions.
• Try to locate the hotel and meeting venue within walking distance of each other.
• Promoting the use of videoconferencing, webcasts and other electronic means to reduce travel to meetings.

Food Service Tips

• Serve food that is local, seasonal, and organic to minimize the environmental impact.
• Compost as much of the food waste as possible.
• Provide reusable plates, cups, and silverware.
• If disposables must be used, purchase compostable plates, cups, and silverware.
• Serve vegetarian items. Methane from livestock is a major greenhouse gas contributor. Also, significantly less water is used in crop production versus meat production.
• Have your food & beverage service provider use bulk dispensers for sugar, salt, pepper, cream and other condiments.
• Encourage attendees to bring their own coffee mugs or provide them at the beginning of the conference/meeting.

General Green Meeting Tips

• Practice the 3Rs! At the meeting venue provide visible and accessible reduction, reuse, and recycling services for paper and containers.
• Ask exhibitors to minimize promotional gifts or handouts that are likely to end up in the garbage.
• Turn off lights & equipment when not in use to save energy.
• Create signage that can be reused in future events.

If you are providing promotional items to attendees, try environmentally friendly products. Here are a few companies that provide recycled and environmentally friendly products.

Weisenbach Specialty Printing
437 Holtzman Ave.
Columbus, OH 43205
1-800-778-5420
www.recycledproducts.com

Stan Miller and Associates
25955 Aurora Rd.
Cleveland, OH 44146
1-800-211-5850
www.recycledpromos.com

Promotelligence
3069 Hilltop Dr.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 845-6150
www.promotelligence.com

How green is your meeting? Take this quiz to see how green your meeting was and ideas to do even better.