Good, Green Gatherings: A Guide on How to Plan Events Sustainably

Planning events can be a nightmare, there are so many variables to factor in. Planning for any large scale event can take weeks and even months to get everything in order. Since there are so many elements to consider whilst planning an event, it’s likely that you might forget to think about the environment. In order to continue enjoying events in the future, we must start thinking about ways in which to host events in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way. That’s why we’re going to give you some tips and ideas on how you can plan greener events!

Location, Location, Location

Probably the most important aspect of organizing any event is the venue you choose to host the event. You could opt for venues which hold certain environmental certifications and thus would usually feature energy-efficient lighting, heating and cooling. Furthermore, you could inquire as to whether or not the venue uses LED lighting or has access to solar panels which could be used to power the event to an extent. Having these measures in place would reduce energy consumption heavily during your event.

Cut Down on Waste Wherever Possible

Waste is inevitable at any large scale event, however there are steps you could take in order to reduce the amount of waste generated. This can be done rather easily by using reusable and recyclable tableware and decorations. Should you want to print out invitations, you could opt to use recycled paper instead of regular paper. You could also reduce the amount of water wasted by using low-flow faucets and toilets. You could also set up water stations where reusable cups can be used instead of single use plastic cups and bottles.

Food wastage is also very common and practically inevitable at events. You can however reduce the amount of food waste and carbon footprint. This can be done by opting for local, seasonal and organic food. Additionally, you could also focus a large section of the menu to vegetarian or vegan options as this can also reduce carbon footprint. It’s important to donate or compost any excess food which was not or which cannot be used after the event.

Go Digital, Go Together

One could argue that it has become much easier to plan events in recent times. This is because the internet now allows the opportunity to send digital invitations which no longer need to be printed and sent out. This reduces emissions from printing and transport and also paper wastage. Going digital also allows you to streamline events and send out programmes for the event as well as maps.

The internet also facilitates communication and transport planning. You could encourage guests to either carpool in one’s personal vehicle or else book shuttles or taxis together from before. This would result in less cars on the road and therefore less emissions.

Sustainable Decorations and Entertainment

After all the initial stress of choosing a venue and dealing with caterers, the final big hurdle is decorating the actual event itself. This can be rather stressful and tiring however, even here you can have sustainable options. The first step would be to choose suppliers who are known to be more sustainable. This would allow you access to greener decorations which could be reused for multiple events. This would include banners and signage, as typically they are only good for one singular event and then thrown away. You may also opt to provide goodie bags for guests, here they can be filled with sustainable items which can easily reused or recycled for long term use.

Lastly in terms of entertainment, provided the event is not on the large scale, you could opt for acoustic musical entertainment as opposed to large bands which require speakers and other electrical components. This would also have a positive effect on energy emissions.

In conclusion, sustainable event planning is becoming ever-more crucial for the environment as large scale events can have significant negative effects. Another added positive is that you can host sustainable, eco-friendly events which can still be just as memorable and magical, if not more! With a little effort, we can all enjoy events together in a sustainable manner!

Our GO Green Initiative

At GO plc, we’re not just a telecommunications company, we’re a group of people who connect people all over Malta and Gozo. We strive to maintain this connectivity, not just digitally, but also physically. It’s important that we take care of our physical environment so that future generations can also enjoy the same connectivity. That’s why we’ve set up GO Green, an extension of GO primarily focusing on helping sustain and improve the environment whenever possible.

This blog post was written by Benjamin Thomas Scerri – Sustainability Associate, GO Green.

Benjamin is a member of the GO Green team. His main focus is keeping track of new ways in which to make GO more sustainable wherever and whenever possible.