a guide to greening your event

Transcription

1 a guide to greening your event

2 Contents Introduction Basic Standards: Conference Location Transport Waste Management Sustainable Food Printed Materials Managing your Carbon Emissions Glossary Event Check List Contact Us Introduction Every year over 80 million people around the world attend a meeting or conference and even more attend trade shows or exhibitions. Manchester is one of the top 50 worldwide venues for conferences and the conference industry generates tens of millions of pounds for Manchester s economy. Despite this phenomenally positive economic contribution there is a negative environmental impact. Conferences, events and exhibitions can consume massive quantities of energy, water and produce large amounts of waste and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The conference market is highly competitive, so providing and managing more sustainable conference facilities not only helps the environment by reducing environmental impacts, but can improve cost efficiency and your organisation s reputation. This practical guide gives information on how to go above and beyond simply complying with environmental regulations when planning and conducting events. The guide includes tips, advice and a Greening Your Event Checklist.

3 Greening Your Event It s not just Manchester City Council s Green City Team that cares about making events more sustainable in Manchester. Have a look at what other people have to say: Richard Morrell, General Manager, The Palace Hotel, Manchester. Catherine Walker, Head of Conference & Business Tourism, Marketing Manchester. Fiona Pelham, Positive Impact Manchester ( Green City Network Conference Delegate The Palace Hotel, Manchester, is committed to becoming more sustainable. We rigorously promote energy conversation, with targets for savings across the hotel; we encourage the use of tap rather than bottled water and encourage our guests to use public transport. The Greening Your Event Guide can assist both the hotel and our event organisers to reduce our environmental impact. We will be pleased to offer a copy of the Guide to anyone who holds an event at the hotel. As the Tourist Board for Greater Manchester, Marketing Manchester understands the impact of large scale events and the need to protect the environment, particularly within the city-region. It is important that as the visitor economy grows, so too does the industry s sustainability. Positive Impact is a project to educate, engage and advise the Manchester event industry in sustainability. The Greening Your Event Guide is a very useful tool to help achieve this aim and Positive Impact are looking forward to working together to make the industry more sustainable. As a delegate I like to know how the conference organisers have considered their environmental impact, such as links to public transport and recycled content of the delegate materials. I think the Greening Your Event Guide will be of great assistance to the industry.

4 Basic Standards This guide offers basic standards for a sustainable event whether you re an event manager, a venue or an exhibitor. The remainder of the guide looks at the following areas for a successful sustainable event: Conference Location Transport Waste Management Sustainable Food Printed Materials Managing your Carbon Emissions Let s get started... Conference Location Before you get started, you need to ask yourself one question: Do I need to bring people together in one venue? Can the event be convened by video conferencing or by a conference call instead? NO? If a conference call won t work for you then picking the right venue can be crucial to the success of your event. Making sure that you create the right atmosphere and provide the relevant facilities can be the difference between success and failure, but did you know that it could also be crucial to the environmental impact of the event as well? There are 3 key factors to bear in mind: The venue s environmental policy: Does the venue operate an environmental management system or have an environmental sustainability policy? Examples include ISO or EMAS. If so, can you see evidence of the policy being put into practice? Good policies or management systems would include: Waste minimisation and recycling practices Energy efficiency measures Energy sourced from renewable sources Sustainable procurement Use of fairly traded, locally sourced, seasonal and organic food Water conservation measures For more information about any of the above measures contact the Green City Team green.city@manchester.gov.uk The venue s location: Is the venue conveniently located for public transport and local amenities? Picking a venue that has accessible links to public transport reduces the need for delegates to travel by car and reduces CO2 emissions. If your event is an overnighter, recommend accommodation within walking distance of the venue, or use a venue which also offers accommodation. Accessibility: Is the venue accessible for disabled people? Does it include options so that all cultures are included, such as a Prayer Room? Are there childcare facilities? For more information about disabled access read the Design for Access 2 guide produced by Manchester City Council Finally, if you re using a hotel ask if they re registered with the Green Tourism Business Scheme, which provides a comprehensive audit of accommodation facilities. and both provide lists of hotels that have been assessed for their environmental standards.

5 Transport Waste Management Choosing a venue with accessible routes for public transport, bicycle parks and pedestrian access is a key aspect of a greener event. Out of town venues with poor access to public transport links can negatively impact the environment, as delegates will be more likely to bring their cars. As with all aspects of any event, it s important to make it as easy as possible for the delegate to make the right environmental decision. There are two main transport issues to think about when organising your conference: Information given to delegates and exhibitors: Attendees need to know how they can get to the venue using public transport, whether there are facilities to safely park a bike, or if there are safe pedestrian routes. You can help by making sure that clear information is provided on your website, in publicity materials and as part of any contact you have with the delegate before the event. Encourage your delegates to use public transport, bikes or their legs instead of their car by making it as easy as possible. For example, include bus timetables, pedestrian route maps from train stations or links to journey planners and railway information on your website. Most delegates will check your website out for directions before the event, so promote sustainable options above travelling by car or plane on the site and make sure that information is up to date. For a good example visit: and click on travel Providing transport: When you provide transport for your delegates or VIPs consider the more environmentally friendly options. Use: Hybrid vehicles Buses powered by alternative fuels One drop off and pick up point rather than lots of individual journeys to and from the same location Encourage car sharing Perhaps you could encourage delegates that are travelling from the same area to get in touch with one another. Dealing with the waste resulting from your event is not just about recycling; the best way of dealing with waste is not to create any in the first place! DID YOU KNOW? Waste costs money, typically up to 4% of business turnover. By finding ways to reduce waste, your organisation could become more profitable. The waste mantra, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE is essential guidance and a great start for dealing with your waste. Make sure your exhibitors apply the 3Rs too. Reduce Determine what materials are required and then think about ways in which you can reduce them. By reducing the amount of waste we produce in the first place we lessen the problems of dealing with an event waste mountain. Here are some reduce tips: Make sure that you use glasses, cutlery and crockery and that plastic cups, plates, knives and forks are off the event shopping list Avoid food served in individual wrappers like sugar sachets or individually wrapped sandwiches Only provide handouts on request did you know that up to 60% of literature is simply thrown in the bin? Try to limit handouts and if you do need to use them, make sure they re printed double-sided. Why not collect business cards to create a mailing list and send information out electronically after the event? Instead of providing printed materials, think about handing out memory sticks.

6 Reuse Some items can only be used once and then have to be thrown away. By increasing the number of items that are reusable, we reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill Hire as many of the materials and products needed for your event as possible rather than buying new. For exhibitors, think about reusing your set and furniture and hire carpets rather than sending them to landfill once the event is over. As an exhibitor if you are purchasing a shell scheme within a large exhibition, it may be more difficult to reuse materials, but effective planning can ensure that you save money here. Reeds Carpeting Contractors - UK s largest supplier of exhibition carpets is moving over to a specially made carpet that is totally recyclable If name badges are required, use reusable plastic holders and recycled paper inserts and make sure that participants return them on their way out. Put the delegate pack in a reusable holder - what about a Jute Bag or durable recycled folder? This way, the delegate will be left with a lasting memory of your event If you re providing freebies, think about offering sustainable and reusable ones, like bioplastic or recycled plastic pens. For example visit for their eco-friendly product range. Are your banners, signage, displays and freebies reusable? Do they date easily? It s much easier on your budget and the environment to make exhibition materials reusable. If you re an exhibitor, ensure you have reusable materials that you can take with you to other events. You ll be amazed at the difference it could make to your budget, and it significantly reduces the amount sent to landfill. Just because you don t need something any more doesn t mean it s useless. You can trade excess materials at or Recycle If you can t reuse your waste, check that it is easily recyclable. Work with your venue to arrange collection of as many recyclables as possible. Encourage delegates and exhibitors to recycle: if possible make sure you have lots of recycling bins, with clear signage and in convenient locations. Advise your delegates that your event will be as sustainable as possible and ask them to contribute by recycling their waste. It s also worthwhile purchasing recycled products for your event, such as paper for handouts, to close the recycling loop. Recover If waste has to be disposed it is best to recover any value from it if possible before it is placed in a landfill site. This may be particularly pertinent in the exhibition industry - think of the recovery value of cabling and timber used for stages and sets. Power cords, extension leads, telephone wires, monitor and peripheral cables all contain copper, and in some cases, gold and brass. All of these wires can be sold, which can maximise your added value. For more information about recycling and recovery go to Repair Rather than throwing materials away, check to see if they can be repaired cheaply and easily. This can save both money and waste.

7 Sustainable Food Agriculture and food now account for nearly 30 per cent of goods transported on our roads. Who d have thought that food could have such a massive impact on our environment? But it s not just the distance that food travels from field to plate; the food we buy can have a massive impact on our health and the local economy too. When you re organising catering for your event you need to think about buying and providing sustainable food. What does sustainable food mean? Supporting the local economy by buying food as locally as possible Eating food in season Sustainable farming, involving high environmental standards and reduced energy consumption, using less intensive farming methods and fewer chemicals Promoting animal welfare and valuing nature and biodiversity Fair prices, Fairtrade and ethical employment in the UK and overseas Having access to healthy food You ll need to work with your caterers to understand what you want from sustainable food at your event. Here s a quick guide to some of the terms you may need: Locally sourced A way to make a difference to the environmental impact of your event s catering is to buy British produce or even better North West produce in its season. This one is simple: ask where the food came from originally. Most chefs will know where their food is ordered from, but remember; this is not about where they bought it, but from where the food originated. Put simply, food miles are the measure of how far food travels from where it was produced or grown to arrive on your plate: so the distance from the field to your plate. That means buying Welsh lamb rather than New Zealands or seasonal fruit and vegetables from the northwest rather than from abroad. Fairtrade The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent consumer label that appears on products as an independent guarantee that disadvantaged producers in the developing world have been paid a decent price for their goods. They receive a minimum price that covers the cost of sustainable production and an extra premium that is invested in social or economic development projects. At the very least you should be providing Fairtrade tea and coffee at your event. This will have to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark. You can also provide Fairtrade juices and fruit. For more information about Fairtrade and the Fairtrade Foundation log on to Organic Organic food is produced according to a set of principles and standards concerning such issues as pesticides, additives, animal welfare and sustainability. There are different forms of organic standards, some stricter than others. The main accreditation body to look for in the UK is the Soil Association. An organic fruit salad or organic vegetable skewers would be a great addition to any menu. Do beware, however, when ordering organic that it hasn t been flown in from half way around the world, as approximately 70% of organic food is currently imported. In aiming to reduce environmental impacts resulting from events we must be aware that the carbon rating of an organic apple flown in from Brazil is much higher than a non-organic apple from Cheshire.

8 Healthy Food Ask what options the caterers have for healthy foods. These are often highlighted or sectioned off on a menu for people who have specific dietary requirements, and caterers are generally more geared up to cater for this area of sustainable food. However, here are a few easy guidelines. Although it may seem like an easy option to fill people up, don t order chips and wedges! Carbohydrates, especially deep fried ones, will make your participants sleepy after lunch. This won t contribute to a healthy lifestyle or a useful workshop environment. Offer mixed salad bowls of beans or leaves. If you do have potatoes, try and get them locally sourced and baked in their jackets instead. A fruit bowl for dessert instead of cakes and pastries will make your guests more alert for the afternoon session. Ensure that a good mix of vegetarian; vegan and fish products are available as well as meat based ones. Food Waste It s not just the food we eat that has an environmental impact; it s the food we waste as well. Millions of tonnes of wasted food is sent to landfill each year. Think about the amount of food you order for your event and save costs by making sure you don t over-order. If you do have left over food, donate it to a local charity such as FareShare or make sure it ends up in a compost (if suitable) and not landfill. FareShare redistributes surplus food from the food industry to vulnerable people in the community. Whilst they don t take surplus food from open buffets, why don t you take a look at their website to see if you can help. or contact the FareShare project in Manchester on And don t forget packaging waste as well - for more information see the Waste Management section. Water Manufacturing plastic bottles for bottled water requires crude oil and energy. Most are made from non-degradable plastics and are not recycled. It is estimated that around half a million tonnes of them end up in landfill sites in Britain annually. Water miles mean more carbon emissions. More than 22 million tonnes of bottled water are transported around the world annually to meet consumer demands. And it s not just the planet you ll be saving - it s your event budget as well. Using tap rather than bottled water is much cheaper - tap water in Britain costs on average 0.1p per litre while the average cost of a litre of bottled water is 90p.

9 Printed Materials The best way to minimise the amount of paper required is to send your event information electronically. Check that the delegate pack contains only necessary information and provide a checklist of extra materials that delegates can have ed to them after the event. How do you make sure that those essential printed materials have as little environmental impact as possible? There are lots of confusing guidelines when it comes to deciding what paper and inks to use. With so many kitemarks or quality standards around, how do you make sure that the papers environmentally friendly credentials are worth the paper they re printed on? Here are some best practice guidelines: Your printed materials should be produced on recycled and / or naturally derived materials Paper and card should be 100% post-consumer recycled Minimise white space and observe contrast and colour schemes that promote a high standard of accessibility Designs should aim to conserve paper resources, by using techniques such as lightweighting, double-sided printing and shaping products to minimise offcuts Printing should use vegetable inks All materials produced should include environmental information regarding materials and production, as it s important that your participants know that you take environmentally friendly credentials seriously. Encourage your exhibitors to use these guidelines too Don t just take our word for it; NAPM (National Association of Paper Merchants) outline some minimum standards. Paper and board with the NAPM Recycled paper mark must be manufactured from a minimum of 75% genuine paper and board waste fibre. For more information visit their website

10 Managing Carbon Dioxide Emissions What s Carbon Neutral? The advice in this guidance should help you to reduce CO2 emissions. You could source your energy from renewal sources (go to to find out about green tariffs). However, your event still likely to lead to CO2 emissions. You can offset these by, for example, paying to plant trees to offset the CO2 produced. This is called carbon offsetting. Carbon Offsetting Carbon offsetting should only be used to clean up what s left after you ve encouraged delegates to use public transport, found an energy efficient venue that uses renewable power sources and minimised the waste arising from the event. There are a number of businesses that can help you offset your carbon emissions by funding projects that invest in: Renewable energy Energy efficiency Forest restoration A selection of these companies include: CO2 Balance The Carbon Neutral Company The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management Climate Care For further information about carbon offsetting visit:

11 Glossary Contact Us ISO The ISO environmental management standards exist to help organisations minimise their impact on the environment, comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements, and continually improve in the above. EMAS The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a voluntary initiative designed to improve companies environmental performance and acknowledges organisations that improve their environmental performance on a continuous basis. HYBRID VEHICLE A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle using an on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) and a fuelled power source for vehicle propulsion. A hybrid vehicle pollutes less and uses less fuel. ALTERNATIVE FUELS Alternative fuels are any material or substance, other than petrol (oil), which is consumed to provide energy to power an engine. Some alternative fuels are biodiesel, chemically stored electricity (batteries and fuel cells), hydrogen, natural gas and vegetable oil. POST CONSUMER RECYCLED Post consumer recycled paper is made out of paper that has been used by the end consumer and then is collected for recycling from various recycling schemes. This is the best paper to buy, as it uses and creates demand for paper, which would normally, end up in the landfill and no trees are cut down for making the paper. LIGHTWEIGHTING Lightweighting means reducing the weight and/or volume of a package or container, which saves energy and raw materials. The Green City Team at Manchester City Council has produced this guide. We d welcome your comments so if you d like more information or have a question then please contact us: Green City Team Environmental Services Manchester City Council Room 6019 Town Hall Extension Lloyd Street Manchester M60 3NY EMAS registered organisations are legally compliant, run an environmental management system and report on their environmental performance through the publication of an independently verified environmental statement. They are recognised by the EMAS logo, which guarantees the reliability of the information provided. JUTE BAG Jute fibre is 100% natural and bio-degradable, often made in ethical conditions. It is environmentally friendly and when discarded will totally decompose leaving only valuable nutrients. DOUBLE SIDED PRINTING Simply means to print on both sides of the paper, which reduces paper use, helps the environment and cuts costs. Telephone: green.city@manchester.gov.uk

12 Your Sustainable Event Checklist Use this checklist to find out whether or not you re managing or participating in a sustainable event. Put simply, the more boxes you cross the more sustainable your event is! We d like to hear about your event, your successes and any barriers you may come across. Our contact details can be found on the previous page. Conference Venue: The venue has an environmental policy The venue is accessible The venue caters for all cultures Waste: You ve used cups, glasses, cutlery and crockery rather than plastic disposal utensils and plates You have avoided food in individual wrappers You have limited the number of handouts and made sure that they re printed double sided Your registration packs are reusable E.g. Jute bags or durable plastic wallets You hired products rather than purchasing new where appropriate You made sure that you ve used reusable name badges and collected after the event Your banners, signage and displays are reusable There are lots of conveniently located recycling bins You ve purchased recycled products to close the recycling loop Transport: The venue has a bicycle park The venue is conveniently located for public transport There are safe pedestrian routes The options for sustainable transport are publicised in all your event materials and on your website If you re providing transport, you have offered alternatively powered vehicles Food: You ve purchased locally sourced food You ve provided healthy options Your tea, coffee, juice and fruit are Fairtrade The food is organic where appropriate Your food waste is composted You provide water from jugs, rather than bottles Printed materials: Your printed materials are produced on recycled paper and card You have printed double sided You have used vegetable or soy based inks All documentation includes the papers environmental credentials Before you go have you told Your delegates that you ve tried to organise your event sustainably? Your contacts that you ve used this guide? The Green City Team about a sustainable venue so that they can promote these venues in Manchester? The Green City Team about any suggestions to improve the Greening Your Event Guide?

13 This publication This guide has been produced using a waterless printing press using soya based inks and is produced on paper made from 100% recycled post consumer waste: the cover is 365gsm Dutch Unlined Greyboard and the inner is 225gsm Revive Uncoated, which is produced at a mill that holds ISO certification. It also holds FSC* certification: Chain of Custody Number SGS-COC The spiral binding is recycled plastic which can be removed and reused or recycled. The whole publication is biodegradable and or recyclable. * The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international network to promote responsible management of the world s forests. FSC brings people together to find solutions to the problems created by bad forestry practices and to reward good forest management. Designed and produced by