Accounting for 3,8% of global gas emissions and with only 9% of all plastic being recycled, 11 million metric tons end up in the oceans every year (IMEX Group, GDS-Movement & Marriott International, 2020). As such, the materials and resources used by an event leave a tangible and physical impact. If managed correctly an event can be an active part of a circular society. On the other hand, an event can also lead to large amounts of plastic and leftovers going directly to waste; a scenario no event wants to be associated with today. Key questions to ask yourself are:
- Are you considering each handout, poster, gift bag and piece of merchandise and asking yourself whether it is truly needed? Or if it could be done digitally or in other alternative ways?
- Do your participants or audience members need physical materials? Can you encourage them to bring their own bottles, pens and paper?
- Is everything you have produced for your event being handled responsibly after the event has taken place?
- Do you for instance know what will happen with your stage design or other materials produced only for your event, once it’s over?
- Can the core materials at the event be produced sustainably?