Over the years, we’re starting to see sustainability becoming an increasing trend and now, a lifestyle. The events industry is not far behind, with countless efforts being made to create greener events today.
Ever since we’ve pivoted our business back in 2019 to include greener practices, we’re glad to see our efforts turning wastes to treasures (literally!), and many more clients joining us in our mission to #SustainableEvents.Â
Did you know? Research shows that an average wedding produces 272 kgs of waste, 63 tons of CO2 emissions and 3 tons of mining waste! Beyond all the myths & beliefs, going sustainable doesn’t need to be complicated at all. Whether if you’re hosting a birthday party or a bridal shower, you can create responsible and mindful occasions just by doing simple sustainable steps. Here are 8 Small Changes You Can Do To Host A Sustainable Event with huge impact as you begin your journey to greener events!
Having multiple locations to host several parts of your event could be an easy solution for the sake of aesthetics. But in truth, this could be more harmful to Mother Nature with more traveling, resulting in an increase to event carbon footprint. You can help reduce these harmful impacts just be putting in the extra effort to your venue search!
Try scouting for a venue where you can host your entire event planning into a single space. You’d be surprised to find out as well that there are many venues that provide discounted packages when you utilize their venue space completely. Renting an Airbnb is a more creative approach and has been a popular choice amongst our clients today. All you need is to hire a caterer, a decorator, and your event is ready to go.
What better way to jump-start your journey to greener events than to rope in your friends to join in together with you! Educate your guests that going sustainable is as simple as doing car sharing. Create a transport planning system where you can arrange your guests’ transportation with ease & have them carpool wherever possible. For guests traveling from overseas, you can even consider renting a Mini Van to chauffeur them to your event.Â
Your guests will thank you for the additional hospitality gesture. Not to mention, your guests could even form new & meaningful friendships.
Sustainability isn’t just all about green steps & approaches, but it’s also about taking relational steps to build meaningful relationships. Know a friend who bakes really good dessert treats? Give them a call & have them bake for your event! Or even better yet, try sourcing & collaborate with vendors who have the same sustainable end goal in mind. You’re not just helping these businesses flourish when you partner with them, but you may also be building long-term friendships. Speak to your vendor about your mission to sustainability and ensure they also take part in it by sourcing eco-friendly ingredients or materials and implementing green business approaches.
Here comes the fun part when hosting a green event – thinking of ways to repurpose your event décor and materials! Single-used décors are one of the biggest contributors to event waste. With just a little creativity, you can give life to that extra décor material you have lying around in your event. Got extra flower petals? Use it as petal toss!
You can also have a stage that works like a photo booth at the same time during your event. Repurposing materials is not only friendly to nature, but it is also cost-friendly. Now that’s what we call a win-win situation! For décor that can’t be repurposed, you can consider donating it to a thrift store or bring it home as a new piece of furniture to elevate your space.
Up until this point, you may already know that decorations contribute the most to event waste. One clever way to reduce event waste is to use what you already have. Choose venues that suits your event theme with built-in décors to minimize the need for additional decorations.
 If you like the outdoors, try scouting for a venue with plenty of natural landscapes like a huge lawn or balcony. Or if you like things vintage and minimalist, locations like Sekeping Jurga with vintage brick backdrops will be perfect for you.
Skip the paper for your invites and opt for e-invites instead! Trust us when we say you don’t need to be a graphic designer to design beautiful invites. Graphic design tools like Canva are beginner-friendly and provide plenty of beautiful editable templates where you can design your invites in just a click. For the more tech-savvy event planners, you can even give website building a go with Wix, MailChimp, or Weebly.Â
If you still prefer something more tangible, you can opt for eco-friendly paper materials for your invitations like recycled paper, seed paper, or handmade paper. Make sure you speak to your vendor and that you know clearly the type of materials used for your invitations.
During the lockdown, virtual meetings became a norm for many businesses. You can take this new practice even post-COVID whether if you’re meeting with your clients or vendors. Hosting virtual meetings means less traveling, and more flexibility of time. Not to mention, you’d still be able to get amazing work done – and if not, better! Just make sure you give your 100% when preparing for a virtual meeting presentation – just as how you’d give your best when meeting with your clients during physical meetings.
Partner with an NGO for your event and let a professional help guide you in your journey to sustainability. With the increasing awareness to sustainability, many NGOs are jumping on the bandwagon and can offer sustainable solutions for your event. NGOs like What A Waste helps reduce food waste by donating surplus food at your event for underprivileged families, or have PichaEats to cater for your event while helping the refugees in Malaysia.
You can even let your guests join in your sustainable mission by having them donate to an NGO of your choice as gifts.
By following these simple sustainable steps, you’re on your road to creating a better environment while celebrating joyously! As results don’t happen overnight, take it a step at a time and know that there are many others out there with you who are also creating more mindful celebrations.
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