Go Green with your events

Roll Out the Green Carpet

Special events do not need to be wasteful. With recent innovations—plus a little creativity—it’s easy to throw an eco-friendly event. Read on for tips on cultivating the art of sustainable entertaining:

Earth-friendly invitations

Best option? E-vites. Alternatively, use chlorine-free, 100% Post Consumer Waste (PCW) recycled paper that’s endorsed by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) Canada.  And when printing, use vegetable-based dyes.

Eat, drink, and don’t kill the planet

Non-disposable cutlery and crockery are best (and washed with green dish detergent, naturally), but if you must use disposable try this fabulous new innovation: Plastarch Material. PSM is a plastic-like resin made from corn starch. It’s heat resistant and stable in air, but biodegradable in wet soil and compost. Also, make sure your paper napkins are made with 100% recycled paper. Want to do even more? Ask your venue if they donate leftover food to local shelters or foodbanks.

Decorate with a conscience

Silk plants and flowers are an art form these days—and are often indistinguishable from the real thing. Unlike real flowers, however, they can be used over and over. In cases when fresh flowers are best, ensure your florist stocks a wide variety of locally-sourced and seasonal varieties.   

Clean transport

Get your guests in on being green: encourage them to ride-share or use public transit. Make this easy by posting all the relevant info on the event registration page. 

Healthy hotels

If guests are staying overnight, provide a few hotel options that have ‘Green Key Eco-Rating’ status—a Canadian standard that recognizes commitment to improving environmental practices.

You might be surprised to discover that many of these options do not result in added expense. Increasingly, vendors and suppliers are getting excited about going green. Ask them to price-match the non-green option.