Tips for Organizing a Sustainable Event
Venues
- Choose venues that are easy to get to
- Minimize the event’s impact on surrounding nature and water
- Follow possible weight limitations, grass and other soft surface materials may not be able to take the weight of heavier vehicles and structures.
- Clean up the venue and its surroundings after the event
Transportation
- Encourage participants and guests to arrive on foot, by bicycle or public transport.
- Arrange for a supervised bike parking area for the event
- Arrange for extra buses if needed
- Use local providers, this minimizes the need for long distance transportation
- Avoid unnecessary transportation
Purchases
- Promote recycling and reuse, avoid the use of disposable products
- Where possible, use environmentally certified and sustainably and ethically sourced products
- Reuse signs, banners, employees’ outfits and other materials
- Repurpose unusable materials, such as old banners, flags and carpets. The materials can be used to make new products such as reusable bags
- Do not distribute flyers and other marketing paraphernalia that will often be thrown away
Food & Water
- Serve locally-produced seasonal produce and vegetarian foods
- Where possible choose organic and Fair Trade products
- Avoid disposable plates, cups and cutlery, charge a deposit for reusable dishes
- Arrange waste sorting in food service areas or plan food service in a manner that makes it possible to dispose of all waste from food service as organic waste
- Minimize food waste
- Provide clean drinking water and a water bottle refilling station
Noise
- If the noise from the event causes disturbance, remember to submit a notification of noise
- Use fixed structures or the shape of the terrain to contain the noise within the venue
- Inform the people who live nearby and other affected people or organisations about your event
- Provide earplugs
More information on noise control
Waste management
- Draw up a waste management plan for your event
- Arrange a sorting area and staff to assist with the sorting, make sorting easy for the participants
- Make sure that there are enough clearly marked waste bins in the area, place them along walkways and near food stands, and make sure they are emptied often enough
- Provide ashtrays in smoking areas
- Provide enough toilet facilities for your staff, participants and audience
More information on waste management