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Green Advice - 6 Ways to Green Your Giveaways

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on March 3, 2010

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One item often overlooked when planning an eco-friendly event is the conference giveaway. Those little “tchotkes” that delegates look for when checking into their hotels; the logo-emblazoned tote bags and t-shirts and all the nifty pens, clipboards and stress-release gadgets can amount to a LOT of stuff. That’s why it’s important to source suppliers who can provide unique, quality giveaways made from environmentally friendly or recycled materials.

Before buying your next truck load of event products, here are a few things to consider:

1. No more built in obsolescence. Even the greenest giveaways are not green if they end up in the landfill. Look for durable and practical gifts that delegates can (and will) use well into the future. Put client logos on reusable water bottles or recycled tote and carry bags. These along with flashlights with long lasting batteries and solar battery chargers are all unique gifts that your delegates will actually use and appreciate.

2. Insist on environmentally friendly raw materials. Organic cotton and bamboo wine bags, shirts, hats and carry bags; skin creams and sunscreen (for your “tropical paradise” events) are available in a wide range of brands. Beeswax products like candles and lip balms are good for both the men and woman in your group. Incorporating biodegradable bags and gift items made from hemp will also contribute to the success of your meeting.

3. Source Recycled Materials. Old car tires, recycled steel and aluminum, plastic bottles and discarded glass and metal objects are prime ingredients for a new breed of event supplier. New “green suppliers” are springing up across North America to meet this new demand. According to Stacee Matheson, from Seattle-based EcoBrander Promos, customized “sticky notes”, notebooks and pens made from recycled materials are really popular with convention delegates. Customized seeded paper products are a lot of fun and delegates DO take them home and plant them in their gardens. In addition, items made from ‘post-consumer’ recycled materials lessens the carbon footprint more than buying items made from post-industrial recycled materials.

4. Eco-up your name badges and lanyards. Lanyards and badges are now being produced in a wide range of recycled, eco-friendly and bio-degradable materials such as recycled papers and corn. You may also want to provide drop-off boxes and encourage delegates to leave their name badges behind. Paper badges can be recycled and the plastic covers can be reused at your next event.

5. Shop locally. It can be a real challenge to decrease the transportation-related carbon emissions related to your events. EcoBranders’s Stacee Matheson recommends sourcing suppliers close to the event location. Ask your promo rep to source products that are as close as possible (geographically) to the final ship-to address. Decreased distance in shipping means decreased carbon emissions, and also lower shipping costs.

6. Use what you can. Donate the rest. It can be depressing to just THINK about all of the things that get thrown out at the end of even a small meeting or conference. Research charity organizations located near your next event. Partnering with local shelters or socially responsible organizations gives you an alternative to just tossing out extra gifts, t-shirt and other supplies. Acting in such a socially responsible manner will only heighten the appreciation that delegates have for your client’s commitment to the community and the environment.

Looking on the bright side of things, the meetings and conventions industry is taking sustainability very seriously. And as planners turn to eco-friendly products, the selection and availability of those products will only continue to grow. The promotional products industry has also made it clear that its commitment to these types of products is a permanent one.

Janet Latremouille is a sales associate at WTTC.com - The Meeting Planner’s Best Resource. She can be reached at 1-888-224-3178 or by e-mailing amjl@wttc.com

Green Resources - Zerofootprint™

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Janet Latremouille

on February 2, 2010

in resources

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After attending a technology conference in 2005 in Monterrey, California, Ron Dembo, founder of Zerofootprint™, had the idea that to help the environment he had to make sustainability part of each and every organization’s business model.

Shocked at the huge volumes of resources consumed by a relatively small number of delegates at the conference, he decided to turn things around, first establishing the Zerofootprint Foundation and more recently moving into the for-profit “software as service” business.

Today, Zerofootprint™ is one of the leading developers of software and services that helps individuals and organization measure and manage their environmental footprint.

The company works from both a top-down and bottom-up process. VELO™, a web-based software, was designed for large, multi-location organizations who must measure, manage, and report their environmental footprint. The Personal Carbon Manager (PCM), on the other hand, engages employees and customers from the bottom-up, allowing individuals to measure, manage and track their carbon footprint, and connect and collaborate with others who share similar environmental goals.

So if you’re at a loss as to how to make your company — or yourself– a champion of the environment, check out Zerofootprint.

It could be a good first “step” in the right direction.

Janet Latremouille is a sales associate at WTTC.com - The Meeting Planner’s Best Resource. She can be reached at 1-888-224-3178 or by e-mailing amjl@wttc.com.

COP15 An Example In Green Conference Planning

Published

Janet Latremouille

on December 9, 2009

in opinions

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So your clients want to “green up” their conference. And, they’ve left it to you, the planner, to show them the way.

The organizers of this month’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) have taken some big steps (and a lot of little ones, too) to decrease the carbon footprint that comes with bringing together over 16,000 delegates from around the world.

COP15 organizers have been quite creative in their approach.

Delegates are being met at the airport with transit passes and bikes instead of the usual limousines and multi-passenger vans. And, when cars are necessary, organizers have opted for fuel-efficient hybrids.

The conference centre is being powered, in part, by wind turbines. The carpets are made from biodegradable materials, pens from recycled water bottles, and there will be no “official” conference gifts given to delegates. Water bottles have been eliminated and delegates required to get their water from water stations set up throughout the facility. Delegates who do not bring their own water containers can drink from biodegradable cornstarch cups that have been provided.

Food suppliers and local hoteliers in Copenhagen have jumped on the green bandwagon, too. Over 65 percent of the food served will be organic and all coffee and tea will be “fair trade.” Over half of the hotels are providing at least some eco-certified green rooms, a 48 percent jump from just two years ago.

In spite of all of their best efforts, organizers recognize transporting, housing and feeding tens of thousands of people over 11 days will result in substantial carbon emissions. To offset these, organizers have replaced 20 inefficient brick factories in Bangladesh with more energy efficient ones. They’ve calculated that in doing this they’ll reduce the use of coal in the brick making ovens by 90 percent.

Janet Latremouille is a sales associate at WTTC.com - The Meeting Planner’s Best Resource. She can be reached at 1-888-224-3178 or by e-mailing amjl@wttc.com

Event Resources From ‘The Queen of Green’

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staff

on October 22, 2009

in helpful tips

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Last week, Lindsay Coulter, the “Queen of Green” at The David Suzuki Foundation, talked with WTTC.com’s Janet Latremouille about what her role at the foundation and what actions planners could take to decrease the environmental footprint of their meetings and events.

After the interview, Lindsay was kind enough to provide us with a list of links and resources compiled by the foundation especially for the meetings, incentives, conventions and events industry. For more information, visit The David Suzuki Foundation Website or use the site’s search engine to find additional resources and comments helpful to the industry. You can also contact the foundation with your specific questions by emailing contact@davidsuzuki.org. There is also the option to sign your company up for the David Suzuki “At Work” Program. Follow the link to read some of the program’s success stories.

Resources Links:

How-to Guide To Doing Business in a New Climate (Book, PDF)

How to Host a Sustainable, Carbon Neutral Conference of Other Events

Other Ways To Make Your Event More Sustainable

Guide To Making Sense of Paper Labels (PDF)

Guide To Offset Vendors (PDF)

A Conversation with Lindsay Coulter, The Queen of Green, David Suzuki Foundation

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on October 13, 2009

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Stay tuned for this month’s e-newsletter when we’ll feature a list of green tools and resources compiled by The David Suzuki Foundation’s “Queen of Green” — Lindsay Coulter.

Janet Latremouille, WTTC’s own “Queen of Green”, talked with Lindsay about her role at the foundation. Here are some excerpts from that conversation:

WTTC: Lindsay, you’re known as the David Suzuki Foundation’s “Queen of Green”. Why is that?

LC: After my own environment-friendly wedding in 2006, I quickly found myself doing media commentary on how to have a “green” Christmas and how to plan a “green” vacation. The solutions I was cooking up at home also proved to be of great interest to people … like how to detox your home and make your own cheap and effective home cleaning supplies. At queenofgreen.ca, you can find over a dozen how-to video’s that we shot on set, aka my kitchen.

WTTC: We hear a lot about “decreasing the environmental footprint” of meetings and events. What exactly does this mean?

LC: Large events such as conferences, sports competitions, concerts, festivals, and conventions can be major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity, heating and air conditioning, ground transportation, air travel, paper and other materials are just some of the ways that large events contribute to climate change. However, many event organizers are recognizing that large events do not have to have a huge climate impact and, in fact, can play a positive role by becoming low-carbon or even carbon neutral.

WTTC: A big part of a planner’s job is to arrange air and land transportation for their delegates. Do you have any tips and ideas that will help the planners minimize the impact of moving literally thousands of people around their events?

LC: From the Rolling Stones to the Olympic Organizing Committee, individuals, organizations and cities are purchasing carbon offsets. First, know your carbon footprint and understand what your largest sources of emissions are. Ensure that you include all of your major emission sources, such as electricity consumption, fuel use, and travel (vehicles and air travel). Use carbon calculators from the Websites of reputable offset vendors. Look for calculators that allow you to enter detailed information, such as the make and model of your vehicle, as this will produce more accurate results. For example, check out the list of carbon calculators found on our Website.

The carbon offset market for voluntary purchases is not regulated and does not have universal standards. We hope that a strong offset standard will be developed and implemented as soon as possible. This will help ensure that the voluntary carbon market flourishes, and allow people to use carbon offsets with confidence to help reduce their climate impact.

Offsets are not a replacement for direct action by individuals, businesses or organizations to reduce their own carbon footprints, but if used as a complementary measure, they can offer a number of benefits. These include promoting innovation, helping to make clean energy projects more economically viable, and allowing people to take responsibility for their entire carbon footprint, including emissions that can’t be effectively reduced. Carbon offsets can also allow individuals, businesses, and organizations to demonstrate leadership on climate change by going beyond existing government regulations.

Most major carriers also allow you to purchase offsets when you buy your flight. You can even buy offsets with your frequent flyer points.

To get you started, here are some tips on how to buy carbon offsets:

* Put climate protection first. Carbon offsets need to be high quality in order to have any benefit for the climate. It’s better to buy fewer, higher-quality offsets, rather than a greater number of lower-quality ones. Look for offsets that are accredited by relatively strong, independent standards, such as the CDM or The Gold Standard, which can help ensure that key quality criteria are met.

* Be an informed purchaser. Consider vendor claims of offset quality carefully. Look for vendors that have detailed information about their offsets on their Website, so you know what you are purchasing. Don’t hesitate to ask for any information that is not publicly available on the vendor’s Website.

* Seek independent information. You can consult other expert reviews and analyses of carbon offsets, vendors, and the voluntary carbon market, and/or seek advice from a reputable environmental organization or greenhouse gas consultant.

* To ensure any offsets you purchase are only sold once, choose vendors who guarantee to “retire” the offset from the market on your behalf, and who use a third-party, publicly accessible registry that tracks ownership of the offset over its lifetime.

Photo of Lindsay Coulter by Brooke MacDonald