Three Ways to Make Your Event Hospitality More Environmentally Friendly
According to Meetgreen, a typical conference attendee discards 1.89kg of waste per day, of which 1.16kg goes directly to landfill. When it comes to making your next event more environmentally friendly, hospitality can play a key role. Consider these three top tips to make your event hospitality more sustainable.
1. Choose a venue that sources local produce
In addition to supporting the local economy, sourcing produce from local suppliers is better for the environment as it takes less time and energy for goods to reach their final destination. When discussing your catering needs with your Hospitality Manager, make sure to find out the origins of the products and ask to support local suppliers.
At The CCD, we embrace the ‘farm to fork’ initiative, which encompasses a passion and commitment to food safety, freshness and small farm economics, as well as environmental sustainability.
Food provenance is extremely important to us and we are very proud of our suppliers. We use local suppliers from all over Ireland who champion sustainable practices and ensure that food is fresher, tastier and more nutritious.
2. Make conscious material choices
When it comes to event sustainability, small changes can make a big difference. Making a conscious decision about the types of materials used in the hospitality service at your event can significantly reduce the negative impact of the event on the environment.
Instead of single use plastic water bottles, replace them with glass bottles. Alternatively, consider placing water stations in high traffic areas around the venue to encourage delegates to refill their own bottles.
When possible, use ceramic ware and cutlery that can be washed and reused. If disposable ware is necessary, talk to your Hospitality Manager about using a sustainable ‘to-go’ range that includes compostable containers and biodegradable cups.
Other simple changes, including using table cloths, cloth napkins and wooden stir sticks for tea and coffee, can improve the environmental friendliness of the event.
3. Have a waste management plan in place
It’s common for delegate numbers to fluctuate in the planning stage and lead up to the day. Estimating attendee numbers can be tricky but it’s important to keep your Hospitality Manager up to date with numbers to allow for adjustments in the catering requirements to avoid producing unnecessary food.
It’s not possible to avoid producing waste entirely, and that’s why it’s important to have a waste management plan in place at the venue to correctly manage leftover food and the disposal of waste.
At The CCD, our teams assess how to best manage the creation, segregation and recycling of waste both at the venue, and for specific event requirements. As part of this initiative, we have custom-built recycling stations to encourage delegates to segregate their waste. These recycling stations use illustrations as well as text so that delegates are aware of how to segregate their waste regardless of language barriers.
Other simple initiatives, such as donating food to local schools or charities, such as homeless shelters, are creative ways to manage waste after your event. Food donation can be challenging and require processes that keep perishable unserved food safe for consumption but talk to your Hospitality Manager to find out what options are available to you.
To find out more about hosting your next event at The CCD, get in touch with us today.