Making Meetings More Sustainable

"In an effort to reduce the amount of plastic water bottles we recycle, two new water fountains with bottle filler stations have been installed. We encourage you to bring a refillable bottle with you to class going forward."

This was a message that my gym sent out last month to the full membership.After being open only one year, the gym was coming to the realization that they were going through an excessive amount of plastic, and wanted to find an alternative solution that would benefit the environment. In the last month, their investment into the water fountain refill stations has reduced use of nearly 250 plastic bottles per day!

Whether personal or professional, there are similar examples in all of our day-to-day lives. I thought this was timely as April 22 marks Earth Day and in the lead up to Earth Day’s 50th anniversary in 2020, Earth Day Network launched a campaign to End Plastic Pollution. You can learn more about getting involved through the EIC Sustainability Webinar Series, "Celebrating Earth Day in the Events Industry: How to Get Started." You will also earn one CE hour towards CMP certification or re-certification with your participation in the webinar.

There is a lot of great information and work produced by the Events Industry Council Sustainability Committee.To keep up-to-date on all that is happening, you can subscribe to the mailing list and view past newsletters here. The 2018 focus is on what is commonly referred to as the "triple bottom line" of planet, people, and profit. Going beyond "environmental," sustainability needs to be just as much about the Earth as it is about the people on it. In order for a program to be truly "sustainable," it needs to make economic and business sense. #peopleplanetprofit

If you are looking for ideas on making your meetings sustainable or more sustainable, there are resources for you on the Events Industry Council website, to include an easy reference checklist.

Tell us what you are doing to make your meetings sustainable!