By Brianna van De Wijngaard–
Earlier this year, the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society (aka CCCS) decided to revamp its Green Event hosting efforts. We wanted to create more incentive for folks to make their events, meetings, and parties more sustainable, and that’s because they’re the perfect venue for “lead by example” change-makers: people not only see how easy and beautiful it can truly be, but they also feel a sense of pride taking part in the initiative, just by being there. This is how wasteful behaviours can slowly be changed over time.
So we updated our Green Events guide, added some sweet promo materials for sign-ups, and secured some great discounts from Green Event sponsors like The Gecko Tree Café and Catering and Cleanway Supplies for items like compostable or recycled dishware. The idea was simple: we wanted to make greening an event as easy as possible, so that more people would jump on board. We knew hosts were busy enough planning a party or event, so we were happy to provide staff support in whatever way possible to limit the footprint, and any extra work.
Our first host was the annual TRU Gala in April. An awesome party planning team was willing to sign on as a Green Event host, and set up compost bins for all the buffet waste from a 150+ person event, as well as recycling for the bar and kitchen staff. All in all, we diverted 55.5 lbs of food waste from the trash bin to the compost bin.
We hope to do as many of these high-profile events as possible, and everything in between. If you have an event, party, or even a small meeting you’re co-ordinating, and would like to sign on as a Green Event host, let us know. The discounts available to hosts are there to reward and support them for their efforts, so don’t hesitate to give us a shout! We’ll help you out as much as we can in moving towards zero-waste.
Brianna van de Wijngaard is the community liaison for the Water and Waste Wise programs at the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society in Williams Lake, BC. You can contact her about the Green Events Project at (250) 398-7929 or [email protected].
