Green Your Events

The Events Scheduling and Support Office and Green Team have partnered to bring you a "Green Events Guide," which contains tips for almost every aspect of event planning, for the green events beginner to the expert.  Browse tips below, or click on the image below to download the full Green Events guide.  E-mail any feedback or questions to sustainability@lists.law.harvard.edu.   

Quick Tips for Greening Your Event or Meeting

Brought to you by the Green Team and the Events Scheduling and Support Office

Updated July 2010

Beginner Tips 

Intermediate Tips

Advanced Tips

Beginner Tips

• Don’t serve bottled water- use pitchers instead.  Ask Restaurant Associates (catering@law.harvard.edu) or your outside caterer for pitchers of water; purchase a few pitchers if you host frequent events/meetings.
• Right before your event check that there is a recycling bin paired with every trash bin.  Check that the recycling bin is clearly labeled.  If not, call Facilities at 617-495-5521 or contact facmgmt@law.harvard.edu.
• Double-side all printed meeting & event handouts.  Reduce the number of pages printed by reducing margins and line spacing.  If possible, e-mail out or post materials online before or after the event, instead of printing.  Avoid automatically printing PowerPoint slides.  Print only if your handouts will truly be read.  
• Know which common event items are recyclable:
  1. Pizza Boxes- empty of pizza, napkins, etc; grease stains are ok.  Leave boxes stacked next to a recycling bin.
  2. Plastic plates from RA catered events- remove excess food, residual food/grease ok.
  3. Paper plates/cups (e.g. paper coffee cups)- remove excess food and liquid, residual ok.
  4. Metal trays (e.g. take-out hot meals)- remove excess food, residual ok.
• Know which common event items are NOT recyclable and make event purchases accordingly:
  1. Plastic utensils.
  2. Foam of any kind (even if it has a recycling symbol on it), including foam cups/plates.
  3. Napkins- these must be trashed, unless you’re composting (see below).
• After your event turn off all lights and equipment.

Intermediate Tips

• Strive to have as little food waste as possible.   Order carefully and when appropriate encourage attendees to bring reusable containers to take home leftovers e.g. in an e-mail to attendees before the event.  This works particularly well for standing meetings.
• Compost! Check out the "Event Compost" section of our Compost page to learn more.
• At the beginning or end of your meeting/event, encourage attendees to recycle all paper, newspaper, cardboard, cans, bottles, and the above recyclable items.  A full recycling guide can be found on our Recycling page.
• Offer vegetarian options (meat production has a high carbon footprint).
• Serve food and condiments in bulk instead of single serve packets (e.g. choose or ask for items that are not individually wrapped, provide a pint of half & half instead of individual creamers, etc).

Advanced Tips

• Remind attendees to bring their own reusable cups/mugs, where applicable.
• Use reusable dishware whenever possible.  If renting reusable dishware is prohibitively expensive, consider acquiring a set of reusable items for events/meetings.  Have office/organization members bring in old dishes from home, or buy inexpensive, gently used items from Goodwill.
• Make an effort to limit, or exclude, the distribution of give-away items at events.  If deemed necessary, find the most environmentally preferable and functional items (e.g. useful items that contain recycled content, have organic fiber, and/or are locally produced).