Our first Event-Greening Workshop, a success!

On February 8, 2011, St. Louis Earth Day held its first workshop to share information about event-greening techniques for different aspects of event logistics, and share experience from industry stakeholders. It also served as an opportunity for participants to share their successes and challenges with fellow event-planners to promote a more supportive community for sustainable event-planning in St. Louis.

Over thirty of our event and industry partners joined us at the William A. Kerr Foundation, a LEED certified building, to learn more about how to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle event waste. Guest speakers included Gary Gilliam of Resource Management, Ashley Bement of St. Louis Composting, and Clarice Hutchens of Replenishing the Earth.

All those present at the workshop left with our Green Event Tool Kit to help consider sustainable alternatives to the “typical” choices for an event of any size. We hope that more events in the St. Louis region (and everywhere, for that matter) will use what resources are available to them to decrease their environmental impact as much as possible in all the areas where it is logistically feasible.

The good news is that the event industry, as well as the companies that provide services and support to event organizers,  are  making a conscious effort to set green goals for mitigating the environmental impact of events large and small. It is increasingly feasible to source only recyclable or compostable materials locally, which are then processed locally. More event-attendees in the community are showing up at festivals and fundraisers excepting to see recycling – and are appalled to see Styrofoam.

If your event is hoping to reduce its environmental impact this year, please get in touch with us so we can help. Click here to view more photos from the workshop. Read more about our Recycling On the Go: Events program or topics we hope to address in future Event-greening Workshops.

This workshop was supported by the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. We would also like to recognize contributions by Companion Bakery, Chauvin Coffee Company, Blue Skies Recycling, and the William Kerr Foundation.