Whether it’s a wedding, a networking meeting, or a corporate function you’re celebrating, we’ve got the perfect eco friendly event ideas to help! Events can consume a lot of energy and produce lots of waste. They have a big carbon footprint and people are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of the events they’re hosting – so what can be done about it to make it an eco friendly event?
Hiring equipment and furnishings
Whether you’re looking for cutlery, crockery, tablecloths, or glass hire, hiring your equipment from a reputable SafeHire certified company such as Plato Catering Hire, is already one of the biggest steps in the right direction.
Producing minimal waste is the key to hosting an eco-friendly event. With event equipment hire, you can rent anything you need to make your event a success. Equipment hire also offers you peace of mind, as you know that your hired items will continue to be re-used effectively. At Plato, we don’t believe that equipment and furnishings should ever be used for one event only.
The biggest step to cutting down on waste and having eco friendly event planning is to avoid purchasing anything that won’t get eaten, or items that you won’t re-use in your day-to-day life. If you can’t see yourself reusing tablecloths, chair sashes and glassware at each meal, equipment hire may be the solution.
Below, we’ve included some examples of eco friendly event ideas and planning, so you can spend more time celebrating and less time thinking about waste.
Save water on washing up
Nobody particularly enjoys washing up and being tasked with washing hundreds of plates knives and forks and glassware after a party is neither fun nor particularly eco-friendly. Washing up after an event takes a lot of water. At Plato, we collect all your used equipment at the end and get it professionally cleaned, polished and quality checked in minimal time.
Hiring an event equipment hire company such as Plato, means you can forget about water wastage. Our state-of-the-art cleaning equipment means we’re able to wash and sterilise larger quantities at once, resulting in less wash cycles, but cleaner dishes and glassware.
Supplying decent waste management and recycling opportunities
Recycling is a staple part of any eco friendly event. To make sure your event is as eco-friendly as possible, put plenty of bins around and make sure there’s a clearly labelled recycling bin next to each one. This will stop people from just throwing everything into general waste and ending up at landfill.
Minimising food waste
Food waste is also a huge contributor to the carbon footprint of an event; being more thorough with eco friendly event planning for food is important!
While event organisers worry about not providing enough food and how disastrous this would be if attendees were to go hungry, it means that they often over-cater which results in lots of leftovers.
When planning food options, avoid single portions and opt for a buffet style spread instead. This way people can take what they fancy. Some people may eat more than others, so plated meals and serving sizes can be difficult to judge. The best way to minimise food waste is not to provide so much in the first place, and to ask your guests to take leftovers home with them. You could provide recycled or recyclable containers for this.
Drinks are also best served using drinks containers or jugs so that people can help themselves to as little or as much as they want. You may find you end up with fewer half-opened bottles or cans at the end of the event.
Buying local
Putting on any event requires lots of different parts coming together. Ordering food from across the country when you could purchase it from a local trader isn’t very economic due to the food miles. If possible, buy from local farmers and butchers and support small businesses where you can. The service and quality are usually much better, anyway!
Partnering with eco-friendly companies
Whoever you need to partner with to make your event a success, check their credentials and values to make sure they’re aligned with yours. Eco-friendly companies are easier to find these days, as so many organisations are making it more of a priority.
Eco friendly weddings
If the event you are organising is a wedding then we can also help with lots of eco friendly wedding ideas. Planning an eco-friendly wedding doesn’t have to be hard work, as it’s so easy to incorporate ‘greener’ thinking from the beginning. You can easily cut down your waste without missing out on any important details.