How to reduce plastic at your corporate events

You only need to watch Blue Planet 2 to see the impact plastic is having on our planet and the pictures are shocking.

With the prediction that by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish, it’s time to face the facts…

• Of the 8.3 billion tons of plastic produced worldwide since the 1950’s only 9% has been recycled.
• 73% of beach litter is plastic, this is killing more than 1.1 million seabirds and animals every year.
• 1 million plastic bottles and 2 million plastic bags are used around the world every minute.
• Less than half of bottles are recycled with just 7% being made into new bottles and the rest ending up on landfill.
• The average lifetime of a plastic bag is just 12 minutes yet it can take a thousand years to decompose.

Working in the events industry, we see first-hand the needless waste produced at corporate events;  the mountains of used water bottles, the one-use signage and plastic name badges are just some of the items.

As corporate event organisers we need to start talking about these issues, challenging our throwaway mentality and coming up with event solutions for the future of our planet.

Here are our event planning solutions on cutting down on plastic waste:

• Signage – can you make it re-usable?
• Plastic Water Bottles– there is no need for them. Work with the venue on alternatives, one option is that participants bring in their own reusable bottles and refill them.
• Plastic Name Badges– there are many alternative material options, have a look at different products/suppliers.
• Décor– think twice about decorating with balloons, they don’t recycle.
• Giveaways- it’s common to hand out branded items at events – mouse mats, pens, keyrings, do your clients really need these? If they are just going to end up on a landfill is it really worth producing these novelty items?