Greening Your Event

The Centennial of New Mexico honors the past and can also have an eye towards the future. In planning your community event or commemoration, here are some guidelines for ways to be conservation-minded and respectful of our limited natural resources and evolving energy needs.

A Great Place
Where is your event taking place? Is it at a venue that is easily reached, preferably by public transportation, walking, or biking? Are there bike racks to encourage cyclists to attend the event? Can you encourage the attendees to carpool, or arrange for buses and other transport that can bring many people in and out at once.

You’re Cordially Invited
What kinds of invitations are you using? Is it possible to send announcements and invitations electronically? If you must print, what options are available to your planning and budget to use postconsumer recycled paper? Can your guests respond by phone or email rather than through a RSVP card? You'll save on postage costs as well!

Eat Locally!
More and more Americans are looking to ways to lessen their “carbon footprint” and enjoy healthy, whole foods. Are there local growers and producers who you can work with to provide the catering needs for your event? Can you find purveyors who use fresh, local, organic, or sustainable foods? When the event is done, can the leftovers be used by a local food bank? You can save money and lower the impact on the environment by serving more vegetarian and vegan meals at your event. The options are tasty and no one need feel deprived.

Eat Neat!
Try to use alternatives to paper napkins and tablewear (or use recycled paper, and by all means, recycle the paper.) Perhaps your caterer can provide advice. Use communal serving bowls and have volunteers dish out the food, rather than individualized lunch boxes and other waste-creating products. If your event will include serving alcohol, consider offering transportation alternatives such as carpools or buses – it will save energy and could keep someone out of harm’s way.

Use recycled cups or “plasticwear” made from recycled corn starch and other biodegradable materials. Have compost bucket handy so the transition to composting waste is easy for everyone. Create signage indicating which garbage goes in which bins (food waste, paper, glass, plastic, non-recyclables.) Assign volunteers who can help guests dispose of their waste in the proper receptacle so recycling is easier. Avoid individually packaged condiments, sugar, etc. Buying in bulk and avoiding individual packaging will also save you money!

Ban Plastic!
Avoid using plastic or cloth flowers and décor – the real thing is much nicer! Many groups raffle or donate their floral displays at the end of the event rather than throwing them out. Avoid junky plastic giveaways as much as possible and consider living plants, food items, and other truly meaningful and useful goodie packages for your attendees.

Clean Green!
You can further ease the toxic impact of your event by using “green” cleaning products as much as possible, to lower the risk of chemicals entering the watershed and soil. It is also a great help for event attendees who are allergic or chemically sensitive. Make clean up a fun time for the post-party crew by playing music and turning it into a party - you might even inspire a community clean-up along the way.

Consider Offsets.
More and more event planners are looking at ways to purchase energy credits from green energy companies that will offset their event’s carbon footprint, or impact of global warming. Consider looking into some of these options.

This information was liberally adpated from several sources, including the National Resource Defense Council. We welcome your other ideas! Let us know!