GREEN EVENT GUIDELINES

Our city holds many public events each year, attracting many people from surrounding cities. Each of these events has the potential to negatively impact the environment. The good news is that every opportunity for environmental impact provides opportunities to enhance awareness about sustainable event practices and to reduce the environmental impacts of an event.

The responsibility to act on these opportunities lies in the hands of every event and meeting participant, including organizers, attendees, and vendors. The following information is designed to help your gatherings minimize negative impacts on the environment.

Generally, the environmental impacts of events are generated by 1) materials consumed and disposed of before, during, and after the event, and 2) transportation to and from the event location. These potential sources of impact can be significantly curbed with proactive, thoughtful and green-minded planning.

Wondering where to start when greening an event? A basic checklist is:

1. Make a commitment by deciding on environmental goals for the event.
2. Form partnerships with vendors and resources to aid in meeting the event goals.
3. Make a plan with resources and timelines.
4. Designate a coordinator to own the plan and act as the main contact for vendors, resources, and volunteers.
5. Confirm your vendors and resources will be available for their specific parts of the plan.
6. Follow through before, during, and after the event to validate that your plan met its goals.

For further information, click here for Green Event Guidelines from GreenTown Los Altos.