Lille, 2019.  Grasping the Environment Monster

As promised, here is an update of our pre-conference blog post.  It was the beginning of us grasping and starting to implement ideas about greening our event. We hope what we have learnt may help with your event too.

CARPOOLING: From the online carpooling page, we could see that there were a good deal more lift-seekers than offerers, although we don’t have statistics about who drove to Lille.  It’s perhaps not yet something we think of instinctively: to post an offer of a lift. We need to work out a way to better promote the advertising of lifts, and to do so more widely – it was only on our Facebook page and in a sub-page on the website.  Perhaps a rolling banner, or in our magazine?

GOODIE BAGS – The final composition of our goodie bag was as follows: a mug, an aluminium water bottle, pens, promotional leaflets, and the cloth bag itself.  There was a good deal of discussion about whether the bag should be filled in advance, to be handed over complete to the delegate, or whether it should be a help-yourself line.  To avoid registration congestion, it was decided that the bags would be filled in advance but that there would be boxes available to return unwanted items at our ELT Footprint stand.  This caused some last minute debate, but it is exactly discussions of this sort that we should be having. How would sponsors feel if their items were returned? What would we do with returns?  Would returns be reusable? Would returns be good data for sponsors as to what reached their potential customers best? What was our biggest priority?

Our returns procedure was therefore not as robust as it might have been, in terms of information and signage.  Our advice to organisers would be to have these discussions and procedures in place early. We have the opportunity to do this for our next event.  So what was returned? Quite a number of leaflets specific to a geographical area: these can be reused. A few other leaflets which were not of interest to delegates: also reusable.  A few water bottles and mugs, and pens, from people who said they already carried their own: funnily enough by the end of the conference, these items had found new owners and the box was empty (to be in the hands of someone who will use it is a step forward?)

Our mugs: these were used by delegates during the coffee breaks, but not exclusively.  Our stock of already-bought-for-previous-years paper cups were available, and this made it easier to not use the provided mug.  It was also pointed out in a helpful comment that, whilst the mugs were ideal for our organised coffee breaks, they couldn’t be used in the coffee machines between-times.  Something to think about for next time. We also made black and fruit tea available. 

Our earlier purchase idea of the very common bamboo/plastic mix cups was decided against because of the issues of plastic contamination when these cups are heated to coffee temperature. https://www.foodpackagingforum.org/news/re-useable-bamboo-cups-tested-and-criticized

Our water bottles: a step up from plastic, it has been pointed out by several members that aluminium may also cause contamination. http://www.isustainableearth.com/green-products/are-aluminum-water-bottles-safe Stainless steel is expensive.  More decisions need making here. We would appreciate your joining in with the discussion.

Plastic wrapping: some of the pens and the water bottles were individually wrapped in plastic.  That is an issue we want to address in terms of our future purchasing stipulations before we select a supplier.  The plastic was removed in advance. Should we have left it on to make the issue more transparent? No pun intended 🙂