Corporate social responsibility does not mean just assistance to those who need it. As the latest ICCA statistic shows, in 2017, over 12,500 international congresses were held in the world.

Now just imagine what a large number of people have attended these meetings. Millions of participants were involved there. How much paper, food, drinks, different packaging, bags and other materials have been spent on those? So-called green meetings imply increased energy efficiency, waste reduction whenever possible, as well as environmentally friendly arrival and departure of guests whenever and if there is an opportunity for it. Do you know how much food, drink, unspent and unused materials after the event remain? A lot. The inconvenient information is that it is mostly thrown away. We are sure you know what you can do with all of these remains, or in which way you can reduce them, but it is never too much saying it again 🙂 Let’s start by order.

A planning of each event starts, as its name suggests, by making proposals and plans. Instead of printing and taking printed papers to meetings, you can send those to your colleagues a few days earlier via e-mail and save on the spent paper. When you finalize the meeting, you can send your colleagues what’s agreed or decided again in electronic form, as some kind of follow-up. When you prepare the agenda, you can send it via e-mail to event participants. And, as this is the era of digital communications and technological advancement, it is also an option to create an app for the event that guests will be able to use during the event you are organizing. You can put there all the necessary information that will be useful – agenda, hourly plan, schedule of lectures, workshops, meetings…

When we talk about plates, glasses, cutlery and handkerchiefs, you can replace them with those that are biodegradable. And it does not have to be just a cardboard. There are also those made of bamboo and palm leaves. They look attractive, and are safe and
eco-friendly. You can use local ingredients to prepare meals. In addition to helping your local economy, it is also kind and useful to know and become familiar with local specialties and specifics. Especially if you have representatives from other countries among the participants. Also, you can serve a drink, instead in small packs, in the larger ones. Upon completion of the event, food and drink remains can always be taken to some of the folk cuisines as a donation or, for example, to a shelter.

The remains can also be recycled. You shall bring to the location of the event a few larger cans or containers (depending on how large a type of the event you are organizing is) and label each with a type of waste that should be put in there. For example: cardboard, plastics, other. And, for the duration of the event, do sorting out so that, at the end, everything could
be recycled. Do not use plastic bags, turn to paper bags or canvas ones.

As far as energy efficiency is concerned, it can be achieved through the use of appropriate lighting of the hall and the space you use. The fact that around 20% of the electricity is being consumed nowadays through inefficient lighting is really worrying. Unfortunately, there are still rare uses of solar energy in our region, but we can always use LED bulbs, for example. If there is an opportunity for it, you can come to the very event or meeting by car with some of your colleagues, or by bike, why not?

Team building activities are always a challenge for event organizers. At start, their goal is always a noble one – all participants need to feel good and need to gain the impression that they are part of the same team. To get the best out of each one or to show who is the best in a particular field and in which one he will show the best results. But now we are talking about team building activities that need to bring prosperity at a global level. At the level of the community we belong to and the society we live in. Planting trees, flowers, cleaning and arranging parks are just some of the examples you can make use of and which you can
contribute to the local community with.

One thing that is for sure in common for all of us, regardless of the gender, age, the place we live and work in, is that we are all inhabitants of the same planet. That is why we need to do everything that is in our power to leave it in a better state than the one we found it in.

I’ve recently read someone’s saying: “Imagine that trees give us free WiFi signals. We would all do planting. It is a pity that the trees provide us with the oxygen for breathing only.” I have held my thoughts on this one. How about you?