Sustainable event planning guide

This guide is designed to help student organizations plan and host events that minimize their environmental impact. As a community, we all share the responsibility in making thoughtful, sustainable choices that promote zero waste on our campus. This guide offers tips and ideas on how RSOs can support zero-waste and eco-friendly practices in Catering, Waste Reduction, Event Advertising, and Swag/Giveaways. 

RSO Sustainability Guidelines

Food, Drinks, and Catering

  • Selecting a Caterer/Vendor
    • Support small, local businesses to decrease emissions from transportation
    • “Locally/minority owned” in the Vendor Characteristics column.
    • If you choose to seek out your own vendor, make sure to ask about their sustainable practices, including the use of local and organic ingredients, utilizing reusable or compostable service ware, and how they minimize food waste in their business
  • Creating a Menu
    • Include vegetarian and vegan options, and gluten-free options. Consider offering a plant-based menu and allowing attendees to opt for meat/dairy.
    • Be sure food is labeled with common allergies.
  • Drinks/Beverages
    • Use pitchers or large water bottle dispensers and promote water bottle refill stations.
      • Consider adding fruit, vegetables, or herbs to pitchers of water for flavor and presentation.
      • If you’re not able to provide beverages in reusable pitchers or dispensers, purchase beverages in larger sizes, rather than individual packaged servings, to help reduce waste
    • If coffee is served, encourage guests to bring their own mugs/tumblers. Provide a non-dairy alternative with tea and coffee.
  • Leftover Food
    • Have attendees RSVP to help determine how much food and drink to avoid excessive leftovers.
    • Encourage attendees to bring their own reusable takeout containers to carry home any leftovers.

Waste Reduction and Recycling

Reducing Waste
  • Avoid buying items that will be used once and then thrown away.

    • Buy condiments, snacks, and other single-use items in bulk rather than individual packets.

    • Borrow reusable serviceware rather than automatically using disposables from the caterer when possible

    • Don’t forget to request reusables from the caterer and hold onto them for other events

    • USC has a list of approved zero waste serviceware options.

  • Ensure accessibility to three-stream event waste boxes to include compost, recycle, and landfill. Provide signage for each waste stream to educate attendees on how to properly dispose of their waste during the event.

    • Green Bins

      • If it grows, it goes in the green organic waste recycling bin! If the waste item grows out of the ground or off a tree then it is capable of decaying and should be added to an organic waste bin.

      • INCLUDE: fruit and vegetable peels; coffee grounds and filters; plate scrapings including rice, beans, cooked food; food-soiled paper napkins, plant clippings, other yard trimmings; and untreated wood waste.

      • AVOID: ‘Compostable’ and ‘biodegradable’ bags, ‘Compostable’ cutlery, tea bags, plastic containers, plastic film, gloves, disposable wipes, glass, plastic bags, pet waste, plant pots, dirt, rocks, bricks, plant tags, food labels and stickers, or silverware

    • Blue Bins
      • INCLUDE: Soda, juice & water bottles; paper products: brown paper napkins, envelopes, egg cartons, bags; cardboard boxes (broken down), glass bottles, glass jars, plastics labeled #1, 2, and 5.
      • Plastic items that have the #7 and are labeled as compostable go into landfill bins
      • Silver aluminium trays and aluminum foil can be recycled.
      • Be sure to rinse or remove any food residue

      • AVOID: plastic bags, plastic wrap, food or liquid, clothes, hoses, wires, electronics, hazardous waste, chemicals, batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, paper napkins and paper towels

Recycling

    • Avoid materials that aren’t easily recyclable (i.e. Styrofoam, plastic bags).

      • Aluminum is infinitely recyclable, unlike plastic.

    • Encourage proper recycling by announcing instructions and reminding attendees throughout the event.

Event Advertising and Decorating

Advertising
    • Limit paper flyers and rely more on social media and word of mouth to spread event information
    • Use QR codes, email signups, social media posts, and event platforms to reach your audience paper-free
      • Event platforms to help track attendance and collect attendee information: EngageSC, Eventbrite, etc.
      • Share handouts and meeting agendas digitally by using a QR code or projecting them at the event.
Decorations
  • Avoid single-use decorations, instead, use reusable decorations that can match with a wide variety of events and themes.
    • Try not to put dates/years on decorations (banners, posters, etc) so that they can be reused for future events
    • If possible, reach out to other RSOs in your department or program to see if they might have decorations and/or other materials you could borrow

Event Advertising and Decorating

Advertising
    • Limit paper flyers and rely more on social media and word of mouth to spread event information
    • Use QR codes, email signups, social media posts, and event platforms to reach your audience paper-free
      • Event platforms to help track attendance and collect attendee information: EngageSC, Eventbrite, etc.
      • Share handouts and meeting agendas digitally by using a QR code or projecting them at the event.
Decorations
  • Avoid single-use decorations, instead, use reusable decorations that can match with a wide variety of events and themes.
    • Try not to put dates/years on decorations (banners, posters, etc) so that they can be reused for future events
    • If possible, reach out to other RSOs in your department or program to see if they might have decorations and/or other materials you could borrow

Swag

Swag often ends up in the waste bins. Consider what purpose the swag items serve for your event and think about alternative ways to fulfill that purpose that would have lower, or even zero, carbon footprint.

  • For example, if swag items are being used as prizes or incentives, consider giving out e-gift cards as an alternative. Consider getting e-gift cards for local/minority owned business
  • We encourage you to not give out swag just because, as that can help reduce waste

If you are moving forward with giving away swag, try to reduce the amount you are giving away and follow these other tips:

  • Graphics and text
    • Even better: keep the item generic, so they can be reused across multiple types of events.
    • Using the example above, print only “GSG” on the item, so extras can be used for any GSG-related events, not just Friendsgiving
  • Materials
    • Select items made from recycled, high-quality, and/or natural materials. People are more likely to keep items that are high-quality and durable, instead of throwing them
      • e.g. medium- to high- weight cotton canvas, recycled plastic
  • Swag Information
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