Green Events

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A green event integrates environmental considerations into your event planning to reduce the negative impacts on our limited resources.  Please consider making your next on-campus event Green!

Green events take just a little more thought and planning. To help you, we designed a checklist to guide your planning process. 

Every event is unique. While not all criteria below may be relevant to you, please see how far you can go to host a green event. 

Submit your on-campus green event here.

We ask that you take the following into consideration when planning your event: 

  1. Food & Beverage:  
    • Request an RSVP to better estimate the actual number of attendees to diminish food waste
    • Choose vegetarian and vegan options to reduce the amount of meat served
    • Order seasonal and local foods
    • Order fair-trade and organic coffees, teas and chocolates
    • Buffet style serving and no individual packets of chips, condiments, etc.
    • Encourage attendees to bring their own utensils, mugs and/or water bottles
    • Arrange to have leftover, unserved food donated to White Pony Express or to students
  2. Composting:
    • Use compostable cups and plates (avoid plastic), or better yet, use reusable serving ware
    • Ensure all staff are trained on proper disposal of recyclables and compostables
    • Ensure you have bins for all three waste streams (compost, recycling and trash) at your event
  3. Communications
    • Print less/no flyers. Instead, use SMC's Event page, digital signs, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms to advertise for your event 
    • Distribute agendas and handouts electronically before the event
    • Print double-sided on recycled paper with narrow margins
    • Use whiteboards rather than paper flip charts
    • Ask for feedback on your efforts at greening the event
  4. Transportation
    • Make video ore tele-conferencing available
    • Encourage public transit use

 

Please contact SMC Sustainability at smcsustainability@stmarys-ca.edu if you have questions on greening your on-campus events.