Going Event Green - Part Three

Find a local composting facility

Finding a local composting facility can be difficult. The best place to start is
with the local trash hauler or recycling facility to find out if they offer a composting
pick-up service or a drop-o site, or can recommend a company that
does.

You can find a list of composting facilities at:
• http://www.findacomposter.com/

Additionally local farms may be interested in adding food waste and compostable
products to their compost pile.

Q: Should I still use compostable products, even if I don’t have a local composting facility?
A: Yes! You are still reducing your environmental impact by using products that are made from rapidly renewing resources.

Offset your greenhouse gas emissions

You can offset the greenhouse gas output of your event by donating to a program like DrivingGreen.com. They implement projects on livestock farms that capture the methane normally emitted from the animal waste, and then use it as a renewable resource for energy. Methane is a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide as far as global warming is concerned.

DrivingGreen.com has calculators that quickly equate the amount of CO2 that your event is likely to emit with a comparable amount of methane (and nitrous oxide) that needs to be prevented from entering the atmosphere and assigns the necessary dollar value as your donation amount.

For more information go to www.drivinggreen.com

“The average 2-day event for 250 people - including ground travel and hotel room power - would emit approximately 44,000 pounds of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

With DrivingGreen.com the entire amount can be offset for $260.00! For round-trip air travel add approximately $16.00 per person.”

Reference: www.ecoproducts.com

Happy 'Green' planning.

Going Event Green - Part Two

Here is a list of products for a Zero-Waste Event:

A zero-waste event should only include disposable products that can either be recycled or composted. Choose disposables created from rapidly renewing resources like corn, sugarcane or potatoes, rather than using petroleum-based plastic or paper products made from trees.

Cups – PLA corn-based alternative to plastic: As opposed to “regular” plastics that are made from petroleum, these products are made from an annually renewable resource –corn. Cold cups are entirely made from PLA whereas hot cups are paper lined with PLA. PLA will fully compost in 45-60 days.*

Plates – Bagasse, sugarcane-based alternative to tree paper: Sugarcane takes only one year to reach maturity, as opposed to trees which can take up to 30 years. The raw stalk pulp is used after the “cane sugar” is extracted, thereby reusing an already “used” resource. Previously, the excess crushed stalks were burned or discarded. Sugarcane will also compost in as little as 45 days.*

Cutlery – vegetable starch-based alternative to high-heat plastic: To make this cutlery, vegetable starch is fermented, natural stabilizing products are added and the final product is molded. It’s made from renewable resources and , you guessed it, will compost in 45-60 days.* Napkins/Paper towels – 100% recycled: 900 million trees are turned into paper and pulp every year. Using recycled paper products uses 60% less energy than virgin paper, and each ton saves 17 trees!

Bags – compostable also: Trash liners and collection bags are available in compostable material. Made from corn, they compost just like PLA.

I hope this information has been helpful and happy 'Green' planning.