1. Avoid excess packaging of food and beverage items.
2. Set tables with plates where meals will be served or used (no coffee plate, or base/mat plate).
3. Don’t use water bottles, use water stations or pitchers and glasses instead.
4.
Use extra meals to feed employees or set up a plan donate unused food to a local charity or benefit such as shelters (check local laws to make sure this is allowed).
5.
Use local ingredients and products.(sodas/pop, beer, vegetables, deserts, etc).
6. Avoid using individual packaging for food items (ketchup, mustard, chocolates).
7. Avoid using non biodegradable disposable items.(plastic cups, silverware or plateware).
8.
Have set times for coffee and tea preparation.
Paper Products and Printing
9. Avoid use of excess paper (don’t use cover sheets on printouts, use small print, reduce the size of your header/footer).
10. Don’t use envelopes (Hotel card keys, supplier receipts & invoices, or records).
11. Always use recycled paper.(Always. You can find good quality paper that looks the same as plain paper).
12. Find alternatives to printed material (USB memory sticks, upload information to your website, make wireless internet available, invite attendees to bring their laptops to take notes).
13. Use reusable items for your ornaments and decoration.
Energy Conservation
14. Use heating and cooling systems, lights and other electric-powered equipment only when the area is being used.
15. Make efficient use of elevators (take the stairs if you are in the first floors, wait for bellboy to go with you to your room).
16. Only wash towels and sheets upon request (most hotels already do this, so make sure you hang your towels).
17. Plan use of electrical equipment efficiently (coffee/tea makers, projectors, audio systems, lights off until the event, A/C on only 30 min before event).
18.
Think of using daylight when making your agenda and events (request rooms with good natural light or consider holding part of your event outdoors).
19. Unplug fully charged or unused electrical equipment (phone and radio chargers, computers, cameras, shavers, iPod).
20. Again, use local ingredients and supplies (less transportation for the items means fewer carbon emissions).
Planning and Implementing Programs
21. Spread awareness and encourage providers and participants to become more environmentally conscious (send a set of guidelines to becoming green with your RFP and distribute electronically to attendees of your pre-event meetings).
22. Monitoring programs for energy usage, water usages, raw material usage etc. Set new goals and incentives. (paper usage, printer cartridges. Saved $ can go to charity or gift cards for dept that saved the most.).
23. Make it known! Be vocal about what you are doing to be “green”(online, with attendees, suppliers, employees, supervisors).
24. Implement waste reduction and recycling programs for front and back of the house (bins, scrap paper instead of post its, collection).
25. Increase the use of renewable energy. (choose suppliers that utilize this type of energy).
26. Promote awareness!.
