Purchases & Materials
The carbon footprint from event purchases and materials, meaning event structures, technology, decorations and merchandise, can be reduced by choosing ecological and recycled options. In an ideal situation the event organizers work in paperless offices and do not print programmes, but rather share information via info screens, mobile apps or websites.
After an event the service providers take the equipment and appliances with them. Purchases are recycled or returned to where they were borrowed from. Lanyards and name tags are collected.
What else? You can learn to plan ahead a more sustainable chain for each event purchase!
Do this
Beginners
Use the sustainability criteria when tendering purchases.
Prefer durable purchases and materials. Plan how to reuse your purchases after the event already when purchasing.
Minimize the amount of merchandise and goods given to audience. The less material, the less litter!
Advanced
Take the environmental friendliness of products and services into consideration. Check if a business is using an environmental management system or if they have received an environmental label.
Do not print dates or years so it is possible to reuse the same materials, for example signs, banners, festival shirts or other merchandise, in the future.
Do not purchase anything that you can rent from event business subcontractors or, for example, borrow from other event organizers.
Next Level
Utilize old and reuse existing materials. Explore flea markets and recycling centres. Be creative! You can find the flea markets in Oulu on kirpputorit24 website (in Finnish).
Do not buy any new plastic junk for, for example, give aways or for decorating an event.
Decorating with domestic flowers and plants is a carbon-neutral choice!
More could be done to promote local joint use. Lainaamo, operated by Korkardiklubi (site in Finnish) and located in the old barracks area in Hiukkavaara, borrows equipment and appliances for small events.
Would it be a high time time to create a social media group or an event trading place for recycling festival stuff, meaning objects, materials and equipment left useless by other event organizers?
