From small departmental meetings to large-scale campus community gatherings, IU hosts hundreds of events throughout the year. Implementing sustainable practices at these events, no matter the size, can help reduce waste, conserve resources, and inspire further sustainable practices.
Event waste best practices
Food waste & composting:
An estimated 30-40% (up to 70 million pounds) of America's food supply is thrown away. Food that goes uneaten enters landfills and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA's food recovery hierarchy outlines the preferred order of food recovery, starting with source reduction.
- Ask event attendees to RSVP to avoid over ordering and disposing of food.
- For composting, you can coordinate with -----
- Consider donating leftovers to Campus Kitchen*.
- Attendees may take home leftover food**
*Unopened items only
**At their own risk
Recycling & waste minimization
Although there is a significant amount of waste generated on our campus daily, a large proportion of this trash can be prevented and reduced. The EPA estimates that 75% of the American waste stream is recyclable, but only 30% is actually recycled. There are many ways to reduce waste from your event.- Make sure that recycling and trash bins are available at your event. Recycling receptacles are available in all IUB buildings.
- Bring attention to recycling by announcing the location of recycling bins at your event and reminding your attendees of the importance of waste reduction.
- When purchasing materials for your event, make sure that all unavoidable packaging is recyclable.
Sustainable events checklist
- No plastic water bottles are provided at the event
- Attendees are encouraged to bring reusable bottles OR reusable drinkware is provided at the event
- Single-serve drinks are swapped for larger beverage containers and creamers are served in reusable vessels