As Christmas is fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about planning and preparing upcoming Christmas Party and Christmas Events.  With all of the planning and preparation that is needed for an event, the idea of being sustainable and consciously thinking about purchasing decisions in an ethical manner can sometimes slip due to the chaos of the festive season.

Here are some easy ways to make more sustainable and greener Christmas events:

Gift wrapping

Wrap presents up using brown paper to avoid the wastage of regular wrapping paper, which can’t be recycled. Try to avoid using a lot of tape, instead use string and ribbons to tie gifts which gives a personal and thoughtful touch.

Invitations

The digital world and e-invites are perfect for lessening carbon footprint but if a more personal invitation for guests is more suitable, perhaps try using seed paper invites. These are eco-friendly and can be planted in the ground post-use to eventually bloom into beautiful wildflowers, plants and trees.

LED lights

Use LED lights for decorations as they use 95% less energy than traditional holiday lights and they are also a cheaper option! LED lights last longer, and if one burns out the rest will still stay lit!

Christmas tree’s

Although there is a sense of reliability towards artificial Christmas tree, an alternative is to use a real tree to decorate your event venue as they are a more sustainable option. Real Christmas trees are a renewable energy source, they contribute to air quality, they are grown and sourced locally and when being disposed of most of them are recycled into mulch.

Transportation

When picking a location for an event, ensure that there is plenty of public transportation options for people to use rather than cars and taxis.

Donate leftover food

Food wastage is one of the biggest issues at events. To avoid such mass wastage, an idea would be to organise to have any leftovers donated to local charities post event to ensure it is all put to good use. If the use of disposable cutlery and cups is a must for a particular event, use an eco-friendly brand such as Vegware, which is made from plants and can be composted after use.

Re-use & store items for next year

Any decorations and items purchased for Christmas events should be stored carefully and correctly to ensure it can be used again in the future. It is cost-effective and helps avoid landfill.

Grooveyard Event Management holds a Green Hospitality Certification which demonstrates a conscious effort for actively managing our environmental footprint and are taking specific actions to minimise energy consumption, water consumption and reduce waste sent to landfill.