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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Why Plan Sustainable Events?
2. Guidelines
   • Food and Beverages / Catering
   • Supplies, Utensils and Equipment
   • Waste Management
3. Vendor Questionnaire
4. Additional Resources

1. Why Think Sustainably When Event Planning?

Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) takes great pride in stewarding sustainable practices and policies. By approaching event planning with sustainability in mind, we can collectively reduce impact on the environment every time we come together as groups.

This guide serves as a motivational tool and offers specific details to consider when planning events. These are not college policies currently but are strong suggestions and important considerations. EMS’ Sustainability Council and Green Teams are also available to help staff, faculty and  students plan events. Thank you for thinking sustainably and helping us achieve exceptional outcomes.

With this guide, we hope to:

• Reduce waste generated, especially the use of single-use plastics.  One of the most significant contributors to an event's environmental impact is the amount of waste generated. We are aiming to eliminate waste by reducing, reusing, and recycling materials and food whenever possible.
• Support our local economy by sourcing most of any goods and services locally. This also helps us strive to achieve carbon neutrality by offsetting emissions related to travel and energy.
• Donate 100% of excess food to local students, food banks or shelters.

2. Guidelines

Food and Beverages / Catering

Consider the following when ordering food and beverages:

• Support local restaurants and catering companies that source food locally and are committed to sustainability.
• Focus on plant-based (vegetarian or vegan) options. Available at all places listed in the table below.
• Consult our vendor questionnaire on page 5 to help determine sustainable catering choices.
• Enforce usage of reusable water bottles or provide reusable bottles or mugs. See list of water refill stations and sustainable event invitation language suggestions.
• Use aluminum beverage containers as opposed to plastic for easier recycling (aluminum water container options include Just Water and Liquid Death).
• Provide information to participants about informed choices (why meal options and supplies were chosen, etc.).

Depending on the group size for your event and budget, consider the following sustainably minded local businesses:

Supplies, Utensils and Equipment

Sustainable efforts to consider for event supplies include:

• Look for sustainable options when sourcing products. Some suggested terms to use in your search are sustainability, green, recycled, sustainable and compostable.
• Offer reusable utensils, dishes and serving equipment. Reusable utensil kits with various silverware or bamboo options are available for purchase online. Suggestions for reusable utensils can be found here.
• When offering reusable dishes and utensils, consider the following:
  • Can you use an EMS Green Event Cart for the meeting or event? These carts were developed by EESI and offer a set of reusable plates, cups, silverware, etc. instead of single-use plastic and paper products. Currently, carts are available at EESI’s building (West Campus), the Dean’s Office at Barron Innovation Hub and the Ryan Family Student Center (14 Deike). Please contact one of the Green Team leaders from these areas for permission to use.
  • Is there a dishwasher available? Locations of dishwashers in EMS include the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute (EES 2nd floor back kitchen), Barron Innovation Hub (BIH 5th floor kitchen), and the Ryan Family Student Center (14 Deike Building). Please ask for permission to use any of the dishwashers noted.
  • Who will wash the dishes and put them away after the event? Organizers of events, office Green Teams, and any volunteers who are willing to help should be identified before the event takes place.
• Offer reusable towels if available. Consider how to use less paper towels or napkins.
• Offer 100% recycled content paper towels or napkins. Possible brands include Seventh Generation, Marcal, and Scott. MY DRAP also makes washable and reusable luncheon napkins.

Waste Management

Penn State and EMS strive to generate as minimal waste as possible through recycling, reusing and composting.

Other considerations for reducing and eliminating waste produced during events and meetings include:

• Bring recycling and compost bins into the event if possible instead of leaving them in the hall.
• Consider providing a mixed recycling bin of your own and dedicating people to help sort afterwards.
• For any food leftovers, offer to attendees or students in the building. Be sure to transport and store promptly. Provide paper takeaway containers or have Tupperware on hand for staff/student leftovers.
• Another consideration is asking local shelters if they are able to take food donations. Call ahead and check websites beforehand. Penn State’s Food Recovery Network and Out of the Cold Centre County are options.

3. Vendor Questionnaire

The following questions can be asked ahead of time to help determine a company’s level of sustainable commitment:

• Do you prioritize local and seasonal ingredients in your menu planning?
  • If yes, what sustainable sourcing practices do you use for your ingredients?
• What are your minimum and maximum dollar amounts for a catering order?
• Do you offer delivery?
  • If yes, is there a fee?
• Are you able to have a staff member stay for the entire event and take away all serving dishes afterwards (therefore eliminating the need for disposable serving dishes)?
  • If yes, is there an additional charge for that service and if so, how much is it?
• Do you have options for guests with dietary restrictions? (check all that apply)
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free
• What eco-friendly materials do you use for serving and packaging?
• Are you able to provide reusable or compostable plates and utensils upon request?
  • If yes, is there an additional charge for that service?
• Are you willing to work with us to reduce the amount of packaging utilized? (i.e., unless necessary for cross contamination, refraining from individually wrapped items and utilizing reusable trays)
• What happens to any leftover food after the event?
  • Do you / can you provide compostable to-go containers for guests who want to take and/or donate leftovers? If yes, what is the charge for those?
• Is there anything else you’d like to share with us regarding your sustainability practices and services? Perhaps examples of how you’ve implemented green practices in previous events? Or how you’d like to do so in the future?

4. Additional Resources

• Penn State: What is Sustainability?
• Eventify: How You Can Organize Sustainable Green Events
• Greener by Default
• United Nations: Sustainable Development Goals
• Green Dining Alliance
• Green Restaurant Association
• United Nations World Food Programme: Free Rice

We welcome any feedback! Please use this form if you have any suggestions or ideas to improve this guide.