Green Your Event
Green Your Event is a pilot initiative designed to support the campus community in hosting zero-waste events within University Centers event spaces. This program, in collaboration with Facility Services, provides resources and guidance to ensure proper waste disposal, encourage sustainable event practices, and promote environmental awareness. Through strategies such as zero-waste catering, digital materials, waste tracking, and clear signage, the initiative aims to refine its approach based on student feedback and expand awareness of sustainable event hosting practices across campus.
How It Works
What is a Green Event and what does it entail?
A “Green Event” is an event that is carefully planned event to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainable practices. This includes diverting ane reducing waste, conserving resources, and promoting environmental awareness. Green events also engage attendees in eco-friendly habits before, during, and after the event.
With the GREEN Your Event initiative we aim to expand awareness of sustainable event hosting practices across campus and refine our guide with participant feedback. By participating in this program, departments/organizations can lower our campus carbon footprint.
The GREEN Your Event program comprises of:
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A Step-by-Step Guide to plan your event including strategies using zero-waste catering practices, digital marketing materials, waste tracking, and clear signage
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A comprehensive list of resources to support sustainable event planning
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An optional post-event questionnaire to track waste diversion and collect your feedback
Getting Started
Step-by-Step Guide
Resources
- Events & Reservations at University Centers
- Green Event Planning Resources
- Green Event Step-by-Step Guide
- Pre-Event and Post-Event Questionnaire
- Communication & Advertising
- UCEN Digital Marketing Resources
- Web-Based Registration Systems
- EventBrite or Google Forms
- QR Code Generator
- Food Vendors & Catering
- Saltaire Catering by UC San Diego**
- List of TAP approved vendors
- Communicate with your vendor that you are hosting a zero waste event, coordinate so that compostable service ware are provided
- Map of UC San Diego Hydration Stations
**Note: Saltaire Catering provides zero-waste event catering services upon request
- Waste Reduction
- How to Request Compost Covers for Waste Bins (will be included in request)
- How to Request Additional Bins
- Waste Bin Signage: Recyclables, Compostables, Landfill
- Not Sure What to throw away? Check out this Waste Sorting Guide
- EDCO Approved Compostable Serviceware
- For more information on UCSD Waste Sorting Guidelines
- Food Donation
- Decorations (optional)
- Tablecloths
- For HDH Catered Events, Cloth Linens are available for rent for a fee
- For larger programming events consider having: Reusable Name Tags
Post-Event Follow-up & Questionnaire
The Green Post-Event Questionnaire is optional for you to provide key details about your green event as well as critical insights as a participant in this pilot program. By identifying challenges, successes, and areas for improvement, the questionnaire helps refine program resources and ensure that future events are even more sustainable. Input from the campus community is essential in shaping the growth and impact of the Green Your Event program.
As a participant, you are encouraged to weigh and record the waste you diverted. University Centers may provide a scale for this. In this post-event questionnaire you may attach photo evidence of how much waste you diverted.