THE RISE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN EVENTS AND MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

With sustainability becoming an increasingly prominent feature in both political and social spheres – it’s not just Iceland Foods that are cashing in on the growing public sentiment. On the Mongoose front, we were onsite at the Royal Parks Half Marathon last month with Runners Need launching the latest edition of its popular #RecycleMyRun campaign. The retailer has partnered with industry leading recycling company Soex to ensure that all elements of the trainers are reused – providing the materials to build everything from clothing to all-weather sports pitches. 

In addition, just last week our The North Face team were working on the release of the new ThermoBall Eco. A significant shift from the brand will see the jacket, one of its largest product lines, manufactured entirely from recycled fabrics as of November 2018. Maybe one of the jackets will contain some fabric elements donated at this year’s Royal Parks Half Marathon, courtesy of Runners Need, you never know!

With sustainability well and truly on the map, it’s no surprise that the events industry is making a concerted effort to increase efficiency and become more environmentally friendly. Not before time, some might say. According to meetgreen.com, the average waste produced at a standard corporate conference is currently a staggering 1.89kg per person, per day (1.16kg of which will be placed directly in landfill). 

It’s unavoidable – building bespoke experiences creates waste and whilst we, like many others, use the most sustainable materials available in our builds, it’s almost impossible to eliminate all waste. With this in mind, our friends up North at We Love This have partnered with social enterprise Seagulls to create the We Made This campaign, which will be launched in the new year. 

The initiative has involved the team over at We Love This designing a series of products from spice racks to shelves and formulating a detailed set of working drawings for each item – allowing volunteers to reproduce each of them from waste wood. The upcycled items are then displayed and sold in a retail space known as Refills on Kirkstall Road in Leeds, forming part of a plastic free shopping experience produced to highlight the impact of single use plastic on the planet. 

There are numerous strategic changes which can be made to ensure events are as sustainable as possible. Without doubt, the most important is to be wholeheartedly committed to making a positive change. When planning the next event, consider each component, from transportation to catering, and analyse how it could be more efficient – make a plan to minimise the environmental footprint. Oh, and don’t forget a reusable cup for your coffee break!