Event Sustainability

Through this conference we hope to both create a space to share best practices and to have that space in and of itself be part of the solution. These are our top goals for the conference:

Reduce Waste!

  • Reduce unneeded use of resources in non-usable giveaways and printed handouts.
  • Ensure that as much as possible produced by the conference is recyclable or biodegradable, and has high recycled content.
  • Create a plan identifying all types of waste that will be created at the conference and how to reduce, reuse, or recycle.
  • Provide composting for pre- and post- consumer materials at catered breaks. Food waste will be composted on campus at Eucalyptus Grove, through AS Recycling. Come visit the site on Sunday at a pre-conference field trips! Find out more at Conference Events!
The Background Story:
The University Center where the majority of our events will be happening uses a “murphing” system where recyclable materials and trash are co-mingled together in the trash bins and then separated out at the waste collection site.  This system has helped the University Center since they have had difficulty in getting users of the building to separate their trash appropriately.  This has allowed the university center to cut down their waste stream by 25%

Food and Beverage Service:
70% Organic food is provided throughout the event
Local sources of food are used whenever possible
Conference Services will provide attendees with event mugs and volunteers will provide signage to remind participants to use their mugs.
Reusable dishes are used wherever possible.
Biodegradable dishes and cutlery will be used for all other events, and will be composted with post-consumer food waste on campus.
All meals will have a vegan option by request.
Cage Free Eggs were used when possible. For more information about campuses that have gone cage free check out: http://www.hsus.org/

Energy:
We hope to offset 40,000 kWh for the Sustainability Conference, which prevents 55,680 pounds of CO2 pollution. That's the equivalent of not driving 60,786 miles in the average car, or planting 759 trees to absorb this much CO2
Participants have the opportunity to donate towards offsetting their own emissions and energy use through the Cleaner and Greener Program of the Leonardo Academy. http://www.cleanerandgreener.org

Transportation:
Majority of participants will be housed on campus to avoid commutes between the hotel and the conference and to keep cost of housing low
A rideshare and flightshare designed by Ridelink will be sued to enoucrage participants to reduce single vehicle ridership. Please be sure to let us know at the registration desk if you carpooled to get to the conference and we will give you tickets for the caught “green handed” drawing.
Electric Vehicles from our campus fleet will be used to transport supplies between buildings on campus.

Accessibility:
We selected an event location with adequate accessibility points for disable participants and made modifications where necessary.
Followed American Disability Association standards when making site changes.
Created an “accessibility map” of conference locations for participants.
Make sure that all conference materials were accessible to disabled participants.
Supplied ASL/CART interpreters for hearing impaired participants.
Provided referrals to child care facilities.
Provided mothers with a place to feed their children and access to bathrooms equipped with changing tables.
Room locations were also provided in Braille where possible.

Hotels and accommodations:
Participants are encouraged to stay on campus to avoid further commuting and to keep cost of housing low.

Hotels:
We are working with our local hotels to implement a new Santa Barbara Green Business Program and to encourage participants to use the California Green Lodging Program http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/EPP/GreenLodging/Program to help them to become more environmental and socially responsible.  We posted information on the registration page about which hotels we recommend.

UCSB Housing:
Manzanita Residence Hall is set along the coastline and surrounded by native plant habitats, bioswales to catch rain water run-off, and vernal pools. Manzanita Residence Hall provides the following as a function of its normal operations:
Co-Mingled Recycling in each room, laundry room, and throughout the site, picked up by an electric vehicle and taken to central receptacle
Energy Star front-loading Laundry Machines for residents
Cards in rooms educating conference participants that sheets and towels will not be laundered unless sheets are placed on the floor
All trash bag liners are high-density using 2/3 less petroleum-based raw material than the low-density liners.

Manzanita also uses environmentally safe cleaning products. This is a big help as Manzanita moves towards LEED EB standing.

Staff/Volunteers at event:
Provide training to all staff and volunteers on environmental policies of the conference particularly clean-up crew

Recognition and Awareness:
Give away drawing tickets to participants who are caught “green handed” helping with recycling at the event, giving advice to someone else about how to live more sustainably, etc… If you win, you could get prizes from the UCSB Bookstore!  

Provide greening information in pre-event information, conference programming, website, opening and closing sessions, publicity, and at a booth in the exhibition hall, etc.
Sustainable Campus Map created for the conference with key points of interest
Local Bus and Bike Path Maps made available at check-in and throughout the conference
Offer resources that we used to green the conference on the website
Keep track of what went right/wrong, keep track of waste and energy use for the days of the conference and post on the website afterwards

Feedback:
Put on Evaluation for participants what worked and what didn’t in terms of greening (utilize suggestions from National Recycling Coalition)
 Create Evaluation for vendors, event staff, hotels, etc… so that they can give feedback on greening and offer new ideas

To make all this happen we will need your help! Even in areas of the campus with good access to recycling bins, approximately 30% of the trash in our trashcans is recyclable according to waste audits that have been done on campus. We will be running some audits during the conference and sorting as we audit, however we will not be able to sort everything and need you to remember and help others to remember to reduce, recycle, reuse.