Welcome to 2025 – Are you planning a special event at your place of employment, at your place of worship. If so, why not challenge yourself to make it as sustainable as possible.  Below are a few tips from the 13 STEPS TO SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE put together by United Women in Faith.
1. Well-being of participants – is the location a welcoming space, safe for everyone, pleasant views, comfortable pace of events and include break times.
2. Racial Justice – promote loving, respectful and just relationships across differences. Choose speakers who uplift talents or all people.
3. Accessibility – check event space to be sure it is accessible and try to accommodate people with handicaps of any kind
4. Healthy Food and Beverages – provide healthy food and beverages and include in-season foods and local venders.
5. Affordability – have a registration fee on a sliding scale & make childcare available.
6. Local Solidarity – research the natural and political history of the meeting place and incorporate elements that honor these histories.
7. Just Economic Opportunities – promote a healthy local economy by using local vendors who have good working conditions and fair wages in place
8. Conserve Water – Offer water in pitchers – NOT plastic water bottles.
9. Minimize waste – reduce use of plasticware, compost food waste, limit paper waste, design displays to be reused or donated.
10. Minimize toxic substances – arrange transportation to minimize air pollution, give organic alternatives to food
11. Reduce Carbon Footprint – evaluate and select accommodations and event facilities with energy-efficient measures in place.
12. Healthy food and Beverages – serve fair trade products, eat low on the food chain
13. Lowest impact use of paper – limit handouts, copy on both sides of the paper, create a ‘literature exchange’ table are for people to place unwanted handouts, buy paper from recycled material.