Ecotainus

I have to admit, I’m a pretty fortunate individual to have the opportunity to have many goose bump moments in my life because I have the chance to work with people, all over the country, on events that aim to educate, strive to achieve new heights in sustainability and mobilize the masses into action. Well, treehugger.com honors those individuals, ambassadors and events that embody all of these actions and epitomize the Best of Green each year. Our pals (and, yes, clients) at the US Green Building Council are nominated for Best (Green) Event for their annual Greenbuild Conference. We were in Phoenix this year with USGBC, for our fourth year in a row, to work on their Welcome Event at Chase Field - so, yes, we do hope that we had a little something to do with their exciting nod. So, please help Greenbuild win for Best Event on Treehugger by voting…just click on the Treehugger logo below and click the button to vote for GREENBUILD!

Well, if you read  one of my recent blog entries, you may think I’m still on the sausage bent….not exactly. We, at eventologie, strive to keep the cycle “alive” even after our events are done and one of my favorite aspects from our recent event at Chase Field in Phoenix for our client, US Green Building Council, does relate back to a pig.

Our friend Chris Garcia, with Global Green Integrators, introduced us to Greg, Brandy and their family at Hoppin Hogs Farm who were the eager recipients of the over 1700 lbs of food scraps from the Welcome event. Knowing that their pigs and other animals at their friendly farm in Payson, Arizona were happily fed with pure food and not processed or antibiotic-filled products made us very happy as well. I think the picture of Red says it all though we did hear that even pigs are picky eaters too – all was eaten except for the onions. I guess he wanted to be “fresh” for his close up.

It’s amazing how much trash a person can generate when attending an event – it’s part of what contributes to the event industry’s rating of second most wasteful industry in the world. One person can leave behind up to 1.6 lbs of waste – pretty shocking. So, to properly and consciously take care of (dispose can be such a nasty word) of our trash from our recent event in Phoenix for USGBC including the food scraps, biodegradables and compostables, we had the tremendous pleasure to work with a great guy named Chris Garcia whose passion for trash is pretty infectious. Chris and his partner, Lisa Perez, co-founded Global Green Integrators (GGI). They  work with local Arizona groups to compost organic material; recycle plastic, aluminum, cardboard, paper, and glass; and to send food waste to a local rescue pig farm called Hoppin Hogs (more about them tomorrow).

Interesting stats: from pre-event set up through the event itself and breakdown, over 1469 lbs of biodegradables & compostables and more than 5243 lbs of food scraps were collected which totals to an astounding 6712 lbs combined. GGI sent the biodegradable and compostable materials to a local commercial composter and the food scraps were picked up by Hoppin Hogs Farm. Untouched, prepared food was donated to a local food bank.

If we all took the appropriate measures to properly take care of the waste we generate instead of just simply leaving it behind what a different world we’d all live in.

Thanks again Chris – our champion, our cheerleader, our friend.

Funny you ask…I actually had the chance to find out today on a visit to a local sausage factory in Phoenix. I definitely went on an adventure today that I truly never thought I’d experience. The nice folks at Shreiner’s Fine Sausage in Phoenix allowed me to come and check out their small, family run factory where they make around 80 different types of sausage…from traditional from Bratwurst, Italian and Polish offerings to Cajun French Andouille & Tasso, Portuguese Luinguisa, English Bangers and Spanish & Mexican Chorizo. For those a little pig-shy, they also sell low-fat turkey and chicken options. I actually got my hands dirty making some sweet italian sausage with my friends Spicy Man and Jason (pictured below). Nancy Schiller, the owner, is at the helm carrying on the tradition that was started by Hugo Schreiner in 1955. Nancy’s husband, Gary, started working for Mr. Schreiner at the age of 13 and bought the business from him at age 20. Nancy started working at Schreiner’s 30 years ago and runs the factory today in the ridiculously adorable red and white shop on 7th Street in Phoenix. If you’re ever in the area, their road side shop is a definite must and just ask Nancy to help you pick out the right sausage to tantalize your tastebuds. I apparently did alright with the sausage making because Nancy kindly offered me a job should I come back ’round these parts. I don’t even have to fill out an application. Thanks Nancy, Spicy Man and Jason – hope to see you all soon!

So, we’re about to travel to two conferences and, when in the conference setting, so many times food options can be beyond unhealthy…more like heart attacks waiting to happen. At both Opportunity Green and Greenbuild, attendees are treated to food options that are locally sourced, farm raised and certified organic where possible. Yes, you can demand that your conference centers go beyond their comfort (food) zone and get more creative and in tune with local cuisine.

In Los Angeles, we’ve connected with an inspiring company called Organics to Go who will be providing lunch to attendees offering a delicious (compostable) boxed lunch option of assorted salads, wraps and veggies. Their innovative catering company & cafes can now be found in LA, Seattle, San Diego and Washington, D.C. and they strive to walk the talk of sustainability from the farms they use to the floors their guests walk on to their way to their counters. For more on what I mean, check their committment at http://www.organictogo.com/AboutSustainability.html.

In Phoenix, we’re excited to be working with the Chefs and tireless staff at Levy Restaurants for the Opening event for Greenbuild at Chase Field. Everyone’s come together to produce a locally-focused & sourced, baseball-themed menu. We’ll be blogging more next week about this awesome event as we have so many folks to tout from the local producers to the pig farm we’re composting to…stay tuned.

As we get ready to head to Los Angeles for Opportunity Green, the go-to conference for the “brightest innovators leading the growth of the new green economy” and then to Phoenix for Greenbuild, the world’s largest conference and expo for the green building industry, what better time to blog about the eco way to conference.

Let’s be honest, business conferences can be a huge eco problem. They are often located in cities that require most attendees to travel, leaving a massive carbon footprint. Luckily, once at a conference, attendees generally stay in or near all of the conference events, thus limiting more carbon emissions. But, there are many more ways to keep the environment out of harms way during your conference.

Pause on the printing. Info folders bursting with note paper, schedules, charts and speaker info are most likely tossed in a nearby garbage can when the conference ends. Yes, we’d love to think that at least it would help up in a recycle bin but why take the chance? Instead of wasting paper, give each conference attendee a USB port with the conference files loaded up on to them. Employees bring their laptops with them everywhere anyway, so the ports will provide a great convenience. Not to mention they are usable beyond the conference and employees will be happy to have a place to store their files and, of course, it’s a great branding opportunity for your company or for a sponsor.

Find me online. At Greenbuild, US Green Building Council offers a way for attendees & exhibitors to locate one another, communicate and network through Greenbuild Connect, their conference social networking site. Beyond attending their annual Greenbuild conference, USGBC also offers an opportunity to continue learning through their interactive green building learning portal, Greenbuild 365, where education is available to anyone, anwhere at any time.

Leave (the waste) behind. Ditch the company monogrammed pens, notebooks, and coffee mugs. Employees already have a stock of them and often the pens and notebooks find their way into the trash (with those bulky info folders). Instead, spend a little more and get employees something eco, cool, and useful. At Opportunity Green, attendees will be suited up with cool Kor water bottles and fantastic To-Go Ware that may become my new favorite thing.