Zero Waste:
How Low Can We Go? Achieving Zero Waste at the Retreat
At EGA we believe
in walking our talk. Each year we work with our Retreat site to encourage
the best environmental practices, both for our Retreat
and beyond. This year the Funders Working Group on Sustainable Consumption
and Production joined forces with a crack team of consultants to work
with EGA and the Château Laurier to see just how green we can
go. This year our goal is to achieve the first Zero Waste EGA Retreat.
A
Zero Waste Retreat means putting into practice a set of principles
and designs to achieve an 80% reduction in the volume and toxicity
of waste going to landfills and no waste incinerated from
our meeting. We began by designing waste out of the system, greatly reducing
the amount of paper and materials used, and re-using as much as possible.
We then worked with the Château Laurier and their waste management
and recycling companies to ensure that all of the waste we do produce
at the Retreat will be reused, recycled or composted.
The management of the Château Laurier
shows a strong commitment to environmental responsibility. Before we
even began working with them
they had in place many of the practices that we would ask
of them, including a comprehensive recycling program, composting of waste,
and use of compact fluorescent bulbs and low-flow water fixtures throughout
the hotel.
We have tried to design every aspect of the Retreat to take
advantage of best practices and materials to make the most sustainable
event possible.
Some of the steps in addition to achieving Zero Waste
include:
Food: We pride ourselves in working with
each Retreat site to achieve a menu that maximizes the use of locally-grown,
organic food, with delicious
results. Plus, the Château Laurier will compost any food waste,
and avoid single-serving items to minimize the amount of packaging used
to produce our meals.
Materials: We reduced the amount of paper used for
this retreat by producing fewer, shorter printed
materials and relying
as much as possible on web-based and electronic information. As always,
we re-used as many materials as possible, including the plastic name badges.
And the best part is you get to participate. At the Retreat site watch
for clearly labeled recycling bins and instructions for helping to achieve
our Zero Waste goal. Also watch for educational displays about innovative
ideas in sustainable consumption and production. And please bring your
laptop or extra disks so that you can exchange information electronically
at the Retreat (and
save the weight of carrying all that extra paper back home.) At the end
of the Retreat we’ll calculate how much waste we have prevented,
and see just how low we can go.
Special thanks to the Zero Waste Team:
Annie Ducmanis, EGA; Ann Leonard, GAIA; Gary Liss, consultant; Marni
Rosen, Jenifer Altman Foundation and
EGA management board; and Linda Smith, Environmental Resource Specialists
and EGA event planner.
The following links provide useful information
on Zero Waste and explain how you can minimize your impact at the Retreat
and beyond.
 
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