Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2002-0039-0005
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2004-06-25T04:00Z

GREENING
YOUR
MEETINGS
AND
CONFERENCES
 
A
GUIDE
FOR
FEDERAL
PURCHASERS
Environmentally
Preferable
Purchasing,
or
EPP,
seeks
the
overall
best
value,
taking
into
account
price
competitiveness,
availability,
regulatory
requirements,
performance
standards,
and
environmental
impact.
Because
purchasers
typically
have
clear
sources
of
information
on
procurement
and
regulatory
requirements
and
well­
established
methods
for
evaluating
price
and
performance,
the
US
EPA
EPP
Program
has
developed
these
purchasing
guides
to
help
government
purchasers
consider
the
environmental
factors
in
the
EPP
equation.
Please
note
that
EPA
is
not
endorsing
any
of
the
products,
services,
or
organizations
described
in
the
guides,
and
has
not
verified
information
provided
by
these
organizations.
For
more
information
about
the
EPP
Programs's
history,
tools,
and
resources,
please
visit
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp>.

Introduction
The
"
Green
Meetings"
train
is
quickly
gaining
speed
and
picking
up
passengers,
so
climb
aboard!
EPA
recently
updated
its
Green
Meetings
Web
site
to
accommodate
this
momentum,
so
check
it
out
at:
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
greenmeetings>.

Why
Green
Your
Meetings?
Bringing
people
together
for
meetings,
often
for
multiple
days
at
a
time,
can
create
a
"
host"
of
environmental
impacts
 
from
the
smog
and
greenhouse
gas
emissions
associated
with
air
and
ground
travel
to
the
paper,
plastic,
and
food
waste
associated
with
feeding
attendees.

­
Did
you
know
that
in
Fiscal
Year
2000,
the
federal
government
spent
more
than
$
9
billion
on
travel
for
mission­
related
business
around
the
world?
­
Did
you
know
that
93,000
federal
employees
are
traveling
on
any
given
business
day
to
8,000
locations
across
the
country?
­
Did
you
know
that
federal
travelers
use
24
million
room
nights
of
hotel
space
in
the
United
States
annually?
­
Did
you
know
that
an
average
hotel
purchases
more
products
in
a
week
than
100
families
purchase
in
an
entire
year?

Key
Sources
of
Waste
and
Pollution
The
following
activities
associated
with
meetings
and
conferences
are
major
sources
of
waste
and
pollution.

­
Marketing
of
Event
and
Registration
 
Paper
waste
associated
with
direct
mailings
among
organizers,
speakers,
attendees,
and
venues.

­
Travel
to
the
Event
 
Greenhouse
gases
and
other
pollutants
released
via
planes,
trains,
buses,
and
automobiles.

­
Hotel
Stays
 
Water
usage
associated
with
laundering;
indoor
air
quality
issues
associated
with
toxic
building
materials
and
cleaning
products;
paper,
plastic,
and
material
waste
associated
with
single­
use
toiletries.
­
Food
Services
 
Waste
from
disposable
coffee
cups,
plates,
napkins,
and
plastic­
ware;
disposal
of
extra
food;
non­
sustainable
farming
practices.

­
Exhibition
Halls
 
Landfill
disposal
of
carpet;
greenhouse
gas
emissions
from
shipping;
waste
from
excess
information
materials
and
gimmicky
giveaways.

­
Local
Transportation
 
Greenhouse
gas
emissions
and
other
pollutants
released
from
taxis
or
rental
cars.

Federal
EPP
Authority
and
Mandate
Spending
approximately
$
230
billion
annually
on
a
large
quantity
and
wide
variety
of
products
and
services,
the
federal
government
leaves
a
large
environmental
"
footprint."
However,
by
purchasing
environmentally
preferable
products
and
services,
the
federal
government
can
wield
its
spending
power
to
increase
national
demand
for
greener
products
as
well
as
to
help
meet
environmental
goals
through
markets
rather
than
mandates.
In
1995,
in
response
to
Executive
Order
12873,
EPA
established
the
Environmentally
Preferable
Purchasing
(
EPP)
program
to
encourage
and
assist
Executive
agencies
in
the
purchase
of
environmentally
preferable
products
and
services.
In
1997,
the
Federal
Acquisition
Regulation
(
FAR),
which
establishes
uniform
procedures
and
policies
for
federal
acquisition,
was
amended
to
support
federal
procurement
of
"
green"
products
and
services.
And,
most
recently,
in
1998,
Executive
Order
(
E.
O.)
13101,
entitled
"
Greening
the
Government
through
Waste
Prevention,
Recycling,
and
Federal
Acquisition,"
directed
Executive
agencies
to
"
consider
.
.
.
a
broad
range
of
factors
including:
elimination
of
virgin
material
requirements;
use
of
biobased
products;
use
of
recovered
materials;
reuse
of
product;
life
cycle
cost;
recyclability;
use
of
environmentally
preferable
products;
waste
prevention
(
including
toxicity
reduction
or
elimination);
and
ultimate
disposal"
when
making
purchasing
decisions
and
to
"
modify
their
procurement
programs
as
appropriate."

Similarly,
the
Biomass
R&
D
Act
of
2000,
the
Farm
Bill
of
2002,
and
Executive
Order
13134
have
emphasized
the
potential
importance
of
biobased
products
to
national
economic
and
environmental
interests.
Together
these
authorities
encourage
a
strong
federal
role
in
the
development
and
early
adoption
of
biobased
products
and
recognize
the
role
of
procurement
as
part
of
an
overall
federal
policy
on
biobased
products.

Five
Guiding
Principles
To
help
government
purchasers
incorporate
environmental
considerations
into
purchasing
decisions,
EPA
developed
five
guiding
principles.
The
guiding
principles
provide
a
framework
purchasers
can
use
to
make
environmentally
preferable
purchases.
The
five
principles
are:
1.
Include
environmental
considerations
as
part
of
the
normal
purchasing
process.
2.
Emphasize
pollution
prevention
early
in
the
purchasing
process.
3.
Examine
multiple
environmental
attributes
throughout
a
product's
or
service's
life
cycle.
4.
Compare
relative
environmental
impacts
when
selecting
products
and
services.
5.
Collect
and
base
purchasing
decisions
on
accurate
and
meaningful
information
about
environmental
performance.

For
more
information,
go
to
the
five
guiding
principles
on
EPA's
EPP
Web
site
at
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
fivegp.
htm>.

What
Are
Green
Meetings?
The
Oceans
Blue
Foundation
defines
green
meetings
as
"
an
assembly
or
gathering
of
people,
for
the
purpose
of
the
exchange
of
information,
where,
through
careful
planning,
negative
impact
on
the
environment
is
minimized."
In
the
early
1990s,
a
green
meeting
may
have
meant
brochures
were
printed
on
recycled­
content
paper
or
that
soda
cans
were
collected
for
recycling.
The
costs
associated
with
even
these
simple
steps
were
often
prohibitive
for
most
meeting
planners
and
meeting
service
suppliers.
Today,
however,
the
opportunities
to
green
meetings
and
events
are
almost
limitless­
often
offering
ways
to
save
money
and
increase
efficiency
in
the
process.

What
Can
You
Do?
While
there
is
an
ever­
increasing
number
of
green
meeting
"
pioneers"
in
the
United
States,
many
meeting
planners
are
still
having
difficulty
finding
green
services
for
their
events.
This
is
why
it
is
important
to
remember
that
asking
for
green
is
key!
Asking
is
the
first
step
in
showing
there
is
a
demand
for
reduced
environmental
impacts
associated
with
a
meeting.
When
enough
meeting
planners
ask
for
reusable
mugs,
non­
toxic
cleaning
services,
or
energy­
efficient
lighting,
for
example,
then
hotels,
conventions
centers,
and
other
meeting
service
providers
will
begin
to
respond.
If
you
are
not
a
meeting
planner,
but
coordinate
with
or
direct
a
contractor
to
plan
meetings
for
you,
EPA's
Office
of
Pollution
Prevention
and
Toxics
has
created
green
meeting
contract
language
you
can
use
when
buying
meeting
planning
support
services.
The
language
is
available
from
the
Database
of
Environmental
Information
on
the
EPP
Program's
Web
site
at:
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
database.
htm
(
search
under
the
keyword
"
Conference").

Abbreviated
List
The
following
lists
of
green
opportunities
can
assist
you
in
reducing
meeting­
related
environmental
impacts.
The
first
list
condenses
the
array
of
green
opportunities
into
a
handful
of
thought­
provoking
questions
a
meeting
planner
may
consider.
The
second
list
lays
out
specific
steps
that
have
proven
to
prevent
pollution
and
waste
associated
with
meetings
and
conferences.
Since
a
meeting
planner
may
be
restricted
by
time,
money,
and/
or
level
of
support
for
greening,
choose
the
strategy
that
works
best
for
your
situation.

Location
Have
you
sought
a
location...
...
that,
on
average,
minimizes
the
distance
the
attendees
have
to
travel?
...
where
the
facilities
needed
for
your
meeting
are
all
accessible
to
each
other,
the
airport,
and
local
attractions
by
mass
transportation
options?

Accommodations
and/
or
Meeting
Facilities
Does
the
hotel
and/
or
meeting
facility
you
are
considering...
...
have
a
formal
environmental
policy
and
action
plan
that
they
will
share
with
you?
...
have
an
assigned
person,
group,
or
committee
directly
responsible
for
environmental
initiatives?

Transportation
Does
the
transportation
service
provider
you
are
considering...
...
offer
a
carbon
emission
offsetting
program
(
known
as
carbon­
neutral
travel)?
[
Climate
Neutral
products
or
services
significantly
reduce
and
offset
the
greenhouse
gases
generated
at
any,
some
or
all
of
the
stages
of
their
life­
cycle
on
a
cradle­
to­
cradle
basis:
the
sourcing
of
their
materials,
their
manufacturing
or
production,
their
distribution,
use,
and
ultimate
end­
of­
life
disposition.
Source
­
Better
World
Travel]
...
offer
hybrid/
alternatively
fueled/
highly
efficient
vehicles?

Food/
Beverage
Does
the
food
and
beverage
service
provider
you
are
considering...
...
offer
the
use
of
reusable,
rather
than
disposable,
linens,
flatware,
glassware,
etc.?
...
donate
surplus
food
to
local
shelters,
soup
kitchens,
food
banks,
etc.?

Promotion/
Marketing/
Registration
and
Exhibitions
Have
you
maximized
opportunities
to...
...
use
electronic
communication
over
paper
as
often
as
possible?
...
reduce,
reuse,
recycle,
and
purchase
recycled­
content/
energy­
efficient/
environmentally
preferable
products?

Expanded
List
#
1
Location
­
Select
locations
that,
on
average,
minimize
the
distance
the
attendees
have
to
travel.
­
Select
locations
where
the
facilities
needed
for
your
meeting
are
all
accessible
to
each
other,
the
airport,
and
local
attractions
by
mass
transportation
options.
­
Get
a
sense
of
the
availability
of
green
services
in
cities
under
consideration.
Some
cities
or
regions
of
the
country
are
further
along
in
their
awareness
and
protection
of
the
environment
and
will
make
it
easier
for
you
to
green
your
meeting.

#
2
Accommodations
­
Select
accommodations
that
allow
for
efficient
transportation
routes
(
walking
paths,
bicycle
paths,
public
transportation).
­
Choose
a
hotel
that
has
energy
and
water
conservation
programs,
including:
automatic
controls
for
the
HVAC
system;
fluorescent
lighting
and
automatic
lighting
controls;
and
low­
flow
taps,
showerheads,
and
toilets.
­
Make
certain
that
there
are
recycling
and
waste
minimization
programs
in
place.
Specifically,
find
out
what
items
are
recycled.
Are
recycling
bins
placed
in
all
guestrooms?
­
Donate
used
amenities
(
soap,
bottles,
etc.)
to
charitable
organizations
or
recycle
them.
­
Give
hotel
guests
the
option
to
reuse
towels
and
sheets.
­
Utilize
paperless
check­
in,
checkout,
and
billing
procedures
to
minimize
use
of
paper.

#
3
Transportation
­
Locate
meetings
and
accommodations
within
walking
distance
of
each
other
and
area
restaurants
and
attractions,
so
excessive
car
travel
is
minimized.
­
Provide
shuttle
services
between
meetings,
accommodations,
and
restaurants
to
minimize
car
and
taxi
trips
if
walking
isn't
feasible.
#
4
Food
&
Beverage
­
Consider
cloth
instead
of
paper
napkins,
and
reusable
plates,
cups,
and
silverware
instead
of
disposables.
­
Serve
sugar,
creamers,
and
condiments
in
reusable
dishes
rather
than
packets.
­
Consider
providing
drinking
water
in
pitchers
or
large
reusable
containers
instead
of
small
plastic
bottles.
­
Donate
surplus
food
when
possible
to
local
shelters
and
food
banks.

#
5
Meeting
Facilities
­
Look
for
facilities
that
invite
meeting
attendees
to
share
in
energy
conservation
and
waste
reduction
efforts­
for
example,
by
reducing
paper
towels,
supporting
use
of
soap
dispensers
versus
individual
soaps,
avoiding
waste,
and
participating
in
recycling
programs.
­
Look
for
meeting
rooms
with
recycling
bins,
posted
with
a
list
of
all
items
that
can
be
recycled.
­
Put
recycling
containers
in
visible
locations
at
entrances
to
halls
and
in
the
pre­
function
area.
Let
attendees
know
that
recycling
containers
will
be
available.
Place
visible
signage
instructing
delegates
as
to
what
is
and
is
not
recyclable.
Put
additional
containers
in
hotel
lobbies
near
checkout
areas.

#
6
Exhibitions
­
Use
signage
that
is
reusable
whenever
possible.
­
Reduce
paper
use
by
putting
floor
plans
and
exhibitor
service
kit
items
on
your
Web
site
when
practical
(
and/
or
the
decorator's
Web
site).
­
Work
with
the
shipping
firm
and
decorator
to
minimize
packing
materials
and
to
use
recyclable
and
other
environmentally
preferable
shipping
and
packing
materials.
­
Incorporate
community
service
into
the
exhibition.
Ask
exhibitors
to
donate
leftover
flowers,
giveaways
such
as
trinkets,
pencils,
or
T­
shirts,
or
other
booth
decorations
or
items
that
would
normally
be
thrown
away
to
local
shelters,
hospitals,
or
schools.
Set
up
areas
for
exhibitors
to
drop
off
reusable
items
at
the
end
of
the
show.
­
Discourage
exhibitors
from
bringing
large
quantities
of
material
to
the
show,
which
often
end
up
in
the
trash
because
exhibitors
don't
want
to
ship
unused
conference
materials
back
at
the
end
of
the
show.
Encourage
exhibitors
to
bring
small
quantities
and
then
mail
materials
to
clients
from
their
offices
after
the
show
or
refer
clients
to
their
Web
site.
Also,
useful
environmentally
responsible
gifts
are
preferable
to
items
that
will
be
discarded
at
the
end
of
the
show.

#
7
General
Office
Practices
and
Communications
­
Reduce
paper
by
allowing
attendees
to
register
online.
Confirm
registration
by
e­
mail
when
possible.
­
Recycle
paper
inserts
and
plastic
badges.
­
Use
double­
sided
copies.
­
Print
marketing
and
registration
materials
(
whenever
possible)
on
recycled
paper
using
soy­
based
ink.
­
Promote
electronic
distribution
instead
of
printed
handouts
to
reduce
paper
usage.
­
Encourage
use
of
electronic
presentations
and
distributing
disk
handouts
to
eliminate
paper
waste.
­
Do
not
use
mailing
lists
that
have
not
been
maintained.
A
mailing
list
more
than
2
years
old
is
usually
unreliable.
­
Provide
information
about
the
meeting
and
destination
to
potential
attendees
and
allow
them
to
register
via
e­
mail.
­
Set
up
a
system
for
making
photocopies
on
demand
instead
of
over­
printing
materials.
­
Post
minutes
or
other
handouts
on
the
Internet,
or
circulate
them
electronically
after
the
meeting.

EPA's
Purchasing
Tool
Suite
EPA's
EPP
Program
has
developed
the
following
Web­
based
tools
to
help
purchasers
consider
the
environment,
along
with
price
and
performance,
when
buying
a
product
or
service.

Database
of
Environmental
Information
for
Products
and
Services
 
A
searchable
database
of
product­
specific
information
(
e.
g.,
environmental
standards
and
guidelines
or
contract
language)
developed
by
government
programs,
both
domestic
and
international,
as
well
as
third
parties.
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
database.
htm>

Promising
Practices
Guide
for
Greener
Contracts
 
A
series
of
short
case
studies
highlighting
successful
strategies
for
incorporating
environmental
factors
into
a
variety
of
product
and
service
contracts.
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
ppg>

General
EPP
Training
Tool
 
Covers
basic
EPP
principles
and
mandates,
along
with
some
more
in­
depth
applications
of
EPP,
in
an
entertaining
and
multimedia
format.
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
gentt/>

Tips
for
Buying
Green
with
the
Government
Credit
Card
 
Tips
to
help
government
credit
card
holders
make
greener
choices
when
buying
products,
such
as
electronics.
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
creditcard.
htm>

Resources
Fairmont
Hotels
&
Resorts
EcoMeet
Program
http://
www.
fairmont.
com
Fairmont
Hotels
&
Resorts
is
one
of
the
largest
luxury
hotel
company
in
North
America
and
has
developed
an
environmental
program
recognized
as
the
most
comprehensive
in
the
North
American
hotel
industry.
The
EcoMeet
Program
is
a
product
option
designed
specifically
for
meeting
planners
that
allows
them
to
order
a
readymade
green
meeting
when
organizing
through
the
Fairmont
Hotel
chain.
All
of
the
greening
initiatives
available
at
the
Fairmont
Hotels
are
automatically
incorporated
into
the
meeting
events
when
this
"
EcoMeet
Program"
is
chosen.
Greening
initiatives
include,
but
are
not
limited
to,
transportation
alternatives,
environmentally
friendly
meals
and
meeting
facilities,
and
incorporating
environmental
educational
opportunities
for
meeting
attendees.

Oceans
Blue
Foundation
http://
www.
oceansblue.
org
Oceans
Blue
Foundation
(
OBF)
was
the
first
to
develop
guidelines
for
green
meetings
and
has
since
developed
a
primer
to
provide
guidance
on
applying
environmentally
sustainable
principles
in
the
meetings
and
conventions
industry.
These
tools
are
designed
for
use
by
planners,
suppliers,
and
delegates
of
meetings,
conventions,
conferences,
and
trade
shows,
as
well
as
by
the
operators
of
the
facilities
that
hold
such
events.
OBF
now
will
work
with
EPA
and
other
international
stakeholders
to
develop
a
Web­
based
tool
to
help
meeting
planners
plan
green
meetings.

Green
Seal
­
Environmental
Standard
for
Lodging
Properties,
GS­
33
http://
www.
greenseal.
org
Green
Seal
is
an
independent,
nonprofit
organization
dedicated
to
protecting
the
environment
by
promoting
the
manufacture
and
sale
of
environmentally
responsible
consumer
products.
Green
Seal
sets
environmental
standards
and
awards
a
Green
Seal
of
Approval
to
products
that
Green
Seal
evaluates
as
causing
less
harm
to
the
environment
than
other
similar
products.
Green
Seal
has
partnered
with
the
lodging
industry,
the
nation's
second­
largest
employer,
to
support
ecotourism.
Its
campaign
to
educate
hotels
and
motels
focuses
on
how
environmental
efforts
improve
the
bottom
line
and
benefit
the
environment.
Green
Seal
received
wide
input
from
the
lodging
industry
on
its
Environmental
Standard
for
Lodging
Properties.
Green
Seal
also
has
certified
lodging
properties
in
Pennsylvania
and
Washington,
D.
C.
Government
employees
are
encouraged
to
stay
in
certified
properties
when
they
travel
on
official
business,
and
government
meetings
are
encouraged
to
use
these
facilities.

The
Coalition
for
Environmentally
Responsible
Economies
(
CERES)
Green
Hotel
Initiative
http://
www.
ceres.
org/
about/
Programs/
ghoverview.
html
The
Coalition
for
Environmentally
Responsible
Economies
(
CERES)
is
a
nonprofit
coalition
of
investors,
public
pension
funds,
foundations,
religious
and
public
interest
groups,
and
labor
unions
working
in
partnership
with
companies
toward
the
common
goal
of
corporate
environmental
responsibility
worldwide.
CERES
convened
a
network
of
environmental
organizations,
governmental
entities,
and
businesses
that
advocate
corporate
responsibility
to
initiate
a
collaborative
project
to
promote
environmentally
friendly
hotels.
The
initiative
will
encourage
corporate
and
government
purchasers
to
ask
for
greener
hotels
as
part
of
their
business
travel,
creating
an
incentive
for
more
hotels
to
"
go
green."

Hotel
Association
of
Canada
­
Green
Leaf
Eco­
Rating
Program
http://
www.
hotels.
ca/
programs/
index.
html
Founded
in
1913,
the
Hotel
Association
of
Canada
(
HAC)
is
the
national
organization
representing
the
accommodation
industry
in
Canada.
Its
membership
encompasses
the
provincial
and
territorial
hotel
associations,
the
corporate
hotel
chains,
independent
hotels,
motels
and
resorts,
and
the
many
suppliers
to
the
hotel
industry.
Their
objective
is
to
assist
both
our
national
and
international
members
as
they
enhance
their
competitiveness
and
improve
their
bottom
line.
HAC
has
developed
and
maintained
the
Green
Leaf
Eco­
Rating
Program
for
the
Canadian
hotel
industry.
The
program
involves
a
graduated
rating
system
designed
to
recognize
hotels,
motels,
and
resorts
committed
to
improving
their
environmental
performance.
The
program
recognizes
a
hotel's
achievements
through
the
award
of
one
to
five
Green
Leafs;
one
leaf
is
given
for
a
basic
commitment
to
environmental
principles,
and
two
through
five
leaves
are
awarded
for
specific
results
achieved.
NW
Pollution
Prevention
Resource
Center
­
Hospitality
Sector
http://
www.
pprc.
org/
pprc/
pubs/
topics/
hosptlty.
html
Meeting
Professionals
International
­
Green
Meeting
Task
Force
http://
www.
mpiweb.
org/
resources/
greenmeetings/
default.
htm
The
Green
Hotel
in
the
Green
Mountain
State
Program
http://
www.
vtgreenhotels.
org
EPA's
Green
Conference
Initiative
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
greenmeetings/
EPA
developed
the
Green
Conference
Initiative
to
provide
meeting
planners
and
suppliers
of
meeting
services
with
easy
access
to
green
options
and
opportunities
for
meeting
planning.
The
goal
of
this
initiative
is
to
develop
a
"
one­
stop
shop"
at
which
meeting
planning
and
service
providers
can
gather
information
on
the
topic
of
green
meetings.
The
information
is
meant
to
help
planners
request­
and
suppliers
provide­
green
options
for
meeting
planning.
The
Web
site
includes
a
checklist
of
opportunities
that,
when
applied,
minimize
the
environmental
impacts
of
holding
meetings;
contract
language
for
obtaining
greener
meeting
planning/
support
services;
and
links
to
information
on
other
related
initiatives.