WUF3 GREENING INITIATIVE:
Guidelines for Greening Side Events

As an organizer or coordinator of WUF3 side events, you have the opportunity to play a vital role in making WUF3 and your side event sustainable. Below is a list of suggested actions that you can take to organize your event in accordance with good environmental practices.

1. Request that venue managers provide adequate recycling bins in conveniently located areas and encourage event participants to recycle glass, plastics, aluminum and paper.
2. As an alternative to printing materials for distribution at your event, consider posting information on the Web, burning information on a CD, providing participants with a memory stick with relevant information, e mailing information to participants or making information available for download via a USB port at the event.
3. When printing is required, ask your printing company to print double-sided on chlorine-free, recycled paper, with a high post-consumer content. To calculate environmental savings, please visit the Neenah Paper online Environmental Savings Calculator at: http://www.neenahpaper.com/ENVIRONMENT/index.asp?ft=Home.
4. When print materials need to be communicated in more than one language, print a smaller number of separate versions for each language rather than printing a larger number of much longer bilingual or multilingual versions.
5. Ask that caterers:
   • Provide organic, fair trade and locally produced food and beverages whenever possible for your event. The following link may assist caterers in identifying appropriate suppliers: http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/
   • Avoid using disposable dishes, cutlery, straws, stir-sticks, napkins, etc. for coffee breaks or meals.
   • Avoid single-serve containers for food, water and condiments; provide them in bulk form.
6. Ask that surplus usable food be donated to local Vancouver charities. The following are two local charities that will pick up food donations:
   

   Union Gospel Mission
   616 East Cordova, Vancouver
   Phone : 604-253-3323

   Food Runners
   1150 Raymur Ave, Vancouver
   Phone: 604-834-7457

7. If applicable, when planning gifts for participants, consider providing gifts that are durable, minimally packaged, made from recycled materials (e.g. mugs or tote bags made from recycled plastic), and produced locally if available.

8. Whenever possible, use reusable dry-mark erasable boards, overheads, or slides instead of paper flipcharts.
9. Inform event participants of the environmental objectives and encourage their participation
10. Encourage participants to walk, bike or to take public transit to your event by providing them with street maps or information on sky train and/or bus routes.

THE FIRST STEPS TOWARD GLOBAL CHANGE START WITH US
YOU CAN HELP TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!