Greening the SLA Conference

What you can do to lighten the environmental impact of conference attendance

Presented at the 2008 SLA Leadership Summit, Louisville, Kentucky by the Environment & Resource

Management Division

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Purpose and history of this initiative• Inspired by keynote speech by Al Gore at SLA in

Denver 2007• ERMD board meeting (June 2007)

– Can we reduce the negative impact of our conference on the environment?

– Working group assembled• SLA Board Meeting (November 2007)• Launch of new Community of Practice (

http://cop.sla.org/COP/GreenConferenceInitiative/) • Extending the initiative beyond Seattle

– Future conferences and chapter/division events– SLA headquarters– Member libraries/organizations

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Some sobering statistics• Waste produced by a 5-day conference with

2500 attendees

90,000 cans/bottles75,000 drinking cups87,000 napkins

Society for Independent Show Organizers

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Travel tips• Fly non-stop flight to Seattle: Repeated takeoffs

and landings use more fuel and produce more emissions

• Rent a hybrid• Use public transportation http://transit.metrokc.gov/

• Calculate your carbon footprint and use offsets for conservation efforts– Carbinofy Calculator www.safecom.org.au/carbon.htm – Native Energy www.nativeenergy.com/pages/travel_calculator/30.php

– Offset your carbon emissions by purchasing a Green Tag www.greentagsusa.org/GreenTags/index.cfm

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At the Registration Desk• Reuse your badge holder

Reusing name badges and plastic holders for a conference of 1300 attendees can save approximately $900 [Society for Independent Show Organizers]

• Use your own tote bag

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In the Exhibition Hall• Services—massages, handwriting analysis,

charitable contributions— rather than “stuff”. Commend vendors who offer these alternatives already.

• If there MUST be giveaways – reusable water bottles reusable tote bags rather than plastic/glossy paper

office supplies

• NOT battery-operated flashing pins and pendants.

• Ask exhibitors to email their brochures6

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Accommodations• Use hotel green programs

Linen reuse programs in a 150-room hotel can save 6000 gallons of water and 40 gallons of detergent per month. (Green Suites International)

• Share a room

Uses fewer resources –Lighting

Air conditioning

Cleaning

Bonus benefit: Saves money!

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Meals• Promote more plant-based meals

– Livestock production is a major contributor to soil/water pollution via feedstock production and animal wastes

– Encourage those arranging receptions and meals to offer more choices of lighter fare (i.e., vegetarian and vegan options)

• Look for restaurants featuring locally-produced foods – Less fuel used for transport – Benefits local farmers, many of whom might have smaller,

more sustainable operations• Leftovers

– SLA HQ has advised ERMD that they work with food event planners to minimize food wastes. The Convention Center and hotel have a standing relationship with Fare Start Program—an organization that can provide usable leftover food to the needy in the area.

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Conference Sessions

• Post presentations on your division’s web site

• If there must be handouts – Multiple slides to a page

Double-sided copying

Recycled paper

• Off-site meetings within walking distance or accessible by public transportation

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More TipsReduce plastic container waste [eg. bottles and bags.]:

--Only 17 percent of discarded plastic bottles are recycled, leaving many more to pollute the environment. [See, Kobel, Peter (2008), “It’s Something in the Water,” available at http://www.friendsofanimals.org/actionline/winter-2007_08/Its_Something_in_the_Water.php & Sierra Club, Bottled Water: Learning the Facts and Taking Action (Feb. 2005), available at http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/cac/water/bottled_water/bottled_water.pdf ]

--Bring a reusable water bottle from home. If you forget, look for vendors offering them in the Exhibit Hall.

--Refill reusable travel sized containers from supplies at home, or switch to solids/refillable powders, i.e., shampoo/conditioner bars, for travel.

--Bring a reusable bag from home to carry items gathered from exhibits, rather than accumulating more plastic or non-recyclable bags at the conference

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After the Party: What to do when you get back home

• Keep badge holder and tote for next year’s conference

• Get presentations on Divisions’ web sites

• Use the Greening the Conference COP (http://cop.sla.org/COP/GreenConferenceInitiative) to suggest ideas for future conferences

• Apply concepts to local meetings

• Apply more environmentally-friendly practices to your work and home life

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Go to “Join/Visit Communities”& add “Green ConferenceInitiative”