festive meal
The ‘How to’ guide to a sustainable silly season
Whether you're hosting a family Christmas gathering, or going to a venue for a festive season event, don't despair about the carbon footprint it could potentially create. With a few simple changes to traditional event organising, your silly season gathering can be environmentally sustainable as well as a lot of fun.
By following these simple steps, you can reinforce your commitment to the environment as well as educate and inspire others to follow your example.
Venue
- Strive to make the event waste wise and climate neutral.
- Wherever possible, make sure the venue is easily accessible by public transport (and provide relevant public transport information to all guests).
- Provide recycling facilities and ask that food waste is collected for composting. Use recycled toilet paper.
- Discourage the use of individually wrapped candy canes/lollies and the use of bottled drinks to minimise waste.
- Discourage use of any disposable products – such as plastic plates. Where possible source only reusable, recyclable or compostable products.
Catering
There are many things to consider with catering. Use the following checklist when sourcing food for your festive event:- Use organic suppliers and/or fair trade products ideally sourced from local suppliers
- Find suppliers located close to the venue to reduce transport emissions
- Order fish selected from sustainable fish supplies (visit www.amcs.org.au)
- Avoid using excessive packaging and plastic bags
- Provide reusable crockery and cutlery
- Use recycled napkins
- Choose food that is fresh, healthy, seasonal and locally produced
- Always provide vegetarian options and, even though turkey and ham are Christmas staples for many families, minimise the amount of meat and animal products offered (due to their large energy and water footprint)
- Give any excess food to charity
Transport and Accommodation
- Encourage use of trains and buses rather than flights for interstate travel. Give adequate information of these options, including costs and booking details.
- For family members or guests coming from interstate for the festive season, encourage them to offset their car or air travel (or offset it yourself as a gift to them!).