Can we achieve sustainable international meetings?
Céline Vidal, VICS 4th workshop, Cambridge, UK, 13 - 16 April 2019
At every conference and meeting I attended recently I have been concerned by the absurd amount of waste produced and the general lack of sustainability. A lot of us fly from all over the world to discuss climate change issues. Does this make sense? When organizing the VICS 2019 group workshop last spring at the University of Cambridge, I pictured a more sustainable meeting. Easier said than done. Stepping out of the classic options for food or name badges is more time consuming, sometimes more expensive, and definitely puzzling in making sustainable choices. Even with trying to have a non-biased definition of sustainability, it did require questioning the all production chain from A to Z, and searching if the material used is sustainable, where it is manufactured, if it is organic, etc.
Plastic-free nametags
When searching for eco-friendly nametags, simple and more exotic options popped up, such as wooden engraved, printed plantable seeded paper, or upcycled plastic. Most of them were pricey, or needed to be shipped from the US or Australia to the UK. With a limited budget, the best option was to print names on thick paper and clip badges directly to the lanyards, hoping they would resist three days – which almost happened. Badges can then be recycled and lanyards, much less sustainable, reused.
Plant-based food
Because of the location, the size, and the budget of the meeting, organic and locally sourced food was impossible to achieve. Choosing plant-based food was probably the most debated sustainable decision, yet strongly encouraged by the sustainable initiative of the University. It was challenging to find a caterer who would provide enough food diversity for three lunches, including dessert options. Yet, it was probably easier in the UK with the recent surge of veganism than in other countries. The total cost was cheaper than a non-veggie meeting. We had a plant-based food truck serving for the icebreaker, and a vegetarian three-course meal dinner – where the plant-based options were slightly less exciting.
Recycling single use plastic
From the sugar poaches to stirrers, it is difficult to reduce the waste created at coffee breaks and lunches. It certainly required more effort and support staff to clean the coffee cups and glasses after each coffee break, and we occasionally used paper cups. The plastic wrappings for the biscuits were recycled. Lunches were packed and served in entirely compostable packaging.
We did not achieve a 100% sustainable meeting, and these efforts may appear useless when considering the environmental impact of flying to the meeting for three days. Shall we consider carbon offsetting to the delegates or include it in the registration fee? Although it is still a work in progress, we hope we inspired future PAGES events.