Corporate Meetings Network describes water conservation as the “little black dress of the 21st century”: Anybody who’s anybody is conserving water! And for good reason: According to the EPA, 40 out of 50 states expect water shortages within some portion of their state by or before 2024. Sure, one event is small potatoes compared to an entire state, but reducing water use for your corporate event can still seem intimidating. Here are some great places to start:

Choose a water-efficient venue, i.e., a venue that uses water-efficient fixtures and appliances. Ditto your hotel choices.

No more pre-poured water at dinner. Ask waitstaff at your event to leave water pitchers on the table without pre-filling each individual glass. Pre-poured glasses often go untouched; this way, guests who want water can have it without the additional waste.

Bid farewell to post-dinner coffee. Likewise, ask your venue or caterer to omit the post-dinner round of coffee in favor of a beverage station with tea bags and high-quality instant coffee options. This way, the hot water can serve double duty — no need for multiple, wasteful carafes of coffee, which require thousands of litres of water to produce when farming, transportation and production are factored in.

Plastic: It’s clogging up our landfills and our oceans as we speak, and its creation carries a massive carbon footprint. To go plastic-free at your event consider:

Using non-disposable plates and cutlery. This one is easy: Your caterer or venue will be glad to provide sturdy, washable dinnerware that creates no plastic waste.

Eliminate the use of plastic cups for water or other beverages, and encourage guests to bring their own reusable water bottles or use glass cups.

Using plastic name-badge holders? Collect them after the event for reuse.

If your event includes vendors, ask them to use non-plastic packaging for their products and marketing materials.

Go strawless or use steel or glass straws. (They make great event swag!)

Disallowing helium balloons as event decor.

Your event’s menu is a wonderful place to make effective, eco-friendly changes. The meat and dairy industries are particularly fraught when it comes to their impact on the planet (and, of course, on animals,) so leaning toward plant-based dishes is a great start. Other ideas include:

Use locally-sourced ingredients.Supporting your local farmers and producers isn’t just a good business practice — it lessens your carbon’s footprint by cutting down on transportation.

Go organic. Organic produce has been grown without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and organic meat has been raised in living conditions suitable for their natural behaviors (like open field grazing,) fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones. Good for the animals = good for your plate!

Choose seasonal ingredients. By planning a menu that features in-season ingredients for your area, you are eliminating the need to ship in produce from other parts of the world — a process that leaves behind a massive carbon footprint. Besides, local, seasonal food just tastes better!

Think plant-based or pescatarian.Vegetable farming is less harmful to the environment than livestock farming, and vegetarian or vegan diets have a softer impact on Mother Earth and her inhabitants. If you’d like an animal-based protein on the menu, fish is the best option; while some varieties are dangerously overfished, like bluefin tuna and cod, an ethically-sourced fish like organic, farmed salmon can be a safe option.

Fair Trade Certified goods are produced in compliance with rigorous fair trade standards, which drive income sustainability, community and individual well-being, empowerment, and environmental stewardship in order to protect workers and the planet. Some items that can be sourced Fair Trade for your event include:

-Coffee & tea

-Chocolate

-Flowers

-Produce

-Seafood

-Nuts and seeds, including some snack bars

-Some decor, like candles etc.

Conferences, workshops and meetings can create a lot of paper waste, and unfortunately, not all of it gets recycled properly. 26 million tons of paper are added to landfills each year in the U.S. alone. But it’s surprisingly simple to make a difference by cutting back on your event’s paper waste. Try:

Eliminating paper hand-outs, sign-in sheets, etc. and opt instead for putting necessary information and presentations on USB drives.

Give out reusable totes instead of paper-based gift bags. The tote is part of the swag!

Replace paper signage with digital alternatives, and make the most of custom mobile apps, online ticketing sites and digital marketing.

This one might seem obvious, but are you aware of all the different means by which your event can reduce waste production? It’s not just about eliminating single-use plastics and non-recyclable products. Take advantage of ways to:

Reuse, like opting for reusable signs, wristbands, nametags, etc., not to mention reusable water bottles (no plastic, please!) and plates/cutlery.

Recycle, and not just via the recycling bin. Nearly every physical component of your event can be replaced with a recycled-materials version, from napkins to swag bags and beyond.

Compost, starting with choosing a venue that has a composting program or can accommodate compost bins.

Planes, trains, automobiles — they all produce emissions that harm our planet. Luckily, there are ways to minimize your event’s carbon footprint re: transportation. Consider:

Encouraging carpooling, including via rideshare programs like UberPool, Lyft Shared, and others. You may even establish a car-share option for attendees during smaller, multi-day events.

Ensure access to public transportation by choosing a venue close to bus and train lines.

If possible, consider hosting your event outdoors during the day. This uses significantly less energy than an indoor event (think lighting, heating and air conditioning, etc.) and may even be cheaper for you in the long run! Plus, a sustainable event that actually takes place in the great outdoors really drives home your commitment to green event design.