As we transition back to hosting in-person events, prioritising sustainability is at the forefront of our minds. We are actively implementing initiatives aimed at reducing our carbon footprint and consistently brainstorming ways to enhance the environmental friendliness of our events in the future.
What we're doing at the moment:
- Digital programmes/Event app's to cut down on our paper and energy usage
- Avoiding red meat as much as possible and favouring vegetarian and vegan options when choosing food for our events
- Selecting food options and service styles that minimise food waste, with surplus food being donated to charity where we can.
- Recycling names tags and lanyards
- Avoiding laminating posters to reduce plastic use and recycling as much as we can
- Avoiding use of disposable cups and cutlery where possible
- Encouraging delegates to bring/use refillable water bottles
- Working with our venues to reduce waste
- Using digital signage at the venue to reduce paper usage
- Alongside UKSG, the SEC catering team is committed to using a minimum of 80% Scottish-sourced, seasonal food, grown by producers using sustainable and responsible agriculture processes, with remaining food going to anaerobic digestion or foods charities. While aiming for 100% reusable or recyclable packaging.
- The SEC have on behalf of the UKSG Conference 2023 contributed to the tree for Life charity to restore the wild forest of the Caledonian Forest, to learn more visit
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What we're focusing in improving long-term:
- Working with partners to reduce the amount of merchandise at our events or opting for eco-friendly options and considering longevity of giveaways.
- Reducing food waste.
While we acknowledge that there is still lots of progress to be made, we welcome your suggestions for future events.