OUR COMMUNITY MAPPING REPORT
We have interviewed a total of 7 organisers of mass campus events from Ngee Ann Polytechnic and found out about their views as well as the initiatives that were implemented to reduce the carbon footprint of their events. The following is what we have gathered:
VIEWS ON INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY
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All of the interviewees agreed on the importance of making their events more sustainable
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All of them expressed that there are restrictions that are refraining them from doing so
CURRENT EFFORTS TO REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF EVENTS
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Utilisation of recycled materials (cardboard and plastic bottles) as logistics during camps
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Use of backdrops instead of booths for various diplomas during Open House
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Use of school’s social media accounts and e-brochures to promote events
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Reduction in giving out of leaflets to promote diplomas during Open House
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Requirement for student helpers to purchase their own food during Freshmen Orientation
LIMITATIONS TO PLANNING GREEN EVENTS
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All of them stated that they are constrained by budget
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All of them stated that they are constrained by the ease of implementation (venue availability and logistics)
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6 out of 7 interviewees stated that they are constrained by time
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2 out of 7 interviewees stated that they have to take into considerations of the needs of their target audience
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2 out of 7 interviewees stated that it is hard to break out of the current culture of how mass campus events are operated (where sustainability of events is not a top concern)
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1 out of 7 of the interviewees stated that most of the decisions are made by students who have little concerns on the impact of wastage on the environment
3 MAIN SOURCES OF WASTE
FOOD & BEVERAGES
Factors considered for food and beverages
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Taste
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Quantity
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Nutrition
RESTRICTIONS of reducing carbon footprint from Food and beverages
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Difficult to estimate the attendance of the event itself
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Multiple stakeholders (other than event planners) are required to make the final decision
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Lack of emphasis on food wastage within event organisers
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Lack of knowledge on measures to handle food wastage and its packagings
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Difficult to break out of the current system and introduce the culture of being environmentally conscious
PROVISION OF DOOR GIFTS
Factors considered for provision of door gifts
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Current trends
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Design
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Attractiveness (ability to appeal to students)
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Significance and relations to event
RESTRICTIONS of reducing carbon footprint from door gifts
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Competitiveness of Door Gifts against other schools
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Lack of awareness on ways to reduce carbon footprint from door gifts
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Lack of effort in exploring more sustainable solutions
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Needs of having Door Gifts as a means to welcome guests
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Budget constraints
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Physical gifts have a more personal touch compared to virtual gifts
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Factors considered for marketing and communications
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Accessibility of information for all ages
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Scale of outreach
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Convenience of getting information
RESTRICTIONS of reducing carbon footprint from marketing and communications
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Organisers do not have the power to make final decisions (while they are in charge of the event, they have to ask for permission for implementations)
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Hard to break out of the current system and change the culture suddenly
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Difference in marketing objectives for different events
In conclusion, we found that the majority of event organisers feel a need to reduce the carbon footprint of mass campus events. However, the root cause of why there has yet to be concise measures in place to do so is the lack of awareness on the severity of this issue and the importance of it. Furthermore, due to their considerations for the different aspects of the event, the vast majority of them just want to focus on making their event a successful one. Thus, we have created this toolkit to address the three main issues, respectively Food and Beverages, Provision of Door Gifts, and Marketing and Communications; while also working around their limitations. The remaining parts of this toolkit provides hassle-free measures that are easy to follow, to reduce the carbon footprint of mass campus events.
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