How to Host a Green Event!
This Green Events Guide is designed to support UC Davis students, staff, and faculty in planning and hosting sustainable events on the Davis campus. It offers practical strategies for reducing environmental impact through waste reduction, energy efficiency, sustainable sourcing, and responsible transportation choices.
In addition to this guide, UC Davis Conference and Event Services is a valuable partner in coordinating successful campus events of all sizes. Their team provides comprehensive event planning support—including venue reservations, logistics coordination, and vendor guidance—they can also help integrate sustainability best practices into your event plans. For broader event planning information, visit their website for more information about campus policies, venue options, and planning tools.
Have more questions on how to make your event green? Email recycling@ucdavis.edu.
Green Event Promotions
Invitations & Promotion
- Reduce paper waste by using electronic invites and registration and promoting your event via social media, whiteboards, and projectors.
- Reduce printing by using QR codes to link to digital information and printing only on post-consumer recycled paper.
Informing Guests & Vendors
- Share your sustainability goals to guests and vendors.
- Reference sustainability guidelines, including the UC Davis Single-Use Plastic Policy, in vendor agreements.
Sustainable Food Choices
Catering
- Inform caterers about zero-waste goals and ask about zero-waste options.
- Reference UC Davis Food Sustainability Goals & Single-Use Plastic Policy.
- Opt for meals that don’t require utensils, like finger foods or sandwiches. Request plant-based meals as the default option.
- Reduce food waste by ordering for 80% of expected attendees, using a tool for estimating like Guestimator - Save The Food.
- Avoid individually packaged food or condiments.
- Order compostable dishware from the ASUCD Coffee House by emailing bgoldstene@ucdavis.edu.
Dishware & Beverages
- Use compostable or reusable dishware. UC Davis’ caterer, Olive & Vine, has options for both (See Olive & Vine Policies).
- Avoid single-use water bottles. Reference options for ordering water through Olive & Vine.
- Ask guests to bring reusable water bottles and direct them to refillable water stations.
Managing Leftovers
- Encourage guests to bring containers for leftovers.
- Donate excess food to the Food Recovery Network at UC Davis.
- Contact Food Recovery Network at least 2 weeks prior to the event.
Supporting Local
- Promote locally sourced and in-season produce.
- Refer to the UC Davis Food Sustainability Goals.
- Recommend the UC Davis Farmer’s Market.
Low-carbon Travel
Biking & Walking
- Encourage walking or biking to the event.
- Provide bike maps that highlight relevant bike routes and bike rack.
Public Transit & Carpooling
- Encourage Unitrans for local transit.
- Recommend the Causeway Connection Bus for travel between Davis and Sacramento.
- Suggest Yolobus for travel within Yolo County.
- Recommend carpooling for attendees.
- Plan travel during non-peak traffic hours to reduce emissions.
Electric Vehicles & Micromobility
- Direct electric vehicle users to campus charging stations.
- Encourage using Spin e-bikes and e-scooters.
Sustainable Lodging
Sustainable Lodging
- Recommend sustainable hotels.
- Use sustainability certification or green hotel filters in online hotel search engines:
Reducing Event Waste
Waste Reduction
- Minimize waste by avoiding disposable items, opting for reusable utensils, containers, and water bottles.
- Ask guests to bring reusables and provide extras for those who forget.
- Feature a designated area to collect event materials to store and reuse at future events (i.e. nametags, paper handouts, etc.).
Waste Infrastructure
- Provide recycling, compost, and landfill bins with educational signage.
- Remind guests how to sort their waste correctly.
- If you have questions, contact recycling@ucdavis.edu for access to free waste sorting training resources.
- Visit Sustainable UC Davis' Zero Waste page for additional guidance.
- Remove or reduce trash bins if all materials are recyclable or compostable.
- Place an online service request via UC Davis Facilities Management or contact them at (530) 752-1655.
- Recruit waste monitors and provide waste sorting training. Reach out to students involved in one of UC Davis' many environmental clubs. They may be willing to help!
Green Venue Selections
Venue Selection
- Prioritize outdoor venues in good weather to reduce energy needs.
- Book one of many LEED-certified rooms in campus buildings to reduce energy use.
- Make a room reservation via UC Davis Conference and Event Services.
Energy Efficiency
- Avoid planning your event during peak energy usage hours in the late afternoon.
- Take advantage of renewable energy by renting solar generators or solar light towers.
Eco-friendly Decor and Giveaways
Decorations
- Use reusable, natural, or compostable decorations.
- Email eventplanners-request@ucdavis.edu to request to borrow decorations from other event planners on campus.
- Consider using decorations that can be reused for other events.
- Offer plants or fruit baskets as centerpieces.
Durable Giveaways
- Provide durable, useful giveaways, e.g. produce bags, carabiners, reusable mugs, water bottles or utensils.
Case Study: ASUCD Whole Earth Festival
Whole Earth Festival
The free, student-run, ASUCD Whole Earth Festival attracts over 30,000 visitors annually to enjoy live music, local vendors and delicious food, all while being a "green," zero-waste event.
In 2002, the Whole Earth Festival formed the Whole Earth Reusables Cooperative, to provide festival-goers with the opportunity to eat their meals at the Whole Earth Festival off of reusable dishes. Rather than asking people to bring their own dishes and utensils, the Whole Earth Reusables Cooperative provides food vendors with dishes that are used, washed in a commercial dishwasher, and then reused over and over again. This program is also available to the community; event planners can rent their dishes. They own 13,663 dishes: 4,344 plates, 2,425 bowls, 1,232 cups and 5,662 utensils.
The festival strives to be zero waste by recycling, composting, and reusing everything they possibly can. With the help of their Compost and Recycling Coordinators and volunteers, all disposed materials are hand-sorted to see that they are properly recycled and/or composted. The Whole Earth Reusables Cooperative provides reusable dishware to minimize waste from single-use dishes and utensils. This reduces contributions to landfills, saves forests, prevents pollution, and saves on energy costs.
This UC Davis Green Events Guide was created by Zero Waste Coordinator Grae Mordhorst (Class of 2027) and inspired by UCLA’s Green Events Certification Guide