Meeting Manager Michelle Horton, CMP, of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) has quite a few greening requirements in her RFPs - and she aims high. After all, ESA was founded nearly 100 years ago as an organization of scientists dedicated to raising the public's level of awareness of ecological science and ensuring its appropriate use in environmental decision-making. Today, ESA's 9,700 members conduct research, teach, and use ecological science to address environmental issues.

This is obviously a group of attendees who will notice if their meetings stay true to their mission. While she usually doesn't get venues to agree to all the green considerations on her list, Horton reports that she is finding them to be increasingly cooperative, especially with recycling efforts. Some of the society's green requirements continue to get pushback from some convention centers, such as its policy banning bottled water at meetings. The members want drinking water to be served in large containers rather than individual plastic bottles (which often end up in landfills), but some convention centers maintain that water pitchers are less sanitary because the water sits out for extended periods of time.

ESA gives priority to those centers that can comply with the bottled water ban, as well as those that adhere to the following waste-reducing measures:

• no Styrofoam for any food/beverage functions or outlets ‰ recycling programs (with collection bins) for glass, aluminum, steel cans, plastic bottles, table coverings, pallets, paper (newspaper, cardboard, and other office paper), and grease
• paper bathroom supplies with a minimum of 35 percent post-consumer recycled paper
• environmentally responsible cleaning products for carpets, floors, kitchens, and bathrooms
• china service or biodegradable disposable service provided at no additional cost
• no polystyrene #6 plastic
• condiments served in bulk, not individual servings
• cloth napkins or post-consumer recycled paper napkins 
• leftover food donated to a food bank
• all table scraps composted
• food sourced from sustainable farms.

Horton was thrilled that more than 400 of the 4,144 attendees at this year's meeting in San Jose chose to offset their carbon emissions - compared with only four attendees last year. The ESA meeting's registration form featured a check-off box to choose this option, and a list of preferred organizations for attendees' carbon offset contributions.

ESA provided attendees with annual meeting materials in a recycled envelope. Attendees were given several reg bag choices: to reuse the tote bag they received at last year's meeting, opt for no bag at all, or take a new bag from this year's meeting, made from 100 percent recycled polyester material woven from plastic bottles and some fabric scraps. Additionally, attendees received the annual meeting logo on a patch, which adhered to whichever tote bags they chose. Lanyards were made from EcoSpun polyester, created from 100 percent recycled soda bottles. Horton worked with GNP Specialties Inc. (www.gnpvalues.com) for these products and others.

The official conference program was printed using soy-based inks, on 100 percent recycled, 30 percent post-consumer paper. The number of pages in the program was also significantly reduced from years past. The exhibitor prospectus and the exhibitor decorator kit were distributed electronically, not as printed pieces. 

Peggy Swisher is Convene's managing editor.