I was dismayed to recently find out that that the events industry (events, exhibits, and trade shows) is sited as the one of the most wasteful of all industries, second only to construction and demolition! It’s obvious that the events industry has a lot to learn about sustainability. Sustainability means taking more care in the materials we use, reuse, and how we dispose of them.
How can the events industry become less wasteful? Here are some trends that (when more of us follow them) will help to make us more ecologically responsible:
Use More Fabric
Fabric is a great alternative to hard walls and other materials. There are two important reasons to use fabric from the point of view of sustainability:
• Weight – Fabric is very lightweight; this means there less fuel is consumed in transport and less storage space required. Fabric structures are designed to break down, creating small packages for shipping and storage.
• Recycled Content – Recycled Fabric can be created from cotton, bamboo, water bottles, and other materials.
• Repurpose – Fabrics can be repurposed to become bags, insulation or other useful materials.
• Rent – Reusing fabric architecture through rental programs is an excellent way to recycle.
(Note: We as a group need to pressure our suppliers to make recycled fabric more readily available and give us more selection. When there is enough of a demand from the events industry for fabric created from recycled content, we will have more of these sustainable materials at our fingertips.)
Use Aluminum
The system for recycled content and recycling the waste through post consumer usage is already in place for aluminum and it is now often made from 90% recycled consumer goods. In tension fabric structures, fabrics are either tensioned on their own or they can be stretched over a frame. Aluminum tube frames are often used for this purpose. These aluminum frames also break down small for shipping, using less fuel in transport.
Repurpose
If you are in trade shows or events, think about the elements you are purchasing and what can you do with them afterwards. For instance, Pink Powered by Moss makes “Wave Walls” that are very popular as a stage set or entryway. The same walls could then repurposed as dividers for an office or a backdrop to a new product in your showroom. When clips are added these walls can become suspended forms. I love this concept.
Repurposing has endless options. It not only helps the environment, it helps the wallet, too!
Rent
Renting walls, stage set designs, tunnels, and entryways, is a great way to become more sustainable. Rent it and give it back. Then someone else can use it! It’s self-recycling!
(Our parent company, Moss, Inc. has implemented a fabric waste recycling program. Read about it here: http://www.mossinc.com/news/press-releases/moss-implements-fabric-waste-recycling-program.html)
In conclusion, using more fabric is a great way the events industry can become more sustainable. Fabric enables us to create any shape, is lightweight and easy to assemble and fabric structures can be rented, recycled, and repurposed. Aluminum can be recycled, too.
It’s time for the events industry to dissolve the “build and burn attitude” of yesteryear. Both in our personal lives and our work lives.
