Photo (top): Photographer: Portretmaker
1. Reduce waste
Weddings can generate quite a bit of waste—from packaging and flowers to leftover food, and more. Reduce waste by choosing reusable or recyclable products or materials, and/or encourage couples to donate leftover food and flowers afterwards.
2. Choose sustainable products
Opt for sustainable alternatives such as recycled paper for printed materials, potted plants as decor, and reusable water bottles or tote bags as gifts. As a caterer or florist, for example, you can choose to work exclusively (or mainly) with local and seasonal products.
3. Use sustainable packaging
Brussels Environment appointed a facilitator to advise and support you in replacing single-use plastics and disposable packaging. Through the helpdesk, they answer your questions and help you find alternatives—such as dishwashing services, deposit systems, suppliers of reusable packaging, and more.
4. Work with local wedding suppliers
With local partners, you reduce your CO2 footprint by limiting long-distance travel and support the local economy. Thanks to our website feature, you can easily filter suppliers by region.
5. Go digital
Try to go completely paper-free by using email, online planning tools, and other digital communication methods.
6. Focus on sustainable event mobility
Sustainable mobility significantly reduces your ecological footprint. Mobility is even responsible for 80% of an event’s ecological footprint. Encourage your staff (and couples or guests) as much as possible to carpool, use public transport, or even come to weddings by bike. Provide directions or a shuttle service when large groups need to travel.
You can find more tips in this practical guide from the Public Impact research centre of Karel de Grote University of Applied Sciences. Also opt for environmentally friendly transport for yourself.
7. Avoid “greenwashing”
When you communicate about your sustainable actions, pay close attention to the commercial claims you make. You want to avoid misleading environmental claims—and therefore greenwashing (washing green, or presenting yourself as “greener” than a company really is)—at all times. Read more about this in the CommToZero guide by ACC Belgium. It’s complex, but absolutely worth diving into.
Explore the CommToZero website for more information about greenwashing and ways to bring your CO2 emissions down to zero, including their Carbon Calculator.
Here’s to weddings that are unforgettable—and sustainable too. Best of luck! 🌿
Could you please let us know which sustainable solutions your company offers? If so, we’ll highlight you in our articles!
Tip: subscribe to the newsletter of Event Confederation. They often share tips on working more sustainably and provide interesting news and updates on Belgian legislation relevant to the event sector.
Would you like access to more insights and training from PRO Collective? Log in here. Not yet a partner of House of Weddings? Join via this link for access to our entire Academy, Community, and networking events!
