What is Green Events?
The Green Events team provides free zero-waste consulting services and recycling and composting services to student organizations planning events or meetings on campus. In 2023 we diverted over 2,000 pounds of recyclables and compostables from the landfill!
Our goal is to reduce waste and educate our community about sustainability and environmental awareness by helping orgs plan Low Waste Events.
We are always open to coming up with creative solutions to help our community reduce its environmental footprint by advocating zero-waste practices!
What does “Zero Waste” mean?
Zero waste is the practice of sending as little waste to the landfill as possible. This is done by reducing the consumption of single-use goods and opting for materials that can be recycled or composted. UT Austin is committed to diverting as much of their waste from the landfill as possible.
What does the process look like?
- Schedule a consultation with us. Fill out a form for an event and/or recurring meetings.
- We help you with planning and logistics. We’ll help you choose sustainable products, vendors, and methods of advertising.
- You order supplies for your event. Order supplies for your event as you normally would, but taking our sustainable recommendations into account. You can also review our prices to purchase our compostable products. We offer materials at wholesale prices and at no profit for ourselves — our goal is to make these as accessible to you as possible!
- We show up with recycling and compost bins. On the day of the event, we will show up with recycling and compost bins along with signage. We also hope to educate your event attendees on the importance of waste diversion!
- If you would like more details, please check out our thorough checklist for Student Orgs
Check out UT’s New Sustainable Catering Database!
The Office of Sustainability at UT Austin has put together a resource with all the restaurants in Austin that offer sustainable options ranging from plant-based options to compostable packaging. Green Events encourages student organizations to use this database when deciding food vendors for their events. Check out the database on the Office of Sustainability’s website here.
Why should my org get involved with Green Events?
- It’s free and easy. All you have to do is schedule a consultation and we’ll figure it out from there.
- You’ll make an impact. In 2023, all of the orgs we worked with helped divert over 2,000 pounds of recyclables and compostables from the landfill!
- It will help your org. Hosting a Green Event helps to create an Earth-friendly image for your organization, improves environmental consciousness within UT, and connects you with the rest of the campus sustainability community.
Service for Events
Planning a big event? We’d love to help make it zero-waste! Click the button below to request service for one-time events.
Request an event consultation
We prefer requests to be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of the event.
Service for Recurring Meetings
If your student org serves food or produces other kinds of waste during regular meetings, we can help you implement zero-waste practices to reduce your environmental footprint. Click the button below to request service for recurring meetings or events.
Campus Environmental Center 