Are Trade Shows Worth the Waste? Maybe, if They Can Cut Down on It
by Tom Szaky of TerraCycle, Trenton NJ 
on 12.23.08
Image courtesy Eco Gift Festival
Did you know the tradeshow industry is second only to the construction industry in the amount of waste it generates? Garbage from discarded packaging, samples, handouts and more piles up for days creating countless tons of unused of garbage! So, as someone deeply into reducing waste, I’ve been drawn away from participating. A few weekends ago, though, I actually had a great trade show experience, and my views have shifted.
Over the years, I’ve done my share of trade shows, and I’ve never liked them. When I added up the time and energy, not to mention costs of the booth, travel, hotel and all of the freebies we’d end up giving away, it rarely seemed to make sense. Sure, consumer and trade shows are a great way to speak with thousands of potential customers directly, and it’s got to work (for more than the organizers) as companies keep returning to their annual shows (and it can’t just be for the parties). Having found other ways to more effectively reach TerraCycle’s customers and communicate our message, and given that traditionally trade shows have been an environmental disaster, I’ve mostly given up on the medium.
Earlier this month, I spoke at a unique event called Eco Gift in Santa Monica, CA. Unlike most shows, Eco Gift set the lofty goal of being Zero Waste! The event featured 100’s of environmentally responsible companies showing off their products and services. Once I agreed to speak, and given the trade show’s environmental commitments, I decided to have TerraCycle participate as well. Zero Waste at a trade show is nearly impossible without putting serious restrictions on what vendors can bring. Despite all the challenges, Eco Gift was able to get to nearly 90 percent waste-free!
Eco Gift sets up some very cool Resource Recovery Stations to help divert every piece of material that could be reused or recycled. The stations included a bin for traditional recycling, a bin for composting and a bin for non-recyclable materials. Because many vendors and consumers might not know the difference between recyclable and compostable, they actually trained volunteers to stand by the Resource Recovery Stations to help people get their material to the right bin. I loved Eco Gift’s efforts and organization in trying to tackle an issue with many moving parts.
As both an environmentalist and an entrepreneur, trade shows represent an interesting dilemma that I want to raise with the TreeHugger community. Is it environmentally irresponsible to participate in consumer and trade shows unless they make a zero-waste commitment like that of Eco Gift? If so, if you participate in trade shows, even as a day visitor, will you take steps to require higher standards of the shows you attend? Or does a company’s well-intended end justify environmentally questionable means? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Great article. Many in the hospitality industry are aware of this issue and are taking steps to be more responsible and progressive. I am an Event Planning Entrepreneur based in New Orleans and recently did a presentation for ISES (International Society of Event Specialist) on Greening Your Next Event. The seminar was well attended and the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau has a Green Task Force which I am a member of. Steps are being taken to be more holistic and environmentally responsible on a macro level. New Orleans has some issues citywide with recycling and I am hoping that TerraCycle will bring their environmental expertise and entrepreneurism to New Orleans. There are many of us who do our part by composting and paying for recycling but we need more expertise. New Orleans is leading the way in green architecture we should be leading the way in recycling.
I am embarrassed to say I never thought about this. Although I will not boycott conferences and trade shows I attend, I will direct the organizers (as well as co-attenders and exhibitors) to your article with the suggestion that they make zero waste a goal, and I will become more conscientious about which materials I accumulate, and about recycling those I discard.
Thank you for opening my eyes and helping me take the next step down the green path.
Kate
The factoid cited is a zinger -- that trade shows are the second-most wasteful industry. Trouble is, it isn't true. This tasty soundbite, which was actually made up, was debunked by Travis Stanton, managing editor of Exhibitor Magazine. See his editorial here.
So, while there is no EPA ranking of wasteful industries that list trade shows, they certainly do create a lot of waste. However, trade shows are getting the message and figuring out ways to divert more waste from landfills (Moscone Center in San Francisco even has a person responsible just for recycling). And exhibitors are getting smarter about sending less stuff that ends up in the trash, although that is as much prompted by tight budgets as green concerns.
As the first poster said, the industry is aware and making changes. As a potential attendee or exhibitor, please don't bail on the show, call them instead, and ask them what they are doing to make their event more environmentally sustainable. That will accelerate their change.
Trade shows also have a large carbon footprint, when travel to and from the show is considered. But consider how many flights are prevented by a trade show when exhibiting companies get to meet face-to-face with multiple clients in one location, rather than flying around the country to meet them.
Skyline Exhibits co-sponsored a white paper about the greening of the exhibit industry, called "An Inconvenient Booth" which can be asked for here.
Great article!
Conference and meeting venues are something that needs further education. This starts with the Hospitality Industry and Event PLanners.
I also work with many in the Hospitality Industry, including the Nicolas J Pirro Convention Center here in Syracuse, NY. We help green up conferences and meetings by composting the food waste (pre and post consumer) and any other recyclable carbon products that can be utilized. We have had so much sucess that I have been asked to compost for a conference that is a yearly event for the second year!
Worm Wishes (oops! I mean, Warm Wishes)
Brenda
I am happy to read this post. I live in Los Angeles and, being in the target market, heard about this event a few times and have to say the immediate thought that came into my head was that it sounded like greenwashing and would surely miss the point. Glad to hear I was wrong and next year, I'll try to ride my bike there.
I have done many Trade Shows and I can tell you that the waste is not relegated to pamphlets and boxes.
From moment one they are all about waste.
In a barren exhibition space, brand new carpet is brought in and laid out. Then it is covered in thick plastic so as to not ruin it while the exhibitors are coming in.
Then the large exhibitors come in with their huge crates and shrink wrapped pallets that wind up in the trash.
...and then the plastic is removed from on top of the carpet, releasing all of the gasses that were trapped while the carpet breathed for the first time. ..and that plastic goes straight into the dumpster.
Some exhibits can produce more waste than a McDonalds in one day before they see a single patron take a pamphlet.