Reducing the carbon footprint of community events
Introduction
Community events from street parties and village fêtes to play groups and youth clubs create connections, help people feel part of a community, and provide much needed support.
But they can also create all kinds of waste. Here we’ve summarised the lessons we’ve learned from our grant holders about cutting the carbon footprint of community events.
Why this matters
We are proud to support community events across the UK. They have the potential to improve wellbeing, build trust and pride, and encourage active participation that helps communities thrive and become more resilient.
And there are many ways to reduce the environmental impact of such events. Small changes can make a difference.
For example, switching from disposable to reusable products can have a significant long-term effect. A plastic single-use items can take as long as 1,000 years to decompose.
Food that ends up in landfill releases additional emissions like methane into the atmosphere, accounting for up to 10% of greenhouse gases.
Because land-use change and farming make up a considerable share of the carbon footprint, producing animal rather than plant-based foods tends to be more harmful to the environment.
What we've learned
Avoiding single-use products
We often need extra items to accommodate a bigger group of people, from chairs and serving dishes, to decorations to create a welcoming atmosphere.
But we’ve learned that there are ways to do this without creating a lot of waste while saving money.
Borrowing or renting furniture or party equipment that are used only once
Some of our grant holders use libraries of things, which lend anything from gazebos, speakers, microphones and cables, to pressure washers to help with preparation and cleaning up. Some use the neighbourhood network Nextdoor to find tables and chairs, or work with other groups in the area to share resources. As well as reducing waste, borrowing these things can help to avoid the complications of insurance, maintenance and long-term storage.
Avoiding disposable cutlery and decorations
Our grant holders have purchased durable second-hand tableware from a local charity shop, asked people to bring their own, or borrowed some: the Party Kit Network hires reusable serving platters, decorations, and table linen.
Inviting people to make reusable decorations
As well as reducing waste, this can bring people together and help to build a party atmosphere. The Eden Project has ideas to get anyone started, and it’s also good to think about natural alternatives like flowers, as decorations like balloons and confetti can cause problems for local wildlife.
Minimising event merchandise, which many attendees might throw away, such as gift bags and key rings
Some have switched to natural presents, like sunflower seeds or herbs, or even digital ones, like an online photo album of the event.
Considering food options with less packaging
Those who have storage could consider buying larger bags of products, which don't go off and will be used. Seasonal produce from local farmers or growing schemes can help build connections to other residents.
Using events to make lasting environmental improvements in a community
In Hampshire, the villages of Laverstoke and Freefolk wanted their Platinum Jubilee celebrations to do that. As well as investing in reusable decorations which can be used for years to come, the community came together to plant daffodils along the road between the villages, and supported the Queen’s Green Canopy scheme with native tree planting.
Preventing and reducing food waste
Food is central to most events, but it’s easy to prepare more than is actually needed, or throw away less popular options.
We’ve found different ways to reduce food waste at community events.
Thinking who’s best placed to provide the food
Most hosts take care of catering, but it's worth considering whether participants might bring their own. Carnbo and District Community Hall Association in Kinross hosts summer BBQs where attendees are asked to bring their own food, crockery and cutlery to reduce waste. The group has also used a small National Lottery grant to invest in reusable equipment from gazebos to oilcloth table covers that are then used at different community events year after year.
Labeling food clearly, and listing ingredients and allergens if possible
This is not a legal requirement unless a group is a registered food business, but the Food Standards Agency recommends it. It also helps in terms of avoiding foods participants don’t like or might be allergic to, thereby reducing unnecessary waste.
Looking for ways to avoid over-catering
It’s helpful to ask people to respond to the event invite to find out how many will come - this makes it easier to estimate how much food is needed. And being open about this can help to start a conversation about food waste: why it matters, and how everyone can make a difference.
Planning for unavoidable food waste
Providing a raw food waste bin separately from litter bins enables composting of leftover food from plates. This matters because each kilogram of homemade compost can save over 100g of CO2 emissions.
Donating or distributing surplus food
Our grant holders have donated leftover food through local food banks and community fridges. Some have used food distribution networks such as Felix, Hubbub, and Your Local Pantry. Elizabeth House Community Centre in Islington uses donations and surplus food to prepare community meals. On Wednesdays, staff prepare a vegetarian lunch for over 50s, who come to the centre for a gentle exercise class and meet others from the community. And a new hot bin composter is turning the food waste into compost, benefiting allotments in the area.
Reducing the carbon footprint of food
We can reduce the environmental impact of the food we offer by making some changes to how we plan, choose and buy food.
Cutting down on meat and other animal-based products
Having more meat-free options or, if meat is important, using less of it and choosing grass-fed, higher-welfare, organic meat can help to reduce carbon footprint of food. In London, Stanley Arts made a free vegan Caribbean lunch the centrepiece of its Green Coronation Get-Together.
Sourcing surplus food
The free app Too Good to Go lists local shops and restaurants that have unsold food available at a discount, and everyone can use Olio to see if their neighbours have surplus produce. The Social Farms and Gardens lists over 3,500 local food growing projects that might have food to share. The Nigerian Catholic Community in London uses surplus food from Felix for regular communal Sunday meals and healthy cooking demonstrations.
Looking into local suppliers to increase the share of locally grown produce
This requires less transport and storage, and can be more nutritious as it’s more likely to be fresh. Local farm shops, cafes and caterers are always a good starting point – as are local food producers and outlets on websites such as Big Barn, Farm Retail Association and Soil Association.
When using caterers, it’s worth checking their green credentials. Do they use local suppliers? Do they use organic and higher welfare products? Do they donate their own surplus food to good causes?
Growing own food with willing volunteers can help with food bills, improve access to locally grown food, and provide an attractive community activity
In Glasgow, the Wing Hong Centre, an organisation that supports older people from the Chinese community, brings people together to grow Chinese vegetables that aren’t available in local grocery stores. Produce is cooked for the group’s regular lunch club.
Getting community involved in growing food for events – anything from herb pots on windowsills and tomatoes on porches, to potatoes in back gardens
This can increase knowledge of food that is better for health and the planet. The Big Lunch has planting advice for those who’d like to have a go.
Looking for free food growing wild
Climate Action Middlesbrough has run foraged food workshops to encourage organisations across the city to get involved in collecting edible plants, fruits, seeds and fungi for their own use. Starting with games where participants guess the food with the highest carbon footprint, they also learn about the health benefits of foraged foods and different ways they can be used to benefit the community.
Calculating the carbon footprint of food
Those who are quite experienced and looking for new ways to assess and reduce the environmental impact of food, may want to look into a "foodprint" calculator.
They can help to weigh up different options and consider alternatives. Some calculators use farming, production and transport rates from the US rather than the UK, but these can still be useful indicators.
The BBC Climate Change Food Calculator shows how individuals’ own food intake compares to emissions from things like driving and heating a home.
Event Food Carbon Calculator enables users to calculate options for a different number of guests and assess whether the options come with low, moderate or high emissions.
The Food Carbon Emissions Calculator takes into consideration emissions from things like transport and waste.
Location and travel
Minimise emissions by carefully choosing the location of an event.
Choosing a venue with strong green credentials
We've helped some of our grant holders to build outstanding eco-friendly buildings: in Northumberland, Bardon Mill and Henshaw Village Hall was built using a mix of low and zero carbon technologies. It has a green roof planted with meadow flowers that absorb rainwater and purify the air, solar electricity, and an air source heat pump. The design maximises natural daylight, and uses earth to shelter, cool and insulate the building.
Looking for venues with strong policies on waste, sustainable catering, or carbon footprint
London’s Calthorpe Community Garden offers indoor and outdoor spaces for hire, while pioneering its own food waste energy system: food grown in the gardens is cooked in the community café, with waste going to create renewable biogas which again is used for cooking and heating.
Checking that the venue can be reached safely and conveniently by foot, wheelchair, bike, or public transport, so that people are encouraged not to drive
In Ynysybwl, Vision for our Valley makes sure play schemes and upcycling workshops are held by bus or train routes.
Supporting car-sharing, which saves money and carbon, and may help to introduce people and make connections.
The organisers of larger events may want to look into a carbon calculator like myclimate, to get a better idea of the emissions linked to the event.
Key messages
The key messages are:
community events can strengthen wellbeing and belonging, and simple changes can reduce their environmental impact
community groups are minimising the impact of their events by:
avoiding single-use products
tackling food waste
choosing more sustainable food options
encouraging greener travel
Find out more
Read our learning on making an environmental action plan and encouraging residents from your community to get involved in climate action.
You may want to read publications on the benefits of community-led climate action.