According to the Events Industry Council (EIC), event sustainability means taking action towards preserving our natural environment; promoting a healthy, inclusive society, and supporting a thriving economy. For most events, this usually translates into cutting back energy and water usage and reducing waste. But some event organizers are going the extra mile to make a difference by launching initiatives such as using algae as ink or offering onsite sustainability tours. 

EarthX  

From its humble beginnings as an Earth Day street festival in Dallas, EarthX has now grown into a large-scale, global environmental expo where governments, business leaders, and attendees gather to find environmental solutions.

The event, which will be held April 21-25 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, features numerous programs designed around sustainability, including an all-day session with the Texas chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, along with its own eco-friendly initiatives, including working with an organization called Hunger Busters, which collects uneaten food and distributes it to Dallas Independent School District schools. 

“Obviously, as an environmental event, we try to walk the walk in terms of making sure that we're being as sustainable as possible,” said Peter Simek, conference director of EarthX. “And that's ensuring that all the materials are constantly reused and upcycled, bringing in sustainable food options and looking at where things are sourced. It's a general awareness around what kind of impact we're having in our own space and being as mindful as possible to ensure that we are following best practices for sustainable conferences.”  

Greenbuild International Conference and Expo  

Every year, Greenbuild hosts the largest event for green building professionals, where attendees learn and source solutions to improve resilience, sustainability, and quality of life in buildings, cities, and communities. 

Sustainability is at the heart of the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo according to Katie Gillham, brand director for the conference. “Each year, we track Greenbuild's energy, water, waste, and overall carbon footprint, even tracking emissions from our attendees' travel,” she explained. “We log everything in a robust sustainability report published after each show. Based on what we learn, we retool and build new partnerships with local partners to increase our positive impact year after year. Greenbuild is also typically held at LEED-certified convention centers because it’s important to us that all of our event partners prioritize event sustainability initiatives as well.” 

Onsite, Greenbuild also provides sustainability tours of the host venue in which practices like waste sorting, kitchen and catering programs, and water reuse systems are highlighted. 

Another key component of the sustainability strategy is the Greenbuild Mandatory Exhibitor Greening Guidelines (or GMEGG), a mandatory, 22-question online survey for exhibitors regarding best practices and requirements that include booth materials, electrical use, transportation and shipping, and giveaways. It’s become the blueprint for exhibitor responsibility in trade show sustainability.  

In 2023, Greenbuild introduced an education module through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to help exhibitors better understand the requirements and offer tips on how they can be more sustainable. The next conference will be held Nov. 4-7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. 

NPE: The Plastics Show  

Every three years, the Plastics Industry Association hosts leaders from every industry at NPE: The Plastics Show to help advance their business through innovations in plastics. In addition to displaying sustainable solutions and materials, the trade show also hosts two recycling demo areas where plastic scrap that’s generated by exhibitors on the show floor is recycled. Here, attendees can check out the latest equipment and techniques used to repurpose plastic products and fuel the circular economy.  

In 2024, organizers achieved their goal of repurposing 100% of the plastics collected, totaling 516,160 pounds of recycled plastic, cardboard, and aluminum. Additionally, 3,700 pounds of difficult to recycle plastic from NPE2024 was donated to Helpertunity, a nonprofit that empowers elderly and disabled people. The organization repurposed the plastic scrap for senior citizens’ art projects in local Orlando nursing homes. 

The next NPE: The Plastics Show will be held May 3–7, 2027 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando. 

Natural Products Expo West 

Natural Products Expo West, which is produced by New Hope Network, gathers more than 64,000 professionals annually to address the issues facing the consumer-packaged goods industry. 

In terms of encouraging sustainable practices across the exhibition, organizers offer the Better Stands Program, which educates exhibitors on transitioning from disposable, single-use booth stands to reusable or recyclable structures.  

“We also encourage embracing a digital-first approach, and Expo West prioritizes solutions like a comprehensive event app and digital kiosks and signage to reduce the need for printed materials,” said Danica Cullins, executive vice president, Informa Markets Health and Nutrition. 

She added that the expo uses a reuseable serveware provider, r.Cup, for refreshments at on-site networking events. “Last year, at the Fresh Ideas Organic Marketplace, we piloted a zero-waste sampling program, which replaced single-use paper and plastic cups with reusable sampling ware. This year, building on that success, we expanded the program in partnership with r.Cup, engaging over 30 exhibitors to participate, using approximately 20,000 reusable sample cups across the event.” 

Behind the scenes, NPE West organizers sort the show waste to maximize what is being recycled or composted, including items that most recycling services cannot accept. “With the right efforts, the results can be impressive—this year's event successfully diverted an astounding 585 pounds of these hard-to-recycle materials that would typically be sent to landfills,” Cullins said.  

Next year’s show will be held March 3-6, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center. 

Lead image: r.Cup reusable serveware being used at Natural Products Expo West. Courtesy of Informa Markets.

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