Green Event Certification Checklist

someone standing at a CASR table at an event

1. Business Management 

Core Criteria - Required

  • Develop and display an environmental policy or mission statement. This statement should demonstrates your event’s commitment to sustainability. This can include:
    • Displaying your policy statement on your website
    • Including the policy statement in your outreach efforts
  • Develop and display a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) commitment statement. The statement should include fair and unbiased hiring and promotion practices. This can include:
    • Displaying your policy statement on your job descriptions
    • Including the statement in employee handbooks
  • Inform stakeholders about your environmental practices and the CGD program. If possible, place this information on your website. Train new employees on your environmental practices and policies.
  • Implement employee well-being with fair policies, benefits, and compensation.
  • Ensure compliance with all relevant environmental regulations, including but not limited to: 
    • Retail Food Regulations
    • Denver Noise Ordinance
    • Air Emission and CFC Requirements
    • Hazardous Waste Regulations
    • Stormwater Management Requirements
    • Industrial Pretreatment and Wastewater Requirements
    • OSHA Hazardous Communications (SDS's)
  • Upon certification, share your environmental successes. Showcase your environmental practices online and/or at your event.
  • Have all vendors sign the Certifiably Green Denver vendor agreement(DOCX, 136KB)
  • Submit your event’s energy, water and waste usage data. 

Elective Criteria - Choose One

  • Create a "Green Team" to manage and document certification and ongoing environmental efforts.
  • Partner with organizations that have sustainable certifications or recognition. This certification should come from from verified organizations, such as:
    • USDA Organic
    • Safer Choice
    • B Corp
    • Fairtrade
  • Choose a socially responsible bank for your business's/event’s financial needs.
  • Encourage other businesses to join the CGD program. Encourage them to adopt sustainable practices. Refer at least one event to our program.
  • Support local human service providers or environmental organizations. Consider giving these organizations a reduced fee or free exhibition space.
  • Complete a custom project fitting your needs. Consult with CGD staff to ensure it meets elective criteria. 

2. Energy Efficiency 

Core Criteria - Required

  • Educate staff and vendors to turn off all non-essential lighting, equipment, and machines when not in use. 
  • Require any new equipment purchases or rentals to be ENERGY STAR-rated, when available.
  • All lighting brought in for event is LED or CFL, where possible. Stage lighting is excluded from this rule.
  • Consider building efficiency during venue selection. Require venue operators to provide a summary of the building's energy efficiency features.
  • For indoor events, require host building to operate reduced lighting, HVAC and escalators during move-in and -out. 
  • For outdoor events, minimize lighting. Allow enough for safety but no extraneous light displays. Prohibit outdoor heaters. 

Elective Criteria - choose 1

  • For indoor events, select a venue that is CGD, Energy Star or LEED certified.
  • Buy carbon offsets to offset at least 25% of energy used at the event.
  • Use on-site renewable energy such as solar panels to produce at least 10% of energy.
  • Encourage the use of or provide electric generators.
  • Complete a custom energy-efficient project. Consult with CGD staff to ensure the project meets the criteria for this requirement.

3. Water Conservation/Quality 

Core Criteria - Required

  • Follow CGD’s Stormwater Best Management Practices
  • Do not dump any liquids or materials into stormwater drains
  • Do not wash kitchen mats, exhaust filters, and other equipment outside
  • Require all contractors who conduct pressure washing to follow all applicable environmental regulations
  • Ensure that items stored outside are covered and leak proof.
  • Use only “dry” cleanup methods to manage spills
  • Choose WaterSense-rated equipment for new purchases or rentals, when available.
  • Consider building efficiency during venue selection. Require venue operators to provide a summary of their building's water efficiency features.
  • For sit-down dining, serve water only on request
  • Educate employees, volunteers, and vendors to reduce water usage at all times. For example, turning off water while washing hands, dishes.
  • Report water leaks immediately upon detection.
  • Do not allow bottled water sales. Sell inexpensive reusable bottles or provide reusable or recyclable cups. You can also provide tap or bulk drinking water.
  • For outdoor events, ensure that the venue has minimized irrigation water use by:
    • Using efficient spray heads
    • Using moisture sensors
    • Scheduling for nighttime watering
    • Planting drought-tolerant plants where possible

Elective Criteria - optional

  • Complete a custom water-saving project. Consult with CGD staff to ensure it meets elective criteria. 

4. Resource Management 

Core Criteria - Required

  • Track all waste streams. Set a meaningful waste diversion goal.
  • Recycle all cardboard, mixed paper and co-mingled containers. 
  • Compost all organics.
  • Serve all food on reusable or recyclable service ware. For indoor events, service ware must be reusable.
  • Provide signage at all bins so attendees know how to recycle and compost. Co-locate all waste collection bins.
  • Select food vendors or caterers with a commitment to sustainability.
  • At least 10% of food products event-wide are locally grown/produced. You can do this via vendor requirements(DOCX, 136KB).
  • Use electronic communication for event registration, announcements, and updates.
  • Use an event mobile app to cut paper schedules and guides.
  • Reduce paper usage by adopting electronic forms or contracts where possible. All unavoidable printing is on 100% recycled content paper. Paper should also have at least 30% post-consumer content.
  • Use reusable name badges and lanyards and collect these at the end of the event to reuse. 
  • Create generic signage that can you can use more than once. Consider not including date or location in signage.
  • Ban individual condiment packets. Vendors should use bulk condiments dispensed into compostable or recyclable cups.
  • For meetings and conferences, require presenters to provide slides and handouts electronically. Presenters should not provide paper copies.
  • For meetings and conferences, stop using single-use disposable coffee pods.
  • Work with vendors to cut and/or take back non-recyclable packaging where possible.
  • Ensure all vendors follow Skip the Stuff and Bring Your Own Bag Ordinances. 
  • Require caterers to provide a non-meat option.
  • Eliminate paper placemats and paper liners 

Elective Criteria - Choose Two

  • Donate usable outdated or unsold merchandise and supplies to nonprofit groups, schools.
  • Require vendors to buy at least 25% of food products from locally grown/produced sources
  • Require vendors to buy at least 25% organic or sustainably-raised foods
  • Use cloth instead of paper napkins and tablecloths
  • Partner with a reusable container/cup service provider.
  • Staff waste collection stations with volunteer "monitors." These monitors will educate attendees and ensure waste goes in the proper bin.
  • Use reusable metal or nylon coffee filters
  • Use green cleaning products and require vendors to do the same.
  • Require vendors to limit or cut paper and other disposable handouts, flyers and promotional items
  • Require vendors to print all signage on recycled content stock with vegetable or water-based inks
  • Require vendors to only give away sustainable promotional items or prizes.
  • Require vendors to cut the use of single use plastic bags.
  • Complete a custom resource management project. Consult with CGD staff to ensure it meets elective criteria. 

5. Transportation 

Core Criteria - Required

  • Install an anti-idling vehicle policy. It should apply to employees, customers, and vendors. The policy should limit idling to under 5 minutes per hour.
  • Site the event at a location that is accessible by bike and transit.
  • Provide attendees with transit and bike information. Place this information on your website and in outreach materials.
  • Encourage alternative transportation methods for commuting. This can include biking, walking, carpooling, or public transit.
  • Merge errands into a single trip to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
  • Provide bike racks or a bike corral for employee and attendee bike parking 

Elective Criteria - Choose One

  • Provide free or discounted bus passes or Eco-passes to employees
  • Provide RTD passes to attendees and advertise them in advance
  • Provide plug-in vehicle charging stations
  • Provide visitor incentives for use of alternative transportation
  • Caterers and food vendors contract with grease haulers that recycle grease to biofuels
  • Complete a custom sustainable mobility project. Consult with CGD staff to ensure it meets elective criteria 
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