Conference > Past Conferences > Edmonton 2019 > Sustainability

SUSTAINABILITY

Living Tradition and Sustainability

In the initial planning phase of CASFAA 2019, the CASFAA planning committee set out on a goal to limit the conference’s environmental impact and host a sustainable event. Hosting a sustainable event can add an extra hurdle to the planning process but as a team we have come up with many simple ways to reduce our impact on the planet:

PAPER VS. CLOTH BAGS

This year your conference take-home bag will be a recycled and recyclable paper bag! We understand that receiving a one-time use paper bag instead of a reusable cloth may feel like a backwards version of sustainability, but we have done our research! While cloth bags are a great way to cut down on one-time use plastic, ordering large quantities of cloth bags every year that are made from unsustainable fabrics with harsh dyes can be hard on the environment. If you would like to have a bag with you during the event, feel free to bring your own cloth bag or a previous CASFAA Conference tote!

If you would like to read more about cloth bags, please check out these articles from CBC and theverge.com.

REUSABLE DISH PROGRAM

The Students’ Union at the University of Alberta offers a reusable dish program on campus to help make the University campus a little greener. You will help lower your environmental impact by using theses dishes when eating your tasty snacks over the breaks.

HOTEL SELECTION

Room blocks were made at hotels and university residences that are close to the conference location or on the LRT line in an effort to reduce the amount of vehicles that needed to be driven to the conference.

LANYARDS

Once a conference is over lanyards often go unused, collecting dust for a short time before ending up in a landfill. We have borrowed lanyards from a unit within the Registrar’s Office who also practice sustainability efforts by reusing their lanyards. We politely ask that you return your lanyard at the end of the conference.

PHONE APP

In an effort to reduce the amount of paper we are using we have moved away from large scale, glossy print material to a conference app.

In light of this year’s conference theme, Living Tradition, we hope that the CASFAA planning committees in the years to come will use these simple steps to host a more sustainable conference as well as continue to add to this list.

Take It Home

Want to take sustainable living home with you? Here are some simple things you can do to live more green!

  • Put your organics in the compost rather than the trash. Organics can takes years to decompose in a dump. Don’t have organics collection? Use this website to see who is collecting organics in your neighborhood!
  • Reduce your use of single use plastics. Be aware of plastic packaging when you are making purchases.
  • Skip the bottled water.
  • Keep electronics out of the trash - recycle them!