For Etsy’s first New York conference, the handmade-goods Web site knew how it didn’t want to make an impact—with lots of trash sent to landfills, said senior manager of values and impact Katie Hunt-Morr.
“We took measures like setting up water-filling stations and letting attendees know they had to bring their own refillable water bottles to the event,” she said. Etsy made use of host venue the Pratt Institute’s extensive recycling program, contracted with a composting service to avoid throwing out food waste, and worked with food vendors to ensure compostable packaging.
Etsy also didn’t give out gift bags or handouts, the registration process was done entirely online, and the conference program doubled as attendees’ name badges. Even when one activity called for delegates to use chalk, Hunt-Morr said they taped pieces underneath the chairs so they wouldn’t need to use packaging. “We got pretty close to zero waste,” she said.
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The conference included a mix of panel discussions and workshops, all focused on the future of consumption, new methods of production, alternative approaches to work, and more purposeful ways of doing business.
Organizers combined the conference program and badge into one item to minimize waste.
