Arinex has strengthened its sustainable policies and procedures as a commitment to helping reduce the environmental footprint of events.

Banning single-use plastics, carbon offsetting its conferences and implementing greener environmental standards throughout its supply chain are among the initiatives being rolled out.

The changes will save up to 2,000 plastic cups at an average 500-person conference managed by Arinex, as well as a reduction of printed materials by up to 70%. Delegates will be mindful of their footprint while travelling to an event and throughout, thanks to new initiatives such as car-pooling and proximity-based accommodation bookings. Arinex’ procurement processes have also been updated, with the events management company asking suppliers to show evidence of a reduction in plastic use.

The environmental commitment was formalised at IMEX 2019, when Arinex presented its Plastics Pledge to international association IAPCO. The changes are being rolled out internally with carbon neutral training among staff and a month-long awareness campaign aimed at reducing waste across Arinex’ four offices.

It comes after Arinex assisted the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) to carbon offset its 2018 Conference in Sydney, by drastically cutting the carbon footprint and offsetting the remainder with carbon credits. EIANZ 2018 has since been named the 10th certified carbon-neutral conference in Australia.

Environmentally-friendly event design also assisted Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) reduce its footprint for its Biennial Conference in 2018 at the Gold Coast, including sourcing vegan meals through a locally-based, organic catering company and encouraging ride shares via the Conference app.

Roslyn McLeod OAM, Arinex Founder and Chair, said: “We are usually known for our trademark pink uniforms, but now we hope to be recognised as green too. In events we can influence thousands of people, whether it be supplier partners we work with, delegates or attendees or fellow industry colleagues. We all have a responsibility to ensure we are as environmentally-conscious as possible, which may inspire others to reduce their own footprint too.”