Big events aren’t the most environmentally friendly. The average wedding produces around 400 pounds of waste, and that’s not all.
There’s a new mission in Chicago to make weddings and events better for the climate and environment through the Green Wedding Alliance.
From the food guests eat to the plate meals are served on, and even the candles burning on the table, there’s a focus on sustainability and the environment – changing the game when it comes to weddings and other large events in Chicago.
It’s a massive day for a couple, their family, and friends; but weddings are massive in other ways, too – creating an estimated billion pounds of trash every year in the U.S.
The Green Bride Guide estimates the average wedding produces 400 pounds of trash and 63 tons of carbon dioxide emissions – equal to the emissions created by about 4 people in a year.
Carbon dioxide emissions are known to contribute to climate change.
“I just see how much waste is created with events,” wedding planner Misse Daniel said.
A group is dedicated to changing that status quo without changing the celebration through Chicago’s Green Wedding Alliance, a network of small wedding businesses – such as wedding vendors, caterers, decorators, and florists – more focused on sustainability and the environment.
“We just want to make sure that we’re doing our part,” chef Bob Groski said.
They’re making every aspect of weddings – from the invitations to the day-of clean-up – more environmentally friendly.
“We are dedicated to having the least amount of waste as possible,” said Kelly Clancy, managing partner with RPM Restaurants.
Daniel is chairperson of the nonprofit and a full-time wedding planner in Chicago.
“Trying to make events that leave a smaller footprint,” she said.
Daniel said the couples she works with are hosting luxury events, but sustainably.
“Sustainability can be done in a luxury market,” she said.
One example: instead of everything landing in the trash, it’s going to compost or recycling.
“At the end of every wedding I collect all of the paper and make sure it gets composted or recycled,” she said.
Plastics are replaced with reusables. Everything from food to flowers is sourced sustainably.
“It takes complete buy-in from the entire team,” Groski said.
It’s much more than a mindset. The process for a vendor to join the Green Wedding Alliance is rigorous.
There’s an interview and review process, where their team goes over everything from a businesses’ water and electric usage to the products they’re using and sourcing.
“They were extremely diligent and very strict,” Clancy said.
Take it from RPM Restaurants. Their application process took a full year.
One climate-friendly focus is having everything couples or wedding planners would often rent on-hand.
“The linens, plateware, glassware, china,” Clancy said.
That means no extra trucks on the road.
“Reducing emissions is a big goal for us, and a lot of that comes from reducing the traffic,” Clancy said.
The nonprofit sources everything from their food to their plates and candles from sustainable companies.
“How can we be the most responsible with the products we have?” Groski said.
“How can we have a positive environmental impact on the community?” Clancy said. “And if the guest doesn’t ever realize what we’re doing? That’s totally fine with us.”
A few miles away, Big Delicious Planet‘s urban farm in the middle of the city is home to the most sustainable caterer in the country; awarded 13 years running.
Big Delicious Planet founder and owner Heidi Moorman Coudal said being environmentally friendly and conscious is their core value.
“If we even use disposables, they’re all compostable,” she said.
The full-service catering company grows a lot of their own food on their urban farm, but it’s about more than farming and composting.
“All of our used cooking oil goes to Loyola University’s shuttle bus program, because all of their buses run on biodiesel,” Coudal said.
Can a sustainable wedding make an impact on the climate?
“I say it absolutely can,” Daniel said.
Green Wedding Alliance is making the big white weddings we all know and love just a little greener.
“We’re trying really hard. We’re trying to make an effort. We’re trying to make a positive impact,” Clancy said.
