Host a Green Event

Look through our directory of caterers and food trucks to supply your event with local food and zero-waste options. Preferred Green Caterers (PGCs) have agreed to provide compostable cups, plates, and utensils for Hopkins events at no additional cost. We do recommend you confirm with the caterer your preference for only compostable items. Please note, not all PGCs can provide zero waste boxed meals. Be sure to check for the icon on the list. Some facilities fees may be waived when you choose a PGC.

If you own a catering company or food truck, take our PGC certification survey below to see if you meet our requirements.

To see if your campus provides compost bins for events, reach out to your event scheduling contact or identify your campus facility contact from the list in our guide. Be sure to order compost and recycling bins at least two weeks before your event.

As you plan your waste reduction strategies, you can also encourage attendees to “BYOE” (Bring Your Own Everything) including plates, utensils, water bottles and/or travel mugs, and cloth napkins.

Educate your guests about how to properly sort their waste by posting visible signage at your event. Check our printable signs and table tents, as well as PowerPoint slides, below.

Developed by Hopkins graduates and started on campus in 2017, Free Food Alert enables event hosts to post leftovers to reduce food waste and treat fellow students and colleagues to a free meal. Students, staff, faculty, and other community members can sign up to get email alerts and/or mobile app notifications when free food is available.

Subscribe to send and receive Free Food Alerts below! Available at Hopkins Bloomberg Center (Washington, D.C.), Homewood, Peabody, and East Baltimore campuses.

You can also minimize food waste (and catering costs) in the first place by planning ahead; requiring registration for your event can help get an accurate head count and prevent over-ordering.

Utilize JHU’s digital marketing tools such as the Hub Events Page, Today’s Announcements, or OrcaTV to avoid generating paper waste and gain better exposure for your events and communications.

If your organization or department is planning a climate- or sustainability-related event, please send it our way ([email protected]) so we can add it to our events page. You can also share events to the JHU Sustainability Listserv.

Use recyclable or reusable decorations, and limit use of balloons and other disposable items. Consider using natural décor, such as plants or floral centerpieces, which could be reused composted after use.

When possible, omit dates and location from banners and other event materials, so they can be reused. You can also provide reusable name tags and collect them at the end of the event.

Save leftover signage for future zero waste events.

Shut off A/V and lighting when not in use. Or even better, host your event outside when the weather is nice, and enjoy the many green spaces on campus!