Our Green/Organic Weddings and Events incorporate the practices of reducing waste, reusing products, and using recycled products. We consciously contribute to a more sustainable economy by buying fair trade/local goods and services, and we are mindful toward human rights and the environment.
By choosing ZahZoom Weddings and Parties, you are choosing a leader in green events. You can be proud of the fact that we will apply our green principles to your event, and take extra measures where it is most meaningful to you!
The following are just some of ZahZoom's commitments to improving the sustainability of its business practices and your events! See if you are inspired to implement any of these practices in your life. A little stewardship can save you a lot on energy and other costs... Green habits are not only good for the earth, but good for your wallet and your health!
Resource Conservation and Pollution Prevention Commitments
Keep a stack of previously used paper near printers. Use it for drafts, scratch paper or internal memos or designate a draft tray on printers with multiple trays.
Make two sided printing and copying standard practice in your business (set copier to default to duplex printing or manually feed to duplex).
Practice efficient copying- use the size reduction feature (e.g. two pages of a periodical or book can oftentimes be printed on one page) AND set word processing defaults for smaller fonts and margins.
Replace memos with e-mail messages & discourage the printing of messages. Order supplies by phone and/or email.
Reuse envelopes as both send and return envelopes: Cover up old addresses and postage, affix new. AND/OR Use two way or ‘send and return’ envelopes. Your outgoing envelope gets returned for its return trip.
Buy paper that is produced by a company with a stated commitment to environmental stewardship and to minimizing ecological impacts and ensuring long term sustainable production.
Encourage clients to employ waste limiting techniques when sending invitations, ordering escort cards, etc.
REDUCE WASTE
Work with vendors to minimize product packaging: Ask vendors to take back packaging & used or damaged products for reuse and recycling (choose vendors who offer these services).
Select products with the least packaging and/or which have easily recyclable packaging.
Refurbish and purchase refurbished office equipment.
Purchase reusable rather than disposable office items, such as refillable pens, erasable white boards & wall calendars.
Buy products in bulk, concentrated, durable, repairable, and/or recyclable, making sure that you need all you are ordering.
Replace several similar products with one or two that do the same job.
Encourage clients to donate or gift left over food and flowers, and use vendors who compost and recycle, or include such practices in vendor contracts
RECYCLE
Recycle or reuse all of following fibers: cardboard (corrugated cardboard boxes); mixed paper (junk mail, scrap and colored paper); newspapers; office paper (white ledger, computer and copier paper).
Recycle food and beverage containers (all glass, plastic and aluminum containers)
Recycle Green Waste: compost and recycle food and landscape waste. Make composting part of the contract with your landscape service.
For shipping items, use shredded paper for packaging needs instead of purchasing Styrofoam pellets, bubble wrap or other packing materials. If you receive these, reuse them in your own packaging.
The Plastic Loose Fill Council at (800) 828-2214 will direct you to businesses accepting polystyrene peanuts for reuse in your area.
Donate or exchange unwanted but usable items (furniture, supplies, electronics, scrap materials, computer disks, etc.) to schools, churches, hospitals, libraries, nonprofit organizations, museums, teacher resource organizations, etc. Enroll in a waste exchange program where your unwanted items can become another company’s resource. Check out the Integrated Waste Management Waste Exchange Program at http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/CalMAX/. To recycle these items, visit www.sfenvironment.com or call 355-3700 for information.
Encourage clients to use recyclable detail items, and vendors that do likewise: e.g. reuse tea light holders; florists who reuse or use rented glassware; as well as have onsite recycling and compost at events and use caterers who do likewise.
SUPPORT RECYCLING MARKET
Copy, computer or fax paper (35-100% post consumer waste)
Letterhead, envelopes and/or business cards (35-100% post consumer waste)
Recycled folders or other paper products
Recycled pencils, pens, rulers or other desk accessories
Toilet paper, tissues, and paper towels (35%-100% post consumer waste)
Encourage clients to use 35-100% PCW papers for invitations, RSVPs, escort cards, table names etc.
ENERGY
Reduce fixtures and the number of lamps and increase lighting efficiency by installing optical reflectors or diffusers.
Install dimmable ballasts to dim lights to take advantage of daylight. Use daylight dimmers that turn off automatically when there is sufficient light.
Institute a written formal policy to turn off equipment when not in use.
Set refrigerator temperature between 38ºF and 42ºF and freezer between 10º F and 20ºF.
Set thermostat at 76ºF for cooling, 68ºF for heating; use timing devices to turn system down after hours.
If available, use the standby mode on equipment (e.g. energy saver buttons on copiers).
"Since you'll probably spend more on your wedding than any other single expenditure except your car or home, it's a chance to support and open markets for local, organic, recycled, and recyclable goods"
-Eric Brown, Communications Director, Center for the New American Dream
