Submitted by Grainne Kennedy on Tue, 2019-05-28 16:50
The themes have been chosen, the launches have been held and students are about to experience many different celebrations to end the academic year. Each May Ball will be unique, but there is one trait that a large number of them share, and that is for sustainability to be a key focus of event planning and delivery.
An increase in interest
This change has been driven by Sustain-a-ball, a Cambridge University Environmental Consulting Society (CUECS) project. Sustain-a-ball is a mechanism to share learning on sustainable event planning. It was set up by Clare College students after they had successfully organised a carbon neutral May Ball in 2016. We believe that it is the only organisation of its type in the UK.
Figure 1: Sustain-a-ball
Aoife Blanchard of CUECS was project lead this year. Aoife spoke with committees and Green Officers early in the organisation process explaining to them the importance of considering sustainability in planning and how Sustain-a-ball could help. In 2018 less than 10 Colleges signed up to receive accreditation from Sustain-a-ball, that number jumped to 18 this year and a further 6 Colleges took a sustainability pledge. Many of these May Ball committees have either appointed a Sustainability Officer to their committee or an existing member has taken on responsibility for considering all things environmental in their role.
The work of Sustainability Officers
Sustainability Officers and other committee members were able to work through a series of sustainability actions in the Sustain-a-ball workbook. They received guidance on how to handle issues such as waste, lighting and sustainable procurement through the workbook. Support was provided in person with Aoife at group meetings, and over the Facebook group. Sustainability Officers are not just sharing learning, as connections made through the scheme have also led to the sharing of materials like umbrellas, carpets and even drinking stations! This means saving money and saving resources.
The impact
Sustain-a-ball and May Ball Committees are really changing how things are done. No longer are paper ticketing or programmes the only option, you may have received all the information you require digitally, cutting down on a huge amount of unnecessary waste. When choosing food options, sustainability is now a deciding factor, vegetarian and vegan options are expected and the containers that food and drink come in will need to be either compostable or reusable.
Decorations for Hughes Hall Ball and St. Catharine’s Garden Party have been designed to be reused, and even the face glitter is biodegradeable!
Perhaps, the biggest impact of the entire project is the impact it has had on local suppliers. Sustainability Officers are encouraged to use local food providers and service providers to reduce emissions from travel. Through Sustain-a-ball the demand is now there for more sustainable products, and these suppliers are stepping up to the mark by improving their environmental performance be it in the energy efficiency of the lighting or in the sound equipment they provide, or by providing more options when it comes to recycling.
Some words from the organisers
Pembroke May Ball 2019 will be the greenest in Pembroke’s long history. For the first time, we have a dedicated Sustainability Officer and are taking part in ‘Sustain-a-Ball’. Our main focus for this year has been tackling the biggest issue around May Balls: waste. While also aiming to reduce the total amount of waste generated, we are aiming to become the first ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ May Ball with all waste generated being either recycled or composted. The accurate sorting of waste will be achieved through dedicated Waste Stations and Sorting Tables throughout the event. Furthermore, we are tackling single use plastic water bottles by providing dedicated drinking water taps. Finally, a percentage of money raised from ticket sales will go to supporting two great environmental charities in Cool Earth, who focus on halting rainforest deforestation, and in Food Cycle, who combat food waste and create community meals. This is just a fraction of the many changes that we are making across the board to make this May Ball our most sustainable yet and to leave a legacy for following Committees to follow. We hope you are able to join us on 19 June for a memorable night.
Verner Viisainen, Sustainability Officer, Pembroke College.
We put a large emphasis on the sustainability of our event this year, hiring a dedicated Sustainability Officer who has worked with each Ball department. Key focuses have included the hiring of local contractors where possible, an opt-in system for printed tickets, as well as a transition to LED lighting. This is something that we hope to continue building on in future years.
Kate Fitzpatrick and Jacquie Rowe, Jesus May Ball Presidents.
Who will have the most sustainable ball of them all?
Once the celebrations are over and all has been packed away, Aoife and her CUECS colleagues will appraise the evidence submitted as part of the accreditation and a league table will be published showing sustainability performance of the events.
What can you do?
You can make your clothing more sustainable by using clothes-sharing platforms like NU Wardrobe to borrow rather than by a new outfit.
Once you have arrived at the event you can help the effort by using the correct bins to dispose of any waste.
If you are interested in sustainability, why not apply to be Sustainability Officer for your College next year? Develop your event management skills and get an insight into this growing area of sustainability. For established Sustainability Officers, you may be interested to take on the role of Sustain-a-ball Lead.
