The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) is proud to announce that at ISPO 2020, around 85% of its exhibiting members plus 13 non members implemented its Plastic Pledge, avoiding the use of single-use plastic when serving refreshments on their stands. These actions, together with those taken by Messe München, DB Schenker and individual visitors at the show significantly reduced plastic waste from the show.
Prior to OutDoor by ISPO 2019, EOCA launched its Plastic Pledge, calling on exhibitors to reduce their single-use plastic waste produced at the show. The Pledge committed exhibitors to not use or provide single-use plastic bottled drinks, to take all possible measures to avoid single-use plastic food or drink items and to provide a source of drinking water for visitors and staff to use to refill their own bottles and mugs throughout the 4 days. In addition, EOCA provided guidance notes on reducing other single-use plastics associated with attending tradeshows. At OutDoor by ISPO 2019, 60% of EOCA members signed and implemented the Pledge. Interest grew, and EOCA was delighted that by ISPO 2020, around 85% of EOCA members had signed the Pledge, as well as 13 non-members of EOCA. In addition, many individual visitors signed up to support the Pledge on the EOCA stand and many more purchased reusable bottles, cups and flasks to use around the show and beyond.
Camelbak and Klean Kanteen served fabulous coffee at the show – but only into reusable cups. In total, they served around 2000 coffees and so saved 2000 single-use cups being used. EOCA worked with Messe München who supported the aims of the Pledge by providing access to kitchens in all halls for washing of reusable items and installed hydration stations in half of the halls. Single-use carpet at the show was also reduced, a move that EOCA very much supports and hopes to see reduce further at future shows.
DB Schenker is responsible for storing all of the boxes of products generously donated to EOCA by its members for sale at the shows and then transporting them to and from the EOCA booth. Traditionally, these boxes are shrink wrapped for the journey on the pallet trolley between the storage area and the stand. Prior to the show, EOCA asked DB Schenker if reusable items could be used to secure the boxes and were delighted when they immediately agreed. In fact no materials were used to secure the boxes stacked safely on the trolley. It is estimated that this saved 5kg of single-use shrink wrap being used. As well as reducing plastic waste, this has reduced our carbon footprint at the show. Not using 5kg of shrink wrap saves the production of 13kg of carbon dioxide equivalent*. One tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent is estimated to be around the size of a hot air balloon. It is easy to see how the various actions taken at this show through the plastic pledge will have saved many carbon emission equivalents, and more importantly, how we can reduce many hot air balloons of carbon emission equivalents by expanding the actions we all take to reduce single-use plastic use at this and other shows.
EOCA is delighted to announce that PERFORMANCE DAYS, a functional fabric show held twice a year at Messe München have signed up to join EOCA. This tradeshow also plans to implement the EOCA Plastic Pledge itself, and encourage their exhibitors to as well, meaning that the impact of the EOCA Plastic Pledge is growing.
Catherine Savidge, Joint General Manager of EOCA said “We have been thrilled with the take up of the EOCA Plastic Pledge and the different ways in which exhibitors have implemented it. The signees are implementing the Pledge at ISPO and OutDoor by ISPO but also at other shows they attend including events in Poland, the UK and Germany, meaning that the impact of the Pledge are far reaching. The Pledge forms part of EOCA’s two year focus addressing plastic pollution, both in the environment where it is already causing damage and also at source. We call on even more companies and individuals to sign the Pledge for OutDoor by ISPO 2020, to reduce waste and carbon emissions, and to make the use of reusable items normal behaviour at tradeshows, and also in every day life.”
INFO: European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA)
