We want Ecobuild 2012 to have a minimal environmental footprint. As organisers, we are working with our suppliers to achieve a number of tangible goals; low on energy use and high on reducing, reusing, repurposing and recycling of materials, for example, pre-built traditional shell scheme stands are made from timber and constantly reused at other events. The lighting is low voltage, the paint is water based, the furniture is reused at other events, and the carpet is recyclable.  Suppliers we are pleased  to be working with include:

• Agility Fairs and Events
• Geoff Neal Litho
• Melville Exhibition & Event Services
• Reeds Carpeting
• Creative Events
• Leith’s Catering

Geoff Neal Litho Ltd, our lithographic printer, has strong environmental credentials which include an ISO 14001 environmental management system, FSC Chain of Custody traceability, CarbonNeutrality and PAS 2020, which is the latest Direct Mail environmental certification. They pride themselves on their environmental processes and can proudly claim that they recycle 90% of their waste, which would have gone to landfill. All of their preferred sheets are FSC and many are part recycled. All of their inks are vegetable oil based. Geoff Neal Litho’s staff are trained to understand the environmental impact of what they do both at work and at home.

Melville are the official shell scheme stand builders for Ecobuild. They provide the following:

• Traditional shell stands – all wooden panels and wooden fascia are reused
• All Melville cord carpet used at Ecobuild is recyclable
• Electrical cabling used on shell scheme stands is recycled
• The lighting is low voltage
• Paint is water based
• Furniture is reused

Ecobuild have worked closely with Creative Events (the onsite cafe caterers at Earls Court Exhibition Centre) over the last 2 years to reduce the adverse environmental impacts of catering production and supply. Throughout the relationship, Creative Events have achieved the following:

• Improved the packaging of their sandwiches – the packaging is 100% recyclable and 100% biodegradable. The paper is sourced from well-managed forests and other controllable sources that are FSC approved
• Supply a fully recyclable disposable offering of paper plates and wooden cutlery
• Have changed coffee suppliers – now use suppliers who operate in accordance with the rainforest alliance who source their beans from small community farms and cooperatives
• Communicate with customers better by providing information on large boards about the origin of the food, the sustainability of their operation and the recyclability of their disposables
• Trained supervisors so they are able to pass on information to their staff and customers to actively encourage the customer to help recycle the waste

Leith’s, the contract caterers for Ecobuild, have worked hard to ensure their service is as sustainable as possible. Leith’s have demonstrated their commitment to more sustainable products and practices in a variety of ways, including: 

• Developed relationships with local producers and revised menus to ensure produce is seasonal (as much as possible)
• Print menus on paper that is from a sustainable source
• Detergents used are environmentally sound as per the current 2008 EU regulations
• Biscuits are not wrapped which results in less packaging and less waste
• Coffee, tea, sugar and some fruit are Fair Trade products
• Laundry is sent to a local company rather than a large central company – this reduces the overall miles travelled
• Food waste is sent to an onsite wormery for composting