Green Handouts - Go Recycled or Go Digital
If printed handouts are a necessary part of your event they can be easily greened with these simple tips.
- Print handouts on recycled paper containing at least 30% post consumer waste fiber
- Print handouts at least three-up or even six-up and print both sides of the sheet.
These two tips combined can reduce the virgin paper used for handouts by up to 65%!
Going digital or some call it "paperless" - referring to putting the
handouts on CD or online and providing attendees with only a final program (see idea #2 below) and adhering the CD to the inside cover. This reduces the amount of print and can in many cases, reduce cost.
Placing the handouts online is sometimes done in advance of the event with the mindset attendees will print the handouts they want and bring them to the event (hence not really true paperless, but shifting the printing to the attendee). Some known issues with this approach are:
- Speakers do not like their information available until they present it.
- Attendees forget to bring printed handouts and don't like being responsible for it.
- Event organizers viewed as cheap by not making handouts available while also not reducing registration fees.