Large Events, Small Footprints!

Since Beline Falzon began working at the King Center for Global Development in 2022, she has transformed the processes that go into planning and hosting events at the Center, specifically around sustainable food choices and waste reduction. As a Senior Event Planner, Beline has the responsibility to host large numbers of people, which comes with the opportunity to influence behavior and expand their knowledge for the better. Event planners wield a unique power for advancing sustainability, in that they understand the actions and behaviors of people, especially en masse. For these reasons, Beline hopes to influence people’s actions and encourage them to make permanent sustainable habits that stick with them once they leave the confines of the boardroom or after a fun day of curated programming. 

Improving the Center’s sustainability has required various approaches from different angles, from changing the Center’s methods of food purchasing and choice of caterers to implementing new infrastructure and hiring bin monitors to ease event attendees' waste-sorting experience. Beline recalls that food is often the most challenging hurdle for hosting entirely sustainable events. It requires clear and constant communication with all parties about what materials and ingredients should be used and what goes in which waste sorting bin. Some of her biggest successes have come from hosting an event entirely using reusable plates and cutlery, significantly reducing the amount of single-use plastics as a result, and coordinating with a colleague to collect leftover salads to take home as a treat for their farm animals!