Pivot to the Future - The great transformation

Here are some of the steps that we are taking to run Zinnov Confluence sustainably:

• Moving 85% of all branding to low power consumption LEDs from printed standees and flyers
• Using 100% reusable cotton lanyards instead of plastic lanyards
• Replacing plastic badges with seed cards which can grow into flowers when planted in soil
• Replacing plastic-lined paper cups with kulhads that are biodegradable for tea/coffee
• Replacing plastic water bottles with water booths (refillable cans and glasses)
• Encouraging attendees to get their own bottles – which will help us avoid the wastage of more than 30k plastic bottles in 2 days
• Using MDFs, which are recyclable for booths and other stall instalments
• Using palette board, which is already upcycled, for infrastructure and other installations
• Encouraging all delegates to carpool, and use EV taxis and buses to reach the venue.
• Swapping physical standees with digital ones
• Reimagining our gifting to include all biodegradable/recyclable/reusable packing, printing, etc., and supplementing the same with donations equivalent to the gift value toward tree-planting drives to offset our carbon footprint
• Making program agenda, and other important information available through QR code scans instead of print
• Not using flex print material, which is non-biodegradable and non-recyclable, and instead using only canvas or cloth – which is biodegradable and recyclable
• Working with a sustainability partner to educate ourselves and all our partners on making sustainable choices, and also ensuring the waste created at the event is either upcycled, recycled, or converted to biofuel. We have onboarded Hasiru Dala as our Eco Partner to help with this process
• Hasiru Dala is also helping us baseline all our efforts and track the environmental impact of this event, to help us understand, analyze, and evaluate our processes to improve them for future events at all scales
• Installing bins in strategic locations at the event for attendees to drop off their seed cards, lanyards, notebooks, pencils, etc., and avoid the extra waste that would have otherwise reached the garbage dumps/landfills unsegregated
• Using standard-sized building blocks (100% reusable) for stage, sponsor booths, registration booths, and other stalls. Using standard size blocks/slats prevents the creation of any scrap/wastage, reducing the amount of material that needs to be upcycled
• Using coated fabric instead of plastic/vinyl for any print work
• Using eco-solvent ink, a biodegradable solvent, for printing
• Using sustainable materials like paper and jute for all our bags
• Providing a limited number of notebooks (that are made of recycled paper) to the audience. Recommending they bring their own notebooks to prevent unnecessary use of paper.
• Providing paper pencils (to avoid using plastic refills) that are made from newspaper and sourced from rural parts of Karnataka. The objective is to create employment and reuse instead of creating new material
• Getting power from BS6 compliant generators which are more efficient than other diesel generators
• Using an energy-efficient sound system based on the SPL graph for optimum usage
• Using floor carpeting that is reusable and optimizes sound. This enables us to reduce the usage of equipment and electricity
• Backdrop renders using LED lights, which saves energy
• Partnering with the hotel to use all the extra food from the event to feed its employees and staff. Extra food waste is being managed by our Eco Partner and will be taken to the recycling plant to be convert into biofuel
• Arranging carpools for all Zinnov employees to offset carbon footprint. The total number of vehicles leveraged has now been reduced by at least 65% as compared to the previous event of a similar scale.
• Creating an idea bank of how to run events sustainably from our employees, our partners, and our customers, which will help us take the necessary steps to drive more sustainable events
• Using the platform of Confluence to educate over 600 companies that are present at the event about the choices that can help spark a change
• Connecting our event partners and vendors to our Eco Partner to ensure their materials and waste are effectively disposed
• Hosting a Maker Faire that will feature sustainability-focused or sustainably-run businesses that can be leveraged by the ecosystem to make better choices
• Using logos and brand strategically – so that the material created can be reused again at different events rather than being disposed after one-time use.