The environment’s wellbeing and the health of the public are related. Thus, it is important for environmentally friendly products and practices to be implemented at public health conferences where the general population can be educated. Simple and cost-effective measures can be taken at these public health conferences (and even in our daily activities) to reduce our environmental waste and the impact we have on the environment.
K.S. Mohindra, a global health researcher of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada has attended several public health conferences for research. Based on her experiences at the conferences, Mohindra has noted a general increase in the practices of the three important R’s: reducing, reusing, and recycling. A more common trend that Mohindra has noticed is the use of electronics to advertise at the public health conferences rather than paper to reduce the amount of waste created. However, there are still more practices that can be applied and that should be adopted in order to have the smallest impact on our environment.
The American National Recycling Coalition has developed some key strategies more specific to public health conferences that individuals and groups can take. To address the matter of printed materials, they encourage using recyclable signs and limiting the practice of printing on glossy paper, etc. which are difficult to recycle. For food and beverage services, it is best to serve using china glass, however this is often a neglected option due to cost and maintenance issues. Biodegradable disposal and composting should be available if non-reusable items must be used. Garbage bins and recycling bins with the appropriate labels (paper, glass, etc.) should be distributed and placed in key locations. The attendants of the public health conferences can also be educated on green practices through short speeches, displays, and other channels. At the end of a conference, the effects and/or results of the green practices can be evaluated and altered for future conferences. This list of green practices can be applied at the public health conferences with a small impact on budget, while its effects would have a strong impact on reducing environmental waste.
It is important to ensure that the green practices being applied really are green. A situation this applies to is the placing of reusable plastic water bottles in conference kits, according to Mohindra. The intention of giving the plastic bottles is to reduce waste caused by bottled water; however, depending on the plastic the water bottles are made of, they can suggest recycling and health problems. Recyclable materials are labeled with numbers 1-7 depending on the plastic it is composed of. Mohindra claims that the reusable plastic bottles she receives in the conference kits are mostly comprised of plastic #7 – often polycarbonate or a mix of other materials. This plastic is very difficult to recycle. Plastic #7 is usually, but not always, polycarbonate, a plastic known to leach the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) into water. BPA is believed to have harmful health effects as it can act as a hormone disruptor in the body. Polycarbonate, with its recycling and possible health problems associated with it, should be avoided. The best alternative for reusable water bottles are stainless steel bottles because they have been proven to be the safest material to drink from, yet these can be costly. Alternative options for the issue of water bottles could involve encouraging conference attendants to bring their own reusable water bottles, selling reusable water bottles, and donating unwanted bottles.
There are several alternative methods and options we can choose when considering on taking a more environmental approach towards something. Because there is a relationship between the public health and the environment, greener practices should be implemented at public health conferences. These practices, whether it includes using electronics for advertisement or having biodegradable disposal and composting services, would educate the public and hopefully encourage individuals to reevaluate their actions which affect the environment. Although some of the greener practices at conferences require a little more effort or money, they can reduce our waste and consumption of resources and reduce our impact on the environment.
Works Cited
Mohindra, K.S. "Greening Public Health Conferences: Educating Ourselves." Health Education 108.4 (2008): 269-71. Print.
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