In the past year, a growing number of meeting planners have been taking steps to make their conventions and gatherings just a little more environmentally friendly by reducing waste and lowering their environmental impact. Because meetings can range from massive technology conventions to smaller company retreats, the environment is affected in a variety of ways, through travel, food, electricity and water consumed, paper from brochures, handouts that may be discarded and exhibit booths built for the few days and quickly dismantled. And even the little stuff can add to a lot over time. San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Ilana DeBare reports.

And a 2000 study by the Environmental Protection Agency said that the typical convention-goer who is staying at a hotel generates about 20 pounds of trash per day, compared with 4.6 pounds at home.

The EPA estimated the total trash generated by convention-goers at 730,000 tons per year - enough to fill eight Transamerica Pyramids.

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What You Can Do

1. Learn more about being more environmentally friendly through CAW's Living Green section.