In July 2024, the historic Blenheim Palace played host to the European Political Community (EPC) Summit, bringing together 47 European leaders to address shared challenges and opportunities. Sustainability was a core principle of this prestigious event, with a commitment to leaving a lasting positive legacy through responsible resource management and social impact.
At the heart of the Summit’s sustainability goals was a partnership with Event Cycle, tasked with ensuring that leftover materials and furniture were not wasted but repurposed for community good.
A Collaborative Mission
The EPC Summit was planned and delivered by the event agency Identity, which embraced the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's sustainability guiding principles:
Protecting the environment and delivering social value
Creating accessible and inclusive events
Encouraging sustainable behaviour
Embedding responsible, circular sourcing
Leaving a positive legacy
Event Cycle was engaged as the asset dissolution partner to help achieve these goals. We collaborated with Identity to design effective reuse and redistribution strategies, ensuring every item used as part of the event that could not be reused, found a purposeful home after the event.
Transforming Waste into Impact
By applying the waste hierarchy — reuse, rethink, and redesign — Event Cycle redirected materials that might have been destined for landfill to charities, schools, and community groups.
Carpet: Over 2,900m² of carpet was donated, providing flooring to families in need and boosting creative initiatives like The Inconvenience Store’s sustainability education projects.
Wood: 191 timber-framed ply boards were distributed to men’s mental health charities and repair workshops, fostering skills, mental well-being, and community connections.
Furniture: 314 pieces of furniture found new homes in schools, community hubs, and charities like Seahaven Academy and YMCA, making spaces more functional and inviting.
Environmental Gains:
Carbon Savings:
Carpet reuse: 6.11 kgCO2e
Wood reuse: 5,301.65 kgCO2e
Furniture reuse: 1,101.89 kgCO2e
Total waste diverted from landfill 6409.65 kgCO2e
Social Impact:
The donations were valued at over £45,448.98 saving charities money to reinvest in their projects rather than purchasing new items
Community Reach:
Donations were distributed to 14 organisations across London, East England, and the South East, including The Witney Manshed, Meditech, and Blatchington Mill School.
A Model for Sustainable Events
The EPC Summit is a great example of how large-scale events can lead the way in sustainability and social impact. By embedding responsible sourcing, reuse, and redistribution into every stage of planning and execution, Identity and Event Cycle turned the Summit’s sustainability commitments into actionable results.
This success story demonstrates that events can—and should—do more than bring people together; they can leave a lasting, positive impact on both the environment and society.
To find out more about the organisations that benefitted and the impact made, read the full report here:
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