GUELPH, ON, April 5 /CNW/ - According to the United Nations Environment Program, more than 80 million people around the world attend a meeting, conference or trade show every year. The average meeting produces 20 pounds of garbage per person each day. To help people and organizations reduce the impact on our planet's health, The Co-operators today publicly released its Guide to Sustainable Meetings.

The comprehensive guide is designed to be a resource for conscientious organizers of all types of gathering. From everyday staff meetings to large conferences, sustainability should be taken into account at every stage of planning. The 34-page guide is full of tips, case studies and resources and is designed to be as interactive as possible. Checklists and questionnaires are available on a fillable PDF format that can be saved separately on your computer, reducing the need for printing.

"Embedding sustainability principles into the everyday operations of an organization starts with a new way of thinking about the things we all do every day. Documents like this guide remind us to do the little things that, we hope, will become second nature over time," says Kathy Bardswick, president and CEO of The Co-operators. "This is information that applies to everyone, and our hope is that others interested in making a difference will make use of it."

As with its Sustainability Best Practices paper, The Co-operators continues to make its sustainability documents public in hopes that other organizations interested in contributing to a greener and healthier tomorrow find the information useful as well.

To view the guide in its entirety, visit http://www.cooperators.ca/static/pdf/en/Sustainability/guide-to-sustainable-meetings.pdf

About The Co-operators:
The Co-operators Group Limited is a 100 per cent Canadian-owned co-operative with more than $42 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies, it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators is owned by 45 Canadian co-operatives, credit union centrals and like-minded organizations. It is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to creating a more sustainable tomorrow. In 2010, The Co-operators was ranked #2 among the 50 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada and listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada. For more information visit www.cooperators.ca.