As the promotional products industry’s largest event, the sheer preparation, investment and undertaking required to make The PPAI Expo 2025 a waste-free event is massive in scale. With the statistics officially measured, PPAI is proud to announce that last January’s event officially accomplished the feat, improving upon its sustainability efforts over the previous year in collaboration with Mandalay Bay.

  • 91% of potential waste generated from The PPAI Expo 2025 was diverted from landfills and recycled, qualifying it as a waste-free event.
  • This was an increase from the previous year, which managed to divert 88% of potential waste.

That 3% increase year over year is no small matter. In this case, it represents nearly 50,000 additional pounds of recycled materials, and it’s the result of increased investment by PPAI and efforts by the team at Mandalay Bay.

“We’re thrilled to show progress in responsible event management, with amazing participation from our exhibitors in the recycling and donation program we run in collaboration with Mandalay Bay,” says Elizabeth Wimbush, PPAI’s director of sustainability and responsibility. “We intend to keep improving on this year over year, with some exciting additions next year.”

We’re thrilled to show progress in responsible event management, with amazing participation from our exhibitors in the recycling and donation program we run in collaboration with Mandalay Bay.”

Elizabeth Wimbush

Director of Sustainability & Responsibility, PPAI

More Numbers, Less Waste

The efforts by PPAI and MGM (which operates Mandalay Bay) are all the more impressive considering that this year The PPAI Expo’s trade floor was 3.5% bigger, in terms of square footage, than the year prior. That leaves greater opportunity for waste. But from every piece of food that you couldn’t finish to the packing materials exhibitors discarded after setting up their booths, teams were prepared to redirect it while you weren’t looking.

  • Every piece of material or food that you place in a trash can while at The PPAI Expo 2025 is sorted by a staff member of MGM.
  • Even the plastic that exhibitors use to wrap much of their cargo during travel is collected, and MGM sells it to companies interested in the material for repurposing.


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Below is a breakdown of the materials that made up potential waste at The PPAI Expo 2025, nearly all of which was recycled in some form.

Making an event the size of The PPAI Expo 2025 an ecologically sustainable operation is ultimately a team effort, and the promo community attending, exhibiting and sponsoring the event all contributed in their own ways. Thanks to multiple water refill stations on the trade floor and free refillable bottles provided by Garyline, PPAI 100’s No. 27 supplier, 7,454 plastic water bottles were avoided.

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“Waste is always a sign of inefficient design,” says Kristen Royal, director of sustainable operations at MGM Resort International across all global brands and locations. “It is not something you have the luxury of not focusing on.”