ZERO WASTE & WASTE MINIMIZATION FOR EVENTS

Bob McGivney – Director of Small Business & Event Sustainability

HOW DO YOU TELL THEM ALL TO REDUCE WASTE???

DON’T PUT IT IN THEIR HAND!!!

PLANNING THE EVENT

• Planning early allows for waste reduction plans right from the start

• Minimizing waste reduces costs for everyone

• Identify behaviors that generate waste • Flyers – use email announcements • Website – online registration and ticketing (even

airlines do it!)

There are a lot of stakeholders when producing an event…START AT THE SOURCE

• Property Owners – what is their waste policy? Will they help?

• City Staff – permits? Awareness? Regulations? i.e. Parks & Recreation

• Sponsors – what are they promoting? What products will they bring? Packaging?

• Vendors – concession staff – what will they serve their product in?

• Contractors – cleaning services? Training? How much are they willing to do?

• Volunteers – what will their role be?

• Attendees – they just came for a good time

EVENT STAKEHOLDERS

• PROPERTY OWNERS & CITY STAFF – permits? awareness? regulations? create guidelines & enforce.

EVENT STAKEHOLDERS• SPONSORS & VENDORS – What are they promoting or

selling? Most of the waste starts here…

• Reduce or eliminate flyers & promotional hand outs

• Food Service: • Buy items in bulk – eliminate single

use items• Reusable or compostable servingware• Include mandatory use of reusable,

compostable or recyclable items in contracts

EVENT STAKEHOLDERS• CONTRACTORS & VOLUNTEERS

• Educate workers & volunteers about the importance of waste reduction – get them involved

• Offer good hourly rate for trash pickers – pays dividends• Training workers is critical

• Be sure workers are willing to separate contamination

SIGNAGE & CONTAINERS

• Effective, clear signage is essential

• Must be easy to read & bilingual

• Use images & color codes• Recycling = blue• Compost = green• Landfill = black

SIGNAGE & CONTAINERS

• Always keep containers together!

• Recycling & Compost always with landfill trash

• Be sure workers are willing to separate contamination

Containers for Event Recycling for 50 to 100,000

45 Gallon ClearStream Containers

Billboard for Sponsorship Logos & Messaging

Placed throughout grounds

Outside Only!!

20, 30 & 40 yard Roll Off Container

20’ L x 8’ W x various heights Central location for easy truck

access Holds 80 carts worth of

material For 2500+ guests

96 Gallon Toter Carts Placed around

perimeter for bag collection

For <3000 guests

Containers for Event Recycling for 50 to 100,000

2 yard mini-dumpster Equivalent to 4 carts Very flexible with

placement

6 yard Front Load dumpster

Equivalent to 12 carts Restricted placement

Post Event Report Example

Recycling & Compost & Landfill waste report Weight lbs Volume CuYd % Weight % Volume

Single Stream Recycling 1120 3.25 68.17% 71.44%

Organic Waste 505 1.25 30.74% 27.48%

Trash 18 0.049 1.10% 1.08%

Total 1643 4.549 100.00% 100.00%

Total Diverted from landfill 98.90% 98.92%

• Tech Company Private Conference 2013• Austin Hilton Downtown - total cooperation with hotel staff• 1200 guests – 3 days

Post Event Report Example• Austin Triathlon 2013• Auditorium Shores – strict Park & Rec clean up standards• 3500 participants

Recycling & Compost & Landfill waste report Weight lbs Volume CuYd % Weight % Volume

Single Stream Recycling 360 2.75 72.73% 61.11%

Compost 60 0.25 12.12% 5.56%

Trash 75 1.5 15.15% 33.33%

Total 495 4.5 100.00% 100.00%

Total Diverted from landfill 84.85% 66.67%

Post Event Report Example

Recycling & Compost & Landfill waste report Weight lbs Volume CuYd % Weight % Volume

Single Stream Recycling 9200 125 40.16% 62.50%

Organic Waste 1250 5 5.46% 2.50%

Trash 12460 70 54.39% 35.00%

Total 22910 200 100.00% 100.00%

Total offset from landfill 45.61% 65.00%

• SXSW Music 2013• Auditorium Shores – strict Park & Rec clean up standards• 30,000 people – 3 days

Summary

• Plan Ahead for waste reduction

• Get property owner to help & enforce

• Communicate with Vendors & Sponsors

• Contractors & Volunteers – get them invested & involved

• Clear signage

• Get weights & volume tickets to see results