First and foremost, what is a zero-waste event?
A zero-waste event can be any function, a wedding, a corporate party, or even a high school dance, with the target of limiting the amount of material that goes into the landfill.
This means recycling and composting. In recent years, more and more event planners have been looking towards zero-waste programs to help reduce the ecological footprint of their events and therefore their organizations.
Some groups that have been hitting the headlines lately for exemplary efforts for hosting a zero-waste event includes, but is not limited to: Arizona State University, Clinton Global Initiative University, Walmart, Crate & Barrel, and The Phoenix Open. Read how Duke made their opening football game zero-waste here!
The great thing about planning for a zero-waste event is that it does not take much to execute effectively. All it takes is a little time and the know-how to plan for it, we’ve got you covered on the know-how; below are 7 tips you need to effectively plan for a Zero-Waste Event!
7 tips on how to make your next event zero-waste:
- Send out RSVPs for your event to get a good understanding of how many people you will be providing food for, exactly. This will cut down on amount of left-over food waste!
- Utilize electronic media for invitations and marketing instead of printing out flyers and brochures to reduce the amount of paper waste produced by your event.
- Rent a Zero-Waste Station from your local waste management services to provide compost bins and recycling bins and landfill bins at your event!
- Use bio-bags or plant-based plastic bags for compost, recycling, and landfill bins.
- Find a local composter and recycling vendor to drop off waste if the venue does not offer a solution for recycling or composting; or you can always hire a waste management service to take care of post-processing the waste!
- If volunteers are available, utilize their time to stand guard at the waste disposal area to make sure all waste makes it in to their respected places as well as to sort out trash at the end of the event.
- Shop compostable, disposable products like cups, utensils, napkins, etc. Some suppliers include Eco Products, Vegware, Green Paper Products, etc.
To really go above and beyond…
Offer a carpooling solution or simply encourage carpooling among attendees! A fun way to do this is by renting a party bus or limousine to pick up at a relatively convenient location for the majority of your guests.
Remember to think green when planning events, the Earth is counting on you!
We would love to hear from you, comment about an event you planned or attended that was zero-waste or about the creative ideas you may have on how to organize a successful zero-waste event!
