BEFORE THE EVENT - Declare you’re going completely compostable or banning non-recyclable plastic items
- Communicate with stallholders to make sure they understand why it’s important,
and what will happen if they don - Link them up with a compostable packaging supplier or food service distributor
ON THE DAY - Enforce your rule by checking on arrival that stallholders are only using compostable packaging
- Supply them with suitable bins or bags for separating waste back of house including food waste
- During the event work closely with them to ensure they are separating waste effectively
- Recycling volunteers are key to maximising recycling rates
- Before the event, run training sessions for the volunteers
- Attach a venue or site map to your training material highlighting the location of bin stations.
- These sessions should:
| - Engage the volunteers on recycling
- Outline the zero waste ambitions of your event
- Explain what compostable packaging is, and how it gets recycled
|
- The volunteers should leave feeling confident in informing or directing the public to the right bin
- It’s important that your bins are clearly labelled
- Create or use signage that use both text and images
- Fell free to use any configuration of bins. But make sure you communicate it clearly and ensure that each recycling station has one of each bin
- Position them at each recycling station
- Use them to direct the public to the right bin
- Make sure you nominate litter pickers so anything that goes in the wrong bin (or outside any bin) can be moved to the correct bin
- The key is to reduce the level of contamination within waste streams, and increase recycling rates as much as possible!
- Gather feedback from everyone who interacted with your waste system – key event organisers, volunteers, stallholders, etc.
- While it’s fresh in your mind, document what went well and what could have been improved – this can be used to inform your next event
- Obtain waste data from your contractor – how close to zero waste did you get?
- Share your experiences with others to be part of the events industry’s journey to zero waste
|