The Emeryville Connection: A news magazine published by the Emeryville Chamber of Commerce
BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
You Can Minimize Your Waste at Special Events
Alameda County is host to more than 150 events each year. Whether it’s a sporting affair or a large conference, all special events produce large amounts of waste; waste that can be diverted from landfills by planning ahead.
“There are simple steps event organizers can take in preventing and reducing the amount of waste an event produces,” said Roberta Miller, program manager with the StopWaste Partnership. “With proper planning and adequate resources, waste can be greatly minimized.”
The StopWaste Partnership recently developed a detailed guide event organizers can use to implement a successful waste minimization program. The guide outlines the various steps organizers can take to reduce, reuse and recycle the materials produced at special events.
Waste is preventable. Much of the waste discarded at special events is recyclable. In 2005, the California Integrated Waste Management Board conducted waste audits at a variety of special events, and concluded that event organizers and sponsors have the greatest influence the success of waste prevention programs. The audits found that 27 percent of special event waste is paper, 10 percent is cardboard and 11 percent is plastic – all of which is recyclable.
“A successful waste prevention program can keep these materials out of the landfill,” said Miller. “It takes good leadership and smart planning – and we’re here to help with that.”
The guide explains the various ways in which event organizers can reduce, reuse and recycle to minimize the amount of waste their event produces. The guide offers dozens of creative ideas, such as purchasing compostable food service ware, cutting unwanted event T-shirts into rags for cleaning and donating leftover cardboard tubes, and reusing containers for school art projects.
The guide is easy to follow and includes worksheets, graphs, images, timelines and tables.
The guide also suggests that organizers purchase in bulk, use washable rags, towels and napkins and serve condiments in bulk rather than in single servings. The guide explains how to set up recycling bins and signage, educate staff and volunteers on the importance of recycling and how to implement outreach efforts that will share your waste prevention program’s success with the public.
How they did it. Three years ago, the Oakland’s McAfee Coliseum experienced great success when it began using cornstarch-based compostable beverage cups. The venue was the first stadium in the nation to use compostable cups, which are separated from the trash, diverting a huge amount of waste from landfills. The transition saves the venue money on waste disposal fees and leaves a positive impact on the environment by reducing the purchase of plastic products.
“Success stories like these are wonderful models for others to follow. Waste prevention programs bring about so many benefits – we hope our guide inspires others to plan for waste reduction,” said Miller.
“We feel the guide will be widely sought as the go-to resource for event organizers looking to prevent and reduce waste during special events,” she added.
Interested in learning more? Visit www.StopWastePartnership.org or call 1-877-STOPWASTE. The Guide is also available for download in PDF format on the StopWastePartnership.org website.
3980 Harlan Street · Emeryville, CA 94608 · Phone: 510-652-5223 · Fax: 510-652-4223 · info@emeryvillechamber.com
©2007 Emeryville Chamber of Commerce.