Events concentrate waste: thousands of people, disposable cutlery, flex banners, packaging and leftover food, all in one place for a short time. That concentration is also an opportunity, because a well-planned event can sort and divert almost everything it produces.
Before the event
- Set a target, such as the share of waste diverted from landfill, and tell vendors about it in their contracts.
- Choose reusable or genuinely compostable serveware and avoid single-use plastics.
- Design signage and backdrops that can be reused, or use recyclable materials instead of PVC flex.
- Arrange in advance for surplus food to go to a food bank or community kitchen.
During the event
- Set up clearly labelled segregation stations, each staffed by a volunteer.
- Provide water refill points instead of bottled water.
- Keep a separate collection point for vendors’ packaging and cartons.
After the event
- Weigh each waste stream and record where it went.
- Send organic waste to composting or biogas, and dry waste to recyclers.
- Publish the results. Sponsors and attendees value seeing the impact.
A zero-waste event is planned at the sponsorship table, not at the exit gate.