Hosting an Event? Your Waste Management Practices Matter

Major events are often the highlight of the year whether they are athletic, seasonal, art/music related or

industry specific. Many organizations use large-scale events as fundraisers for valuable causes and

other events are purely for recreational purposes, like summer music festivals. But no matter what the

purpose of the event, it’s going to produce a lot of waste—and that’s something that event organizers

should plan for.

In the 21st century, waste management means more than just getting enough garbage cans at your event

site. It also means planning the event with an eye to reducing the total amount of waste, and making

sure that all vendors are committed to meeting expectations. Aside from improving your event’s

environmental impact, this also helps meet government regulations, improve the marketability of your

event to potential sponsors, and meet the expectations of event attendees so that your event leaves

everyone happy.

There are several keys to reducing event waste:

Planning. This is perhaps the most crucial step. Your planning committee should identify

environmental/waste reduction goals early on as well as looking into local regulations. Once

you decide on your goals, it’s vital to talk to your venue, your suppliers and your vendors ahead

of time to make sure that all parties understand and agree to the environmental goals that you’ve

set for the event.

Reducing waste. One of the best ways to control waste at your event is to reduce how much is

created in the first place. You can do that by reducing paper at the event—try large signs instead

of printed programs, and washable rags for cleaning instead of paper towels. You can also

manage food services waste by asking vendors to use reusable containers/utensils, to serve

condiments in bulk instead of “packets”, and to use napkins rather than paper or plastic plates

for small food items.

Reuse. Most large events have more limited options for reuse, but those options are valuable

nonetheless. Save extra items if possible for next year, or donate excess to other smaller events

or local schools (excess paper products, for instance, can be a great benefit to a local school).

Recycle. Buy products made of recycled materials, and make sure that recycling bins for paper,

plastic, glass and cans are the rule at all event locations. Consider composting food waste,

which can be made easy with the help of local composting programs. And make sure staff break

down and recycle all cardboard boxes.

If you need help planning the waste management at your event, EnviroSolutions, Inc. is happy to help.

EnviroSolutions is your Baltimore and D.C. area waste, recycling and composting partner.