Waste can be generated at all times during an event as well as set up and pack up stages.
As part of our community-led vision, Greater Geelong: A Clever and Creative Future, we are committed to reducing the environmental impacts of waste, including from events we run or grant permits to.
Events are more likely to be granted permits where they show consideration for avoiding or reducing waste – especially from single-use plastics – and maximising recycling outcomes in their event plans.
Waste is costly to manage, and can have serious environmental impacts.
Single-use plastics like bottles and balloons, in particular, do not fully break down, and often enter our waterways as litter, or are absorbed by wildlife.
Aiming to reduce and recycle the waste your event produces at a planning stage can save you money and create a more sustainable event – which your community will thank you for!
Waste-wise events
Waste-wise events follow these broad principles:
- organisers commit to purposefully avoid and minimise waste wherever possible, and manage what is unavoidable responsibly
- participants and attendees are encouraged to reduce their own waste through education before the event, and with clear s signage and bin facilities at the event
- re-usable, recyclable, compostable or already-recycled products are used wherever possible.
Reduce and manage waste
- Avoid unnecessary things that will become waste:
- talk to your suppliers about how you can avoid nonessential packaging
- book a reusable plate & cutlery service, or organise one yourself
- work with vendors to swap single-use plastics for compostable, recyclable or made-from-recycled-material options (note that compostable items are only good alternatives if you are organising a composting service to collect this waste stream – they cannot compost in landfill)
- use event advertising to remind attendees to bring their own bags and drink bottles. offer incentives like a discount when they use their own cup
- book drinking water stations from Barwon Water so bottled water isn’t needed
- Use reusable or recyclable decorations instead of single-use plastics like balloons.
- Recycle wherever possible:
- ensure you will have the right recycling bins – either comingled or separate paper, metal, plastic streams depending on your contractor
- consider hiring a composting bin to divert food scraps from landfill
- prepare clear signage so attendees understand how to sort their waste, and station volunteers at bin stations to help.
- Deal with waste responsibly:
- ensure you have the correct number of bins and toilets and hire extra if needed
- place bins close to where food and drink will be consumed, close to toilets and at entries and exits
- monitor and clean existing and temporary bins during the event before they are full
- monitor and clean existing and temporary toilets during the event
- hire professional cleaning staff who have the right equipment and cleaning stock and make sure they are there at the right times to monitor and clean.
Barwon South West Waste and Resources Recovery Group have released a Zero Waste Event Guide. The purpose of the guide is to help event organisers and patrons eliminate waste and prevent litter at events of all sizes and types, regardless of their duration, location, number of patrons or set up.
The guide uses a simple step by step process of best practice and key options to consider in the planning, delivery and evaluation of events.
Barwon South West Waste and Resource Recovery Group can also help you with best practice waste management and recycling. Visit their website for the most up to date resources and contact details.
Develop a waste management plan
You can develop the plan yourself and contract a waste management/cleaning company to implement it. Another option is to engage a waste management contractor to both develop and implement the plan on your behalf.
The Waste Management Plan should include information about:
- what streams of waste and recycling you will be collecting
- cleaning and restocking of existing and temporary toilets
- emptying temporary and existing on-site bins
- delivery and emptying of skips
- pick up of ground litter
- cleaning of event infrastructure such as tables and chairs.
As a first step you should assess who will generate waste at the event and estimate how much. This will help in working out if you need temporary infrastructure to manage the event’s waste and where it needs to be positioned. It will also help you determine when the waste will be generated and when cleaning will be needed.
The cleaning schedule details should include the following information:
- when the infrastructure (skips and bins) arrives and leaves the site
- when the cleaners arrive and leave the site
- the roles of the cleaners on site.
Things to consider when developing a cleaning schedule:
- set-up phase - generally it is a good idea to have minimum cleaners on site as the event participants are bumping in so they can collect any cardboard and boxes, position and line the bins, and stock the toilets
- peak spectator times - the maximum amount of cleaners should be on site during these times to monitor the toilets, pick up ground litter, empty bins, wipe tables etc
- end of event - cleaning staff should be doing a final clean and remove all their equipment.
- pack up - assign an event staff member to ensure that any leftover waste from event participants (cardboard boxes, unused stock etc) and promotional activity (for example: cable ties) is removed from the site
- include delivery times of temporary equipment and start/finish times of cleaning staff
- also include vehicle access and parking arrangements for cleaning staff
- event organiser to undertake a walk through of site prior to cleaning staff leaving to ensure site is cleaned prior to the contracted staff leaving.
Note: many sites have:
- existing Council bins on location and you are welcome to incorporate this infrastructure into the Waste Management Plan. Many of the bins are locked. Your Events Officer can provide you with a key prior to the event so cleaning staff can line the bins. The bins should be locked and left empty at the end of the event.
- public toilets and you can also include these in your Waste Management Plan. The plan should include re-stocking of the toilets throughout the event (paper and hand towel) and emptying of the waste paper bins within the toilets. The toilets should be left in tidy condition.
A site plan showing the existing bins and toilets, temporary bins and toilets, the event impact zone (the area outside of the site precinct that is likely to have litter generated as a result of the event), and the location of skips should form part of the Waste Management Plan and also be provided to the cleaning contractor.