October 2007

Cut waste at events

Do you know how much garbage can be generated at an "environmental" event of 1000 people? 5000 plates, 5000 utensils, 5000 cups, 100 bags of food scraps, and lots of food packaging! Now imagine having the same event and diverting a huge container (6 cubic yards) of waste from the landfill by composting, recycling, and pre-cycling (buying less packaging).

How can that much garbage be diverted? Well, at two Santa Cruz bicycle events this past summer, the organizers were bold enough to set as their goal zero-waste. The bicycle events were a huge success with many attendees impressed by the environmental dedication.

We proved that it is possible to run events and generate hardly any garbage. How can eco-conscious people enjoy a natural setting and then leave behind tons of trash?

The way we reduced waste was by purchasing the least-packaged products, buying food in bulk, using biodegradable supplies (paper plates not coated in plastic and napkins that can be composted), and serving finger foods. We had volunteer monitors in front of disposal bins to assure that all products were recycled and composted instead of thrown into landfill containers.

A lot of people were educated about composting and recycling for the first time—including the 10 year olds who were on our Waste Reduction Team. The key is buying sustainable, minimally-packaged products and having landfill containers inaccessible so the only choice is to put waste in a compost or recycle bin.

Other eco-events have also begun to organize zero-waste goals—the Bioneers encourages people to bring their own plates and utensils to their conferences and they provide washing stations.

Let's spread the Sierra Club habit of bringing your own plate, cup and cloth napkin to events! If you want tips on how to create zero-waste at your next event, e-mail .

—Keresha Durham

Santa Cruz

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