Zero Waste Event Planning 101

Ok – brag time. My amazing little community, Navan, Ontario, just succeeded in throwing one of the most fun, inclusive, zero-waste outdoor winter events I could possibly imagine.

Check out this cool drone footage taken by one of the our Winterfest attendees!

With well over 400 people in attendance and an entirely outdoor event space, we ended the day with just a handful of actual garbage. Not only that, but even our recycling and compost output was minimal!

Some of the items placed in the trash bin actually could have been composted, too – I “rescued” as much as I could (totally guilty of being a garbage picker)! But overall, a massive success.

How did we do it?

1 – Plan Ahead

Planning ahead is so important in order to make sure you think through all the potential areas that trash may pop up. From food service to prizes to event layout and promo – there is lots to consider when it comes to planning a function – and if you want to keep your event as waste-free as possible, it’s mostly just a matter of re-thinking ‘business as usual.’

For our event, since it was outdoors (and in the middle of Great Canadian Winter), weather was a big factor in how many people would show up. Lucky for us, Mother Nature cooperated and we had sunshine and mild temperatures and a fantastic turnout. But regardless of the weather, we were ready with our low-waste game plan – complete with task lists, maps and plan B’s!

2 – Set up a Visible “Waste Station”

Having a visible “Waste Station” out front will help people notice it on the way into your event. Make sure you have well-labeled bins for any possible waste materials — Compost, Recycling, Landfill/Trash, and a “dirty dish” bin (optional, depending on your event).

Again, clear signage is key here – for each bin as well as a general “waste station” sign. It’s also helpful to have a few volunteers to act as “waste monitors” to guide and educate people about where items should be placed. Be sure volunteers are aware of recycling/compost and waste rules (for example, in our municipality, check out the City of Ottawa Waste Explorer to determine where items should go).

Depending on the size of your venue and crowd, you may want to have a few waste stations set up. For our event, we set up one waste station right at the entrance – near the music 😉 We made a reusable “waste station” sign from re-purposed chalk boards and ensured a volunteer was available to answer questions at any time.

Our set up included a black bin (paper recycling), blue bin (glass, tin and certain plastics recycling), compost, trash can and a “dirty dish” collection bin.

3 – Avoid Disposables and Use a “Dish Library” and/or Encourage BYO Reusables

Disposable dishes, cups and cutlery are the main waste culprits when it comes to functions involving food and drink. (And let’s be serious — what kind of amazing event doesn’t have food and/or drink??!!) 😉

Instead, why not encourage event attendees to bring their own (BYO) reusable items? This requires only slightly more planning for your attendees, but in our experience, people were more than happy – proud, in fact – to show off their reusable stashes upon arrival.

If you want to add some extra incentive to get more people to BYO (as if saving the planet wasn’t enough incentive!), consider offering rewards for those who comply.

For those who don’t bring their reusables, consider creating (or signing out an existing) dish library. Check out plateshare.ca to find a FREE set of dishes near you – simply sign out, use, wash and return! (We’ve set up a plateshare account already in Navan, so anyone in the area can follow our lead! We have cups, mugs, plates, bowls, cutlery and even serving platters.)

To create a dish library, simply ask around in your community, parent groups, etc. You may be surprised by the collection you can put together from just a few families looking to de-clutter.

For certain types of events (such as zero waste birthday parties and potlucks), you may want to skip the BYO concept altogether and just use a dish library. Keep in mind that using a dish library means someone will have to do the cleaning… but, with the right planning crew, even this can be enjoyable – or simply make it part of the event!

4 – Food supply – support local, buy loose/in bulk and keep it package-free

When sourcing food for your event, look for locally grown/produced items – fresher, less food miles traveled and typically less packaging too! Be up-front with businesses and tell them that you are hosting an eco-friendly event. This way, they can accommodate – or let you know their limitations.

Request items without packaging, avoid single-serve items, and instead look for ingredients and supplies in bulk. (Bonus: did you know at Bulk Barn, you can get loose coffee, tea, hot cocoa and cider — in your own refilled containers!? Jackpot!!!)

If you’re inviting external food vendors, again, be up-front about the low-waste nature of your event. Perhaps they can offer eco-friendly/compostable serving options – or better yet – a discount for those who BYO reusables!!! For our eco-friendly Winterfest day, Holmspun Ice Cream was pleased to offer both of these green options!

5 – Rethink Signage – Less waste & Flexible Scheduling

Signage is SO helpful at events – and signs don’t have to be wasteful!

Rather than disposable print-outs and posters, try to find reusable options like white boards and chalk boards so they can be re-purposed for multiple events.

For our Winterfest event, we used one large white board to list the schedule of events – a bonus to this approach is that you can “edit” your schedule as needed if timing or activities change. We used another white board to advertise our awesome (BYO incentive) prizes, and then a chalk board to highlight our “waste station”.

Full disclosure – we also used a few sheets of plain recycled paper to label the dish library, dirty dish bin and to highlight certain sponsors. So aside from a few balls of tape for sticking, zero waste was created from our event signage.

6 – Seek Local, Low-Waste Prizes & Donations

Similar to being up-front with food vendors and suppliers, when you’re sourcing prize donations, be sure to highlight a desire to keep items low-waste.

This could mean more “experiential” prizes, like museum passes, hockey tickets and gift cards – or locally made package-free items such as wine, preserves, soaps. One prize donor for our Winterfest event even created a beautiful “gift crate”, stocked with reusables and local preserves all neatly placed into a reusable wooden crate (no celophane and no bubble wrap)! Amazing job, JT Bradley’s! Another idea that worked well with our eco theme was a gift card to a local second-hand shop, Once Upon A Child!

7 – Decor & Supplies – Crowd Source and Re-use What You’ve Got

When it comes to decorations, I often feel less is more. Simplifying and going “green” is not only beneficial to the planet, but also to your planning budget!

A good approach is to look at items you already have. For our event, we used old sheets and pieces of fabric in place of table cloths – establishing a colourful, fun country picnic feel – perfection! For our judge “clipboards” we uses hardcover children’s books and clothes pegs. Get creative and make it work!

We were also fortunate to receive a donation of hay bales that doubled as all-natural seating and a cool country back-drop for our make-shift “photobooth”. Photobooth props were found by asking around amongst local parents — I knew we couldn’t be the only family with a Tickle Trunk full of ridiculous dress up gear!

If you’re looking for something particular (themed items, a stock pile of Mason jars or twine, etc.), try posting a Want Ad on a local Buy Nothing Group – or consider borrowing from friends or neighbours, or even renting from Ruckify. You might be surprised what you can find just by asking – it may even come at no cost 😉

8 – Up-Front “Eco” Advertising & Promotion

When promoting your event – on social media, in newsletters, wherever – be sure to highlight UP-FRONT the eco-friendly nature. This will set the tone for your event, and help remind people to BYO, but also encourage other event-goers and planners to do the same the next time they’re attending or organizing an event. The more people talk about it, the more people will do it, the more we will NORMALIZE the idea of low-waste events. Afterall, every event should strive to be eco-friendly automatically.

9 – Maintain “Eco Event” Momentum with Acknowledgements, Thank you’s & Follow Up

To help maintain the momentum for low-waste events, be sure to acknowledge and thank all those who made a special effort to keep things eco-friendly. From the donors of package-free local prizes and fresh bakery buns to the eager volunteers and everyone who brought their reusables – everyone will be pleased to know that THEY HELPED MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Follow up with an email, social media posts and photographic evidence of your success!

That’s it. Not difficult. Let’s make it the New Normal.

Check out my post on How to Throw a Zero Waste Birthday Party for more great tips!

Have you thrown a low waste event or party? Any tips I’ve missed? I’d love to hear them!