Keeping it Green and Efficient

> Some ideas on how you can be environmentally responsible at your event

You spent weeks planning the event, all day setting it up and overseeing it.  It was a roaring success and you made a huge profit for your organisation.  It’s time to sit down with a cold drink, and give yourself a pat on the back.

Except it’s time to clean up.  There is garbage everywhere and nowhere to put it.  Nothing can ruin the buzz of a post-event high than overlooking mounds of rubbish.  Who is going to clean it up?  Where is it going to go?

Waste management is something that needs to be incorporated in all event planning and checklists.  It’s no longer acceptable to gather mixed rubbish and throw it in a garbage bag bound for landfill.  There are responsible solutions, and it is your job as an event organiser to ensure they are met.

It’s a fact that people produce more rubbish when they are away from home.  Not only are most things available to eat wrapped up, but also people tend to eat and drink more when they are celebrating.

It’s essential that sufficient bins be placed around the event site.  Get people thinking like they are in their own home and put a recycling bin next to the general waste bin.  Signage about what can go into each helps too. (Take a photo of common items sold at your event that can go into the recycling bin and use that.)

Ensure the bins are emptied regularly.  If a bin starts overflowing, people will just start throwing their waste on the pile rather than look for a bin.  Not only does this look unsightly and ruin the atmosphere of your event, it also creates more work for your workers and volunteers.

How are you going to dispose of your waste? Have you hired a skip? How about hiring a general skip and a recycling skip?  The recycling one will be cheaper.

The easiest solution of all is to call your local council.  Most will supply bins for community events, with recycling bins free of a charge and a nominal fee for general waste.  This way you aren’t double handling any garbage, (and this can only be a good thing).  Bins look like the bins they have at home so they are used to what goes where.

Roster a dedicated clean-up crew.  It can be a big job so it’s vital that it does get completed simply and quickly.   This way when the event is over, it’s over. Everything is tidy, everyone is happy (including the environment) and you can start planning again for next year.

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