AIA Philadelphia | Zero Waste Events Guide

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ZEROWASTE ZEROWASTE ZEROWASTE

We takeresponsibility foreducatingour clients,colleagues,and communitiesaboutthe roleourconsumption playsinreversing climatechange.

We protectthe environmentand humanhealth,and committothe conservationofall resourcesby responsibleextraction, production, consumption,reuse, andrecoveryofall materials.

We holdourclientsto ahighstandardof accountabilityinthe responsibledesign, construction,and maintenanceoftheir environments,andwe holdourselvestothese samestandardsinour officesandinthe eventswehost. We promisetoengage inhonestdiscoursein ordertoexposefalse ideasandchangethe patternofconsumption andwaste.

We influence industrytofulfillits dutyinacircular economy.

Thesixtenetsofthe ZeroWastePledge

We reject, categorically,all single-useplasticsand disposablesatour eventsandfollowthe 7R’sofRethink, Refuse,Reduce,Reuse, Repurpose,Recycle, Recover.

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INTRODUCTION

Planetearthisdrowninginthedetritusofourthrow-awayculture.Everyyear,40billionpiecesof disposablecutleryareusedintheUnitedStatesalone,whiletheaverageAmericangenerates4.5lbsof trashperday-that’s1,642lbsperyear.Aroundtheworld,amillionplasticbeveragebottlesaresoldand disposedofeveryminuteyetwilltakehundredsofyearstodegrade.Andin2019,theproductionand incinerationofplasticaddedmorethan840millionmetrictonsofgreenhousegasestotheatmosphereequaltothepollutionof189five-hundred-megawattcoalpowerplantsoperatingatfullcapacity.

“AttheA’19Top10 SustainabilityAwardsatSpring Preserve,LasVegas,attendees whohadflowntotheeventfrom alloverthecountryviewed earnestprojectsdetailinghow architecturecanhelpreverse environmentaldecline...asthey usedtinyplasticforkstoscoop jumboshrimpservedinplastic cups;andlearnedaboutthe embodiedcarbonfootprint reductionofvariousmaterials andpractices,astheyproduced apileofun-recyclablewaste...”

-MaryAnnDuffy

Architectsbelieveina First-Do-No-Harm approachtodesign, upholdinglifesafetyandcomfortastheirfirstorder.Acurative architecturehasthepotentialtoalleviatesufferingoftheplanetvia loweredemissionsstrategies,embodiedcarbonreductionsinbuilding materialsandleanconstructionmethods.Andeveryday,architectsdrill downintothedetailsinordertoinfluenceourbuildingcodes,zoning regulations,andmaterialcertificationauthorities. In2010,architects added CanonVI,ObligationstotheEnvironment,totheAIACodeof Ethics.In2018,theyamendedthistoincludetheeducationofclient communitiesforenergyandgreenhousegasreductioncommitments. Byjoininginfellowshiptoaddressconcernsovercarbonemissionsand embodiedcarbon,thedesigncommunityisfirmlycommittedtocreating highperformance,carbonneutralbuildingsby2030.Leadersin sustainablepracticeshaveextendedthiscurativedesignapproachto includeday-to-daywastereduction,fromofficestohostedevents,and eventotheirownhomes.

InDecember2019,AIAPhiladelphiahosteditsfirstzero-wasteDesignAwardseventfor500+ architects,regionalpartners,andinvitedguests.ACommitteeontheEnvironment(COTE)Zero-Waste Subcommitteeconvenedshortlyafterwardstorecordthevalues,standards,andcriteriaofthiseventand toestablishguidelinesforthepathforward. ThisGuiderepresentsourbestpracticestopromotezero-waste standardstothescaledeventswehost.

Withthisguide,wearelaunchingacampaigntoengageourmembers,offices,eventorganizers, suppliers,andcateringpartnerstojoinusinourcommitmenttozerowaste.

COTEPhiladelphiaZWCo-Chairs

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THEWHAT

ZeroWaste-WhatDoesitMean?

•Zerowasteisaphilosophy,astrategy,andasetofpracticaltoolsseekingtoeliminatewaste,not manageit.

•Zerowasteeventsareeducationalopportunitieswhereattendeescanexperiencethemicrocosm ofazerowasteworld.

•Azerowasteeventisnotaccomplishedbymerelyaddingrecyclingandcompostingbins.Itstrives tounderstandmateriallifecycles,resourcerecovery,re-generation,andresiliency.

•Thekeytoazerowasteeventiscarefulplanningsothatallmaterialsusedareideallyreusable, recyclable,orcompostable.

•Azerowasteeventfulfillsthesocialresponsibilitiesoflocalandregionalsourcing,inclusionof minoritypartners,respectfordiversity,andattentiontoequalopportunities.

•Zerowasteisagoalcompatiblewithinnovation,humanhealth,protectionofresources,and mitigationofclimatechange.

THEWHY

PurposeofthisGuide

Thisdocumentstrivestobethefirst-of-its-kindcompletezerowasteguide.Developedinitiallyfor thePhiladelphiaarea-andinparticularforuseattheCenterforArchitecture+Design(CfAD)-itcanbe expandeduponandadaptedforuseacrossregionalandnationalAIAchapters.Thetargetedaudience spansawiderangeofeventsfromconferencesandconventions,toindividualfirmmeetings.Whilenot intendedtobeacomprehensivesustainableeventsdocument,thisguideseekstoprovidesolutionsforthe reductionofsingle-usedisposablewaste.Ourintentisthatthisbecomesalivingdocument,continuously updatedandrefinedaspracticalfeedbackfromzerowasteeventsbecomesavailable.

THEHOW

NavigatingthisGuide

Thisisdesignedtobeaclearandconcisereferenceguidethatavoidscumbersomedetailsor lengthyinstruction.Fivesimplestepshavebeendeveloped,eachwithcasestudies,tips,andtestimonials insertedthroughout.Thedocumentorganizationallowsthereadertoworkthroughtheguidein chronologicalorderofplanninganevent.

Weencourageyoutobeginyourzerowastejourneybyreadingthroughtheguidefirsttohelpyou familiarizeyourselfwithitscorevalues.

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PLANNING+SCALE

Whetherlarge,mid-sizedorsmall,planningasuccessfulzerowasteeventbeginsbyembracing thebasictenet:toreducewaste,onemustpreventitfrombeinggeneratedinthefirstplace.Thisprinciple beliefwillserveasyourguidepostasyoumovethroughthedifferentstepsintheeventplanningprocess. Incorporatingstrategiesaimedatwastereductionwillleadtoincrementalchangesfromtheearliest planningeffortsallthewaytotheendoftheevent,resultinginbigimpacts.

DoMorewithLess!

Asyoucraftavisionforyourzerowasteevent,remembertokeepitreal!Balanceaspirationswith pragmatism.Settingabudgetandatimelineforyoureventwillhelpyoumanageresourcesand communicateexpectations.Adoptthemindsetthateverydecisionneedstoreflectabeliefinresource efficiency,reducingconsumption,andminimizingwaste.Ifyouhavelessresourcesthanyouhadhoped fortoplantheevent,reachouttootherstoseewhatitemsmaybeborrowedorevendonated.Shared enthusiasmandinterestcanleadtocreativeproblem-solving.Forexample,developalistoffreeactivities suchasazerowastetriviaquizthatleadstooneteam‘prize’orconsiderplantingatreeratherthanbuying expensivetrinkets.Therearemanywaystoplanasuccessful,cost-effectivezerowasteevent.

Gaugingthenumberofparticipantswillhelpyourecognizethelimitationsofspace,resources,and staffavailable.Moreover,theeventsizecanhelpyoumakechoicesthatpreventwasteandimplementbest practicesforthehealthandsafetyofall. Misunderstandingthescaleofaneventcanleadto wastefuldecisionsatmanylevels.Minimizing materialwasteduringaneventmeansthereisless needforjanitorialsupportorcontractingoutside wastehaulingcompanies.Asyoucontinuetogather informationaboutthenumberofattendeesandthe varietyofactivitiesthatwillbeoffered,itistimeto thinkabouthowthesemayoccupythespaceitself.

“We’reextremelydiligentwithcatering,and neverintentionallyover-orderfood.Becauseof thetypicalnumbersofpeoplewhoregisterand don’tshowupforevents,wedoreallywellwith ordering25%lessfoodthanregistration numbersforeverysingleevent-withthe exceptionofboxedlunchevents,whichareless forgivingifallattendeesshowup.”

Decidewhowillleadthecharge.Thisguide hasbeendevelopedtosupportfirst-timeorganizers aswellasmoreexperiencedeventplanners. Everyonecanachieveasuccessfulzerowasteevent withtherightplanningandattentiontodetail.Insome cases,selectingonepersontospearheadtheplanningeffortisappropriate.Inothers,dependingonthe scaleoftheeventandthecomplexityoftheactivitiesyouareplanning,anentireplanningteammaybe requiredtocoverallthebases.Carefullyidentifyallthevariouselementsthatcomprisetheeventandmake sureyouhavetrainedhandstooverseeeachprocess.

-RebeccaJohnson ExecutiveDirector,AIAPhiladelphia

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PLANNING+SCALE

EventGoals

Takesometimetothinkaboutthekindsofzerowastegoalsyouoryourteamwanttoachieve throughthisevent.Decidehowyourparticularaudiencewouldbestlearnfromtheeventexperience.A clearframeworkwillleadtopracticaldecisionstailoredtotheneedsoftheparticipants.Forexample,care shouldbetakenindeterminingtheappropriatenessofmenuoptions.Foodofferingscanreflectthevalues ofthisguidewhilemeetingspecificculturalanddietaryneedsatthesametime.Pleaserefertothe Food +Beverage sectionforadditionalinformation.

Noteveryeventneeds(orisable)totackleallzerowasteobjectivesatonce.Instead,byengaging participantsinmeasuredways,azerowasteeventmaybemoreeffectiveincommunicatingsomeofthe corevalues.Atieredapproachinplanningazerowasteeventservesmorethanonepurpose.The3levels -Beginner,Intermediate,andAdvanced-introducedifferentzerowastestrategiesthatvaryinrigorand difficultytoachieve.Theeventplanningteamshouldchoosethelevelthatismostcompatiblewiththeir visionfortheevent,theavailabilityofresources,andtheirowncapabilitiesforsuccessfullyoverseeingthe event.Eventplannersandparticipantswillbeabletoseeinmeasurablewaystheprogresstheyare makingastheylearntoembracedifferentzerowastegoals.Asyouandyourteambecomemoreconfident inplanningtheseevents,youcancontinuetoincreasethechallengebygraduatingtothenextlevelofzero wastepractices.

VENUE+PROMOTION

CfAD

TIPSFORSUCCESS

Asuccessfulzerowastepublicitycampaignhas 3 parts:pre-event, duringtheevent,andaftertheevent.

Asyougetreadytosendoutinvitationsandannouncethezero wasteevent,besuretoincludeapromotionalmessagethatlets everyoneknowyouneedtheirhelpandwhatyouaretryingtoachieve. Forexample: “Pleasejoinusinmakingourzerowasteeventa successwherewearetargetinga90%wastediversionrate.”

Duringtheevent,itisimportanttoremindattendeeswhatthe purposeoftheeventishowtheirparticipationsupportszerowaste values.Postsignsatfoodtablesandsortingbinareaswithamessage, suchas: “Byparticipatinginourzerowasteeventtoday,youare learningaboutcorevaluesandhelpingdivertwastefromthe landfill.Thankyouforhelpingusprotecttheenvironment!”

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Aftertheevent,besuretosendthankyou’stokeystakeholders, volunteers,andparticipantsformakingthedayasuccess.Takethis chancetodosomebraggingbysharingwastediversionsuccessstories!

TheCenterforArchitecture+ Design(CfAD)isamulti-purpose,flexible facilitywithspacesthatcanbeusedfor cocktailreceptions,presentations,and seatedmeals.Twobreak-outroomsoffer additionalspacesforbeveragesandlight meals.Thelargeconferenceroomcanbe expandedbyrollinguptheglasspartition. Alittlecreativitygoesalongwayin maximizingtheavailablespace,especially whensocialdistancingrulesarerequired. CfADisabletoprovideavarietyof resources(roundtables,chairs,etc.)and servicestosupportyourevent.By incorporatingitemsthatarealreadyowned byCfAD,youmaybeabletoavoidcostly rentals.Thisvenuealsooffersbuilt-in audio/visualfeaturesandWiFiconnection thatcanbeusedforeducationalpurposesandcelebratoryoccasions.Amodestkitchenandstorageroom isabletosupporttheservicesof12thStreetCatering,CfAD’spreferredcaterer.RefertotheCfADwebsite foradditionalinformation.Ifyouchoosetosupplementtheseofferingswithothervendors,ensuretheyare committedtothezerowastemissionbywritingcorevaluesintotheircontractfortheevent.When purchasinggoodsandservices,rememberthechoicesyoumakeasthehostwillshapezerowaste behaviorsduringtheevents.

Usingdigitalmediatoannouncetheeventandholdconferencesisanopportunitytoreachawider audienceatanaffordableprice.Anelectronicinvitationisaccessibletoeveryone,andmoreimportantly, doesnotgeneratewaste.Arguably,asuccessfuleventviaZoomorsimilarplatformistheleastwastegenerating,mostcost-effectiveandinclusivewaytohostanevent!Selectdigitalplatformstoadvertisethe event.Decidewhatmediaarebestsuitedforyoureventandattendees(Facebook,Twitter,Instagram, LinkedIn,etc.).Then,useittohelpregisterandupdateparticipants.Usesocialmediatocommunicate zerowastevalues.Forexample,practicepaperwastereductionbylettingeveryoneaccessingtheevent informationknowthatpaperprogramsandpaperregistrationconfirmationswillnotbeissuedatalaterdate.

Youcanalsopromoteyoureventandmaximizeitspublicitybyjoiningforceswithotherzerowaste enthusiasts.Targetspecificissues/ideasthataremeaningfultobothteamsinordertofosterconnectivity. BycraftingemailblastsormakingInstagrampoststhatreinforcesharedzerowastevalues,youwillquickly expandtheinfluenceofthezerowastemission.Donotunderestimatetheimpactthesepartnershipscan haveinpromotingcorezerowastevalues.

EventPromotion-GettheWordOut!

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VENUE+PROMOTION

SpacePlanning

Thinkabouthowattendeeswillinteractintheavailablespace.Determinewhetherguestswillbe seatedoriftheywillcirculatethroughoutthespaces.Willyoureventofferlectures,exhibits,orshow videos?Doeseverythingwork/fitintheavailablespace?Dotheexistinglightingandacousticalfeatures supportthelearningactivitiesyouhavedesignedfortheevent?Onceyouhaveafinalparticipantcount, makesurethefinalseatingandexhibit/activitylayoutsallowforADAcompliantcirculationandpotential socialdistancingguidelines.Ultimately,youmaydecidetohireoutsideservices,rentspecialequipment, holdtheeventvirtually,ortaketheeventoutdoors.

Outdooreventsaregainingpopularityasanalternativetogatheringsinenclosedspaces.Usinga naturalsettingforazerowasteeventcanreinforcelessonsabouthealthandwellness.Imaginethedelight ofenjoyingfreshfoodinapicnicsettingandknowingleft-overfooditemsfromtheeventwilleitherbe donatedtoafoodbankorcomposted.Whatagreatwaytodemonstratethatzerowasteeventsareas muchaboutourownhealthastheenvironment!Ifyouareconsideringholdingyoureventoutside,thesite willneedtobeevaluatedforfunctionality,accessibility,andsafety.

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FOOD+BEVERAGE

Ins andOuts ofMenuSelection

Amajorcomponentofzerowasteeventsinvolvesmenuselection.Incasualsettingsoratcocktail hour,fingerfoodsthatattendeescanservethemselvesispreferable.Foracateredluncheon,sandwiches andwrapsareaneasyalternativetopastasandsaladsthatrequireplatesandcutlery.Bentoboxmeals mayalsobeusedatluncheons.Sit-downdinnerswithfullyreusableglassware,plates,cutleryarestandard forzero-wasteevents.Herearesomehighlightsofthebasictipsandrecommendationsforfoodand beverageitems:

Food:

•Avoidservingfoodsthatcouldpotentiallycreateexcessivelandfillwaste,suchas individually-wrappedpotatochipbagsandgranolabars;

•Include1-2itemsonthemenuthatarevegetarian,vegan,gluten-free,kosherorhalal;

•Considerin-seasonfood,partneringwithlocalvendorsandfarmers.

Beverage:

•Checkwithvenuefortapwaterand/orwaterfiltrationsystem;

•Utilizereusablecarafesandcoffeeservicethatcanbepre-filledbeforetheevent.Infused waterwithlocalseasonalfruitsareanothergreatoption;

•Encourageeventparticipantstobringreusablewaterbottlesandutensils;

•Considermakingbrandedbottlesavailableforpurchaseorrentateventsforthosewhodo nothaveorareunabletobringtheirown;

•Ininstanceswherealcoholicbeveragesareserved,usereusablekegsandgrowlersto reducedisposablebottleandcanusage.

Ingeneral,plant-basedandlocalfoodselectionshavealowercarbonimpactthanmeat-based foodsorfoodsthatareoutofseasonand/orneedtobebroughtinfroma significantdistance.Aunique,oftoverlookedstrategyistoutilizestreet foodsand/orfoodtrucks.Manyofitsbenefitsalignwiththegoalsandtips outlinedabove:it’softeneatenwithoututensils,there’softenareduced menu/selectiontomakepreparationeasier,thecostisoftenlowerand thereforemoreaccessible,andfreshingredientsareused. You’rein chargeofmakingsurethatyourzerowasteplanningdecisionsarenot sidelined.Feelconfidenttoholdyourcaterersandsupplierstothe standardsagreedupon.

Anotherfacettoconsiderisaddressingdietaryrestrictions/ preferences.Theseinclude-butbynomeansarelimitedto-Vegetarian, Vegan,GlutenFree,Kosher,andHalal.Leavingoutcommonallergens maywarrantconsiderationaswell,suchasnuts,soy,etc.

CurrentlyinPhiladelphia, 30% ofthewaste streamiscomprisedof disposedfood.

Consideringthe staggeringpovertyrate of 24% inthecity, therearemissed opportunitiesfor repurposingthisfood.Philadelphia

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FOOD+BEVERAGE

EventRegistration

Zerowastegoalsmeanorderingonlywhatyouneed. Whenplanningandsettingupeventregistration,theparticipant shouldhaveanoptiontoselect‘nofood’lettingtheeventplanner knowtheydonotintendtoeat;thisresultsintheorderingofless foodthatwillgotowaste.Getcreativewithhowyouframeyour zerowastegoalssuchas ‘Wewanttofeedyourmindandhearts atthiseventandfeedyourbellyonlyenoughtokeepyou focusedandnothangry.’Whateverapproachisdecidedupon, thegoalistomanageexpectationsfromattendeesbeforethey arrivetotheevent.Youmightencouragethemtobringtheirown beveragecontainersandutensilkit.Thearemanyelements neededforasuccessfulevent,andfood+beveragelikelytops thelist.Besuretohaveanopendialoguewiththefoodprovider fortheevent.

Resources

“Nomeatever! Remainingtrueto PennSustainability’slow-carbon impactcommitmentwaseasycaterersweresocreative.Oncewe realizedhowsimpleitwastotake advantageofvegetarianoptions,we removedmeatentirelyfromour eventmenus.Asidefromreducing ourenvironmentalimpact,we greatlyreducedtheconfusionand frustrationofeventparticipantswho haddietaryrestrictions,and we neverhadaneventparticipant complainaboutthevegetarianfare atanyofourevents.

EnvironmentalSustainabilityDirector, UniversityofPennsylvania,2009-2019

Menuplanningisoftencomplexandchallengingfor eventhemostseasonedeventplanner.Approachingthe catereranddiscussingfoodandbeverageoptionsrequires plentyofpreparationandresearchbeforehand.Luckily,you don’thavetodoitalone.Therearemanyresourcesoutthere toassistwiththesechoices.Menuplanningalsoraisesthe questionofcarbonimpact,andwhilenottheprimaryfocusof thisguide,thereareundeniablecrossoversandrippleeffects. Someresourcesthatcoverbothissuesare:

•EatLowCarbon -Tipsandfoodscoresformore responsiblemenuplanning;

•ImperfectFoods -Deliveryservicewithamissionof eliminatingfoodwaste/buildingabetterfoodsystem;

•‘HowBadAreBananas?:TheCarbonFootprintof Everything’ byMikeBerners-Lee -Providingproper understandingofthecarbonimplicationsofour everydaylifestyledecisions;

•SeasonalFoodGuide -Discoverin-seasonfoods basedonlocationandtimeofyear.

•AZeroWasteFutureForYourBusiness:AGuideto ReevaluatingYourWasteManagementPractices (cleanPHL)

EatFood. Nottoomuch. Mostlyplants.

-MichaelPollan InDefenseofFood:AnEater’s Manifesto

-DanGarofalo

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REPURPOSE+RECOVER

Theplanningofazerowasteeventwillinclude makingconsciousdecisionstoreducetheamountofwaste generatedduringtheevent,butultimatelyyoumaybeleft withsomebyproducts.Insteadoflookingatthesebyproducts aswaste,it’simportanttoadoptaperspectivethatthese materialscanberepurposedand/orrecoveredtoservea secondaryfunction.`

Manyfoodleftoversarestillinusablecondition, especiallyindividuallypackageditems,whichcouldbeeasily savedanddonated.Significantamountsofperishablefood canalsobedonatediftherightoutletshavebeen predeterminedandthereisanestablishedwaytotransport thefoodinatimelyfashion.Foodscrapsandleftoverscan bevaluabletocompostcollectors.

Metalandglasscontainersarevaluablematerialsforrecycling,butcouldalsoserveasecondary lifeintheiroriginalform.Reusableitemslikeclothnapkins,dishware,andcutleryshouldneverbeseenas wasteatanidealzerowasteevent,sotheirstorageandmaintenanceiskeytotheirdurabilityinbeing reusedformanyyears.

RecommendedThoughtProcesses

WasteSortingManagement:

Managingandsortingwasteduringaneventisusuallyleftuptotheattendees,likeseparating recyclablesandlandfillwaste.However,thisleavesalotofroomforerror,especiallyforthosewho areunawareofspecificrecyclingrules,orwhatcanandcannotbecomposted.Theideabehind managingthesortingofwasteduringaneventcomesfromadesiretoeducateattendeesinpractice. ThisiswhyitiskeytohavestaffmembersorvolunteerstoserveasWasteSortingVolunteers.Not onlyaretheyinchargeofmakingsureanywasteorbyproductsgeneratedbytheattendeescanbe correctlysortedintovaluablecollections,buttheycaneducateduringtheeventaswell.Zerowaste eventswillideallybecollectingvaluablecompostablematerialsandreusableitemsallinthesame area,tomakeclearthatmostofthe‘waste’generatedduringtheeventisnotbeing‘thrownaway’.In addition,theWasteSortingVolunteerswhomannedthestationsduringtheeventwilldothesorting andcheckingaftertheeventtomakesurenocontaminationofthebinsispresent.

ExamplesofCollectionBins:

•Reusables(dishware,glassware,cutlery)

•CompostableMaterials(asdefinedbycompostingservice);

•Recyclables(asdefinedbylocalmunicipality);

•LandfillWaste(lastresort).

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REPURPOSE+RECOVER

ReusablesCollection,Sanitation,andManagement:

Reusableitemsarevaluableandshouldbetreatedassuch.Makinganinvestmentin purchasingdishwareandutensilstoreplacesingle-usealternativescomeswiththe expectationthattheywilllast.Theircollection,sanitation,storage,andmaintenanceis paramounttoanyzerowasteevent.Sanitationisespeciallyimportantintoday’sworld. Measuresshouldbedefinedonhowreusablesarecollectedandsanitized.Thisincludes dishware,silverware,banners,bags,officesupplies,etc.

AdditionalConsiderations:

•Cateringwaitstaffmaybeinchargeofthepropercollectionofdishware, utensils,andotherreusableitemsusedfortheevent;besuretodiscuss responsibilitiespriortoevent;

•Forsmallerevents,thecollectionmaybedonebytheWasteSortingVolunteers.

FoodDonation:

Successfullydonatingfoodiscontingentongettingthefoodtowhereit’sneededinatimely manner.Partnershipsshouldbepredeterminedbeforeanevent,takingintoaccountthetypes ofleftoversandwheretheywouldbebestsuitedfor.Insomeinstances,leftoversare insignificantenoughthattheeventorganizersshouldbepreparedtomanagethese themselves.

DIDYOUKNOW?

Currentmarket compostablebio-plastic cutlery,cups,plates,bottles, containersarea fraud.Soldatanupchargetoeventplannersasanearthfriendlyalternative, bio-plasticdisposablewareismoreharmfultothe environmentthanthefossilfuel-basedplasticswearegloballydrowningin Whenmixedwithconventionalplastics,bio-plasticsharmrecycling infrastructureandcontaminatetheentirerecyclingprocess.Whentheyendup inlandfill,theyreleasemethane,agreenhousegas 23times moreharmful thancarbondioxideandcantake1,000+yearstobiodegrade.Whenmixed withhealthycompostablewaste,theyaddasoupofchemicaladditivestoan otherwiselife-affirmingprocessofrenewal.

BPI,theorganizationthatcertifiesbio-plasticsassafe,isa non-profit greenwashingorganizationwithtiestoindustry.BPIrequiresastampedlabel: “Compostableinindustrialfacilitieswhichmaynotbeinyourarea”.These facilitiesarenowheretobefound.

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THEEVENT

Theplanningiscomplete,theregistrationisfull,andit’stimetogo!Thissectioncoverswhatyou needtodotomakethisasuccessfulevent.Attheend,thisrequiresonelast‘pre-flightchecklist’,ongoing attentionduringtheeventitself,andthenthecloseoutoftheeventwithsomefeedbackandidentification ofsuccessesandopportunitiesforgrowth.

Pre-FlightChecklist

Beforetheeventbegins,checkwhetherallcomponentsareinplace.Alongwithanytechnical logisticsaboutspeakers,AV,presentationmaterialsandconnectivity,youshouldtakealastlookatthe wastereductioncomponents.Thesewillfallintothefollowingcategories:Refreshments,WasteSorting, andMiscellaneousSupplies.

Refreshments:

Onelastcheck-inwiththecaterer:

•Arethereusablecups,plates,andutensilsinplace?

•Areanysingleuse-itemsrecyclableorcompostable?

•Isthereclarityonwheretoputthings-bustraysforreusables,recycling,andcompostbins?

•Aretheservingutensils,dispenserssuchasplatters,utensils,andpitchersreadytogo?

•Isthereamechanisminplaceforrefillingandrestockingitemsduringtheevent?

WasteSorting:

Beforetheeventbegins,holdanorientationforatleast10-15minuteswithwastesorting volunteers,andclearlyhelpthemrealizewhichitemsarerecyclable,whicharereusable,and whicharecompostable,viatheResourceRecoveryStations(RRS).Rememberthatitemsthat we hope canberecycledoftencannot.

MiscellaneousSupplies:

Havingnametagsforattendeesisimportanttohelppeoplehaveacomfortableexperience. Attentiontomakesuretheseareeitherreusableorrecyclableiscrucial-makesureyouhave theseinplaceinadvanceoftheevent,andhaveareceptacletocollectthemattheend.

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THEEVENT

It’sStarting!

Oncetheeventbegins,alittleattentiontothedetailswillensureit'ssuccess.Thereareafewkey activitiesthatshouldbeincludedwhiletheeventisgoingon:

SpreadtheWord:

Don’tbeshyaboutcommunicatingthezerowastegoalsfortheprogram.Ifyouhavea momentduringannouncementsatthebeginningoftheevent,takeamomenttoexplainhow thisisbeingachieved.Beclear!“Ourgoalistomakethisazerowasteevent.Herearesome waysyoucanhelpusgetthere!”

•Explainaboutreusablesinplace,andwheretoputthemforwashing/reuse;

•Explainaboutwhat’srecyclableamongtheitemsyouareproviding;

•Explainaboutcomposting-whatgoesin,whatdoesn’t. Note:compostableplastic disposablewareisnotacceptedbylocalcomposters.

•Introduceandthankyourwastesortingvolunteers,andhowhelpfulthey’llbe.

MonitorSupplies:

Duringtheevent,keepaneyeonsuppliesofreusableitemslikeplates,cups,andutensils. Alerttheteamifreplenishmentisneededforsupplies,water,food,etc.

WasteSortingManagement:

Forazerowasteevent,thebinsmustalsobeclearlymarked-busbinsforreusables,compost receptacles,andrecyclingbins.Forsomealmost-zerowasteevents,therewillbetrashbins headedforlandfillaswell.Signagehelps,butawastesortingvolunteeriscriticaltohelp peopleatthemomentofdisposal.

EventCloseOut

Theeventhascometoaclose,andhopefully itwasabigsuccessthankstoallyourhardworkand planning.Whileit’stemptingtojustpackitupandcall itanight,it’simportanttotakecareofafewitemsin ordertomakesurefollow-throughisachieved:

•Collectanynametagsorotherreusable items;

•Coordinatecleanupefforts;

•Managerecycling/compoststreams;

•Recordanymetricsyoucommittedto duringeventplanning;

•Capturelessonslearnedtoensure continuedandimprovedsuccessfor futureevents.

TIPSFORSUCCESS

AtsomeconferencessuchasAIANational Convention,theorganizerswillexchangeaccessto theconferenceforavolunteeringstintatthe conference.Manyofthevolunteersspendtheir allottedtimestandingatthewastebinsasbuilding attendees.

Forasmallerevent,lunchmeeting,etc.,itcanbe simplertoannouncetotheattendeeswhichofthe itemsarerecyclable,compostable,orreusable.Be explicit,butdoitwithasmile!Themoreyoucan frameitasanask-“weneedyourhelptosucceed”thelessitwillseempedanticorpreachy.