Easy Ways To Hold A More ‘Green’ Event
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A green event aims for two positive outcomes; to minimise waste and promote sustainable action.
On my quest to discover more about sustainable living, I often stumble across articles and posts about eco-friendly, zero waste or ‘green’ events. From die-hard environmentalists planning zero-waste weddings to businesses showing their concern for sustainability at their company shin-digs, I certainly hope this trend is here to stay.
If you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of witnessing a venue once the revellers have gone home, you’ll know the amount of rubbish dumped at some events and festivals can be enough to make you feel seriously disgusted.
Aftermath of a festival in the UK
So, when I heard a local group was getting actively involved in reducing waste at one of Denham’s biggest events, The Shark Bay Fishing Fiesta, I decided to find out more. Khayla, from the community group Shark Bay War On Waste, was kind enough to satisfy my curiosity and answer some questions about why the group wanted to get involved at the Fiesta, and the plan to make it a more green event.
Khayla explained that, at the time of the 2018 Fishing Fiesta, there was no recycling available in the Shire of Shark Bay. The team at Shark Bay War on Waste (or the WOWsers as they are otherwise known) were concerned about the amount of single use disposables that would end up in landfill and started brainstorming alternatives.
The original idea was to reuse crockery, by gathering up kitchen supplies from the local op shop; this was not allowed, however, due to health regulations. It was then decided that the group would supply compostable cutlery and drinkware. They would also collect aluminium cans for recycling and encourage the local community to BYO food containers and reusable straws.
- Here’s what I learnt from Khayla and the ‘WOWsers’ following the event:
Tips To Hold A More Green Event
Research the right supplies for your event. Can you use already available items? Is recycling available? Are compostable or biodegradable items appropriate? (Check out this article from Earth911 for an in-depth look at these options).
Share the plan well ahead of time. Let your food vendors know what items you’d like to supply ahead of time and the benefits of using them. This is especially true for a regular event. Otherwise vendors will be ordering their usual supplies.
Eco friendly catering and picnic supplies.
Promote. Share information with potential guests or attendees ahead of time. That way they know what to expect at your event, as well as anything they can do to participate on an individual level.
Use signage. Make sure people know what to do with items once they are done with them. Everything needs to end up in the right place for effective disposal. If you have the resources, recruit people to help direct guests at the event.
Delegate. Who is responsible for removing waste/recyclables/compostables/etc when the event is over? Where does it need to go?
Evaluate. Doing it all again at a later date? What worked? What didn’t?
Keep a record to make your next green event even more sustainably awesome.
Resources and More Information
Zero Waste SA: Event resources
Shark Bay War On Waste Op Shop: Facebook Page
Shark Bay Fishing Fiesta Website
Support Shark Bay Eco-Tourism
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Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Adventures
Dirk Hartog Island Eco Lodge
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Ocean Park Aquarium
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Yes! I cringe whenever we attend a birthday party and there’s plastic plates, cups, tablecloths, utensils etc. People think it’s chepaer to use plastic and in some cases it is. But I found eco-friendly bamboo plates at a big party store chain for the same price as regular plates (they were on sale and I had a coupon). Takes a bit more work sometimes to be more eco-friendly, but it IS possible and is so worth it in the end. ?
Love this! We’re getting married in our backyard in September and I’ve been stalking local thrift shops for vintage floral plates to use rather than using paper or plastic. I would rather buy a nice thing once over a bad thing repeatedly. More venues need to practice this!