Large venues and events generate a large amount of waste in a short period of time. These events are perfectly suited to promote recycling and provide an excellent forum to motivate event attendees, staff, and volunteers to lead as environmental stewards in a public setting.
Fortunately, there are many ways for event organizers to dramatically reduce the amount of waste and make sure proper recycling measures are being applied.
Presentations from the Large Venue Recycling Workshop
In the fall of 2008, H-GAC held a Large Venue Recycling Workshop to help organizations implement recycling programs at special events.
Green Events – What Works and What Doesn’t (PDF) 592K
– Delores Fenwick, Keep Pearland Beautiful (PDF) 592K
Recycle on the Go (PDF) 2M
– Judy Taylor, US Environmental Protection Agency (PDF) 2M
Evolution of Houston Sports Recycling – Large Venue (PDF) 1.5M
– Chris Hickman, Waste Management Recycle America
Zero Waste Events – Pitfalls and Practices (PDF) 3.2M
– Lynne Aldrich, Community Associations of the Woodlands (PDF) 3.2M
The Gun Show Foop (How Not to Do It) (PDF) 60K
– Sarah Metzger, City of Pasadena
Resources for Planning Green Events
Keep Texas Beautiful created a Green Event Toolkit (PDF, 176K) to help organizations reduce the amount of litter generated at community events and to recover recyclable materials from the waste stream.
The State of Texas Alliance for Recycling issued the Green Event Guide (PDF, 66K) that provides tips on how sponsors and exhibitors can reduce waste in printed materials and how food and beverage concessionaires and on-site facilities can apply recycling and waste reduction measures.
For events in rural areas, the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. offers a Best Management Practices Guidebook for Special Event-Generated Waste in Rural Communities (PDF, 2.1M). This Guidebook includes a variety of recycling strategies successfully applied at six rural events, such as agricultural fairs, heritage days or animal shows.
In 2004, the State of California passed law AB 2176, which requires special events and public venue facilities with over 2,000 participants per day to develop recycling and waste reduction strategies. With this law in mind, Alameda County developed a Special Event Best Practices Guide (PDF, 1.5 M) to reduce waste at special events by planning ahead.
The California Integrated Waste Management Board published a brochure with Waste Reduction Tips for Large Venues & Events (PDF, 3.1M).