Congratulations for considering event recycling and Xtreme Waste to provide waste minimimisation and recycling services for your event.
Event recycling directly reduces the cost of waste removal, as well as generating a positive event image.
Every event is different and every solution to event recycling is specifically tailored. Some key components of integrating recycling into your event are; identifying the equipment required, logistics, education of event stakeholders and participants, promotion of recycling and monitoring.
Xtreme Waste staff are available to work with event managers to arrange the types of containers, signage, drop-off and pick-up times or alternatively Xtreme Waste can provide complete zero waste management of an event. Please phone (07) 825 6509 or email for more information.
The need for equipment differs significantly from event to event (based on type and size of event) as does the availability, size and shape of recycling receptacles.
Equipment and logistics for event recycling can be split into the following categories:
Collection and recycling receptacles
Clearly identifiable, well labelled recycling receptacles, are central to effective recycling.The options for receptacles depend on what is available and what can be serviced. Receptacles should be highly recognisable and consistent with those currently used in the area. Waste and recycling stations should always be set up so that the recycling and waste bins are located side by side. Failure to do this will always result in contamination of the collection bin. Important considerations include:
Availability: Can you get them in sufficient numbers? Do you have to buy or rent them? Do you have to store them, sell them or dispose of them after the event?
Size: Too small and they will not be seen and be permanently full
Serviceability: Do you need to lift them? Do you need to re-sort the content? How do you transport them to and from the venue, how are you going to empty them? Do they match your collection vehicle
Branding: Is there a bin that people will recognise from a distance as a recycling bin?
Labelling: What kind of labelling will be effective
Staffing and Education
Education staff are considered key to succesful recycling at an event. Depending on the size of your event you will need a number of staff who are monitoring the recycling bays and advertising the service to visitors and exhibitors. These staff may also be emptying the recycling bins, but in larger events it usually advisable to have a designated team for this job. Volunteers are very valuable, particularly if the environmental message matches their group's objectives. It is recommended that there is a core team who are responsible for manning the recycling stations, making sure that they do not get contaminiated and are spreading the word.
Transport
Transport is an important issue to consider, and needs to be solved prior to any commitment of providing a recycling service. Recyclables are high volume and likely to exceed the capacity of a normal car. Trailers can be a solution (a normal 6x4 trailer usually holds six 240 litre wheelie bins), or you may consider hiring a small truck or getting the material collected by a trucking firm. A one day event with roughly 8,000 people could easily generate 15m3 of recycling
Disposal
Many towns have free recycling drop-off facilities, some even have collection services available. Contact your local recycling depot operator about the possibility of dropping off large volumes of recyclables. Take note of their opening hours. They may also have a collection service. If you take unsorted recycling there may be a charge to sort it or it may not be acceptable, so check first. It is also a good idea to find out what they collect as different areas will sometimes collect different things.
