Green Event Venue Guide Village on 17 th

Transcription

1 Green Event Venue Guide Village on 17 th

2 How to use this Guide This guide is intended for use by event managers operating events at the Village on 17th venue. This guide provides an outline of Green Event aspects over which the event manager has an influence. Green Event aspects and sustainable options are described. Guidance is provided for preparing, communicating and implementing Green Event initiatives. Checklists and templates are provided for event managers. This guide can be used as a reference for meeting the Green Event criteria for a venue: Accredited Venue: An independent Green Event professional has identified and documented the sustainability initiatives or features of the registered venue. Monitored Venue: The venue has undertaken and documented monitoring of prescribed Green Event environmental indicators. An independent Green Event professional or accredited Green Event manager has reviewed and accepted the monitoring. Verified Venue: An independent Green Event professional has identified and documented the sustainability initiatives or features of the registered venue. 2

3 Contents Page Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 9 Page 10 How to use this guide Contents Page What is a Green Event Making your event a Green Event Waste minimisation at events Venue waste minimisation plan for events at Village on 17th Communication plan for Green Events Appendices Appendix A: Green Event management guide and checklist Appendix B: Green Event vendor/operator guide and checklist Appendix C: Green Event venue waste management options guide Appendix D: Green Event monitoring guide and template Appendix E: Green Event waste minimisation plan template Note: Energy efficiency, sustainable transport, water conservation, sustainable procurement and carbon reduction modules have not yet been developed for this venue. When they are developed they can be readily incorporated into this guide. 3

4 What is a Green Event? A Green Event aims to be environmentally sustainable. Environmentally sustainable events are designed to use resources such as materials, water and energy efficiently. Residual waste is reduced, recycled and diverted from landfill. Ultimately, carbon emissions are reduced. Event managers and participants are actively engaged and educated to contribute to the sustainability of a Green Event. Monitoring and verification provides transparent evidence of the achievement of sustainability objectives at a Green Event. Green Events consider the following aspects: Strategy, design and planning for events Green event training for event managers and participants Information and education resources for event managers and participants Resource efficiency solutions for materials, waste, energy, water, transport and carbon Sustainable procurement (purchasing) solutions Implementation of sustainability initiatives Event accreditation, monitoring and performance verification. 4

5 Making your event a Green Event To make your event a Green Event you ll need to make a number of environmental commitments, such as: 1. Waste minimisation reduce the amount of materials and resources that are used at the event and then disposed to landfill. 2. Energy efficiency reduce the amount of energy used at the event. 3. Sustainable transport provide event participants with more environmentally sustainable transport options for travelling to and from events. 4. Water conservation reduce the amount of water used at the event. 5. Sustainable procurement purchase products and services from more environmentally sustainable suppliers. To implement environmental initiatives such as these you ll need to plan ahead, communicate with your stakeholders and decide which ones are most relevant and important for your event. This guide provides information that will help you to implement environmental initiatives and measure the results. Prioritising a small number of environmental goals and putting clear plans in place to achieve them is a good recipe for success e.g. Goal 1: All event vendors use recyclable or compostable packaging. Goal 2: Staffed recycling bins are provide at the event. Goal 3: Residual waste to landfill and material recycled are measured for the event. Whatever you do to make your event more environmentally sustainable make a start! 5

6 Waste minimisation at events Wasting resources doesn t make economic or environmental sense. Why would you pay for something that you are not going to use and then pay again to have it disposed, where it then generates significant environmental impacts? Here are five key ways to reduce residual waste (waste disposed to landfill) at events: Refuse and Reduce. Prevention is better than cure. Minimising the waste that is brought in. If there are waste products that the client can easily manage or dispose of themselves; then make it their responsibility. Identify the items that are not necessary and refuse. Make all stakeholders responsible, from managers to users. Refuse items that are going straight to landfill when there are other options that can be recycled, re-used or composted. Re-use - if there are re-useable alternatives to disposable items; something that can be washed and re-used, then use them. Recyclable - The last alternative, Items that fit into the recyclable category. This includes paper and card, co-mingled (plastics 1 & 2, tin, glass, aluminium) and also organics for the worm farm or larger volumes for collection. Once waste streams, have been filtered they are more manageable. Monitor - Monitor residual waste disposed to landfill and recycling so that a baseline for the event can be established and in future reduction targets can be set. Refuse Reduce Re-use Recycle Monitor 6

7 Venue waste minimisation plan for events at Village on 17 th A documented waste minimisation plan should be produced by the event manager for each event at the venue. Use the template provided in Appendix E. The Village on 17th venue currently has the following diversion, recycling and waste management facilities: Worm farm Mixed recycling (glass, aluminium, tin) Cardboard recycling Waste to landfill. Event managers should consider implementing the following waste minimisation practices at events: Refuse Specify which materials and products are acceptable and not acceptable at events. Identify alternatives to non-recyclable materials and products. Encourage vendors and operators to take home all un-used/unwanted products and materials when they pack down following the event. Communicate these requirements and alternative options to vendors and operators. Monitor vendors and operators to ensure compliance with requirements. See Appendix B: Green Event vendor/operator guide and checklist. Reduce Consider opportunities to reduce materials and resources required for the event wherever possible e.g. event bags, brochures, give-aways and anything that is consumable i.e. used for a short term period and then disposed as opposed to re-used or recycled. Reducing resource consumption in the first place is a better outcome than having to design re-use, recycling or waste management strategies to handle it at end-of-use. Communicate reduction opportunities with event participants. Re-use Select materials and products for the event that can be re-used e.g. event signage that can be used at future events, re-usable drink containers as opposed to disposable containers etc. Communicate re-use opportunities with event participants. 7

8 Venue waste minimisation plan continued Compostable and bio-degradable materials Utilise the venue s worm farm to handle compostable materials such as organic material, food scraps and readily bio-degradable packaging. Organic collection for larger events can be implemented using 240L bins. See Appendix C: Green Event venue waste management options guide. Communicate composting opportunities with event participants. Recycling Provide clearly sign-posted and staffed recycling stations at events that offer co-mingled recycling (same materials as kerb-side collection), compostable collection and general waste. Ensure that vendors and operators know where the venue recycling and compost facilities are located (see venue map below). Monitoring Monitor residual waste disposed to landfill and recycling using the template provided in Appendix D. 8

9 Communication Plan Successful Green Events include the buy-in and participation of venue managers, event vendors, operators, suppliers, volunteers and event attendees. An effective communication plan is required to involve and educate these stakeholders. Venue management The event manager should maintain regular contact with venue management to design and implement Green Event options. Event vendors and operators Clear communication of Green Event requirements to event vendors and operators is critical to the achievement of Green Event outcomes. Appropriate lead-in times are required when specifying allowable and non-allowable materials and products in an effort to achieve waste minimisation goals at Green Events. Communication of Green Event requirements should go hand in hand with an educational approach towards event vendors and operators. Event product and service suppliers The event manager should communicate any Green Event requirements that involve product and service suppliers during the event planning and design phase. A two-way dialogue with suppliers will ensure that Green Event requirements are clearly understood and able to be provided for. Volunteers Volunteers and volunteer groups that are engaged to provide event services such as recycling station monitoring must be trained and fully-aware of their role and expected functions at the event. The event manager should ensure that they have a single point of contact that is responsible for co-ordinating any volunteer groups. Event attendees Event attendees play a critical role in the success of Green Event initiatives. The event manager should ensure that any pre-event marketing material, on-site event signage or direct verbal communications with event attendees are planned, unambiguous and focussed on achieving Green Event outcomes. An educative and informative approach to communication with event attendees will lead to positive outcomes. 9

10 Appendices Appendix A: Appendix B: Appendix C: Appendix D: Appendix E: Green Event management guide and checklist Green Event vendor/operator guide and checklist Green Event venue waste management options guide Green Event monitoring guide and template Green Event waste minimisation plan template 10

11 Appendix A Green Event management guide and checklist A systematic approach is required to deliver Green Event outcomes. This checklist should be used by the event manager: Green Event management commitments Event manager has attended Green Event training Event manager has read Green Event venue guide document Event manager has made Green Event commitments Specific Green Event goals have been set for the event. Event Management Waste minimisation plan for event has been completed Volunteers or Enviro-Challenge team for staffing recycling stations and carrying out waste audit has been confirmed Other Green Event plans for the event have been completed Vendor/operator guide and checklist completed and distributed to vendors/operators. Communications Event delivery Post event Green Event communication plan documented Event manager meeting with venue manager/operator Event management meeting with key event vendors and operators to communicate Green Event requirements and seek input and buy-in Formal Green Event requirements documented and circulated to event vendors and operators Regular updates following meeting to event vendors and operators Green Event information included in event marketing and promotions Clear signage and Green Event information available at event. Waste minimisation and Green Event plans implemented Monitoring undertaken during event. Basic monitoring report completed Feedback from participants, vendors/operators and venue manager collated Recommendations for future improvements documented.

12 Appendix B Green Event vendor/operator guide and checklist Event vendors and operators are an important determinant of the success of a Green Event as they largely determine the products and services provided for events as well as the materials and resources consumed at the event. Obtaining their buy-in and participation is critical to the achievement of Green Event outcomes. The following checklist provides the basic requirements for engaging vendors and operators: A list of event vendors and operators is documented The list includes the likely waste products and resources consumed for each vendor or operator A meeting is held with key vendors and operators to communicate Green Event requirements and outcomes Following the meeting a formal documented communication of Green event requirements is circulated to all vendors and operators the template below is an example.

13 Appendix C Green Event venue waste management options guide Village on 17th has en existing contract with Envirowaste. This table presents Waste Management s services for events. SOLID WASTE 240L General Waste Bins - Supply & service $ L General Waste Bins - Supply & service $ m Skip - Supply & service $ per pick up 9m Skip - Supply & service $ per pick up RECYCLING WASTE (mixed glass, plastic recycle 1 & 2, cardboard, paper & tin) 240L Bins - Supply & service $3.50 COMPOSTING WASTE 240 Bins (food scraps, cornstarch plates, wooden cutlery, toothpicks, eco serviettes, no seafood shells) - Supply & service $3.50 per pick up All of the Above Information has been supplied by Leanne Sefton Waste Management -Transpacific Industries Group (NZ) Ltd. For any queries please contact: Phone: +64 (0) lsefton@wastemanagement.co.nz

14 Appendix D Green Event waste monitoring guide and template Measuring waste (recycling and residual waste disposed to landfill) is important for understanding whether Green Event outcomes have been achieved and where future improvements may be made. A waste audit should be undertaken at the conclusion of the event to determine the approximate weight and volume of different waste and recycling streams generated during the event. For a detailed description of waste auditing for events register on The following template provides for a basic waste audit to be undertaken at events: Event name, date, location: Waste volume/weight For each waste and recycling type calculate the total volume using the volume of each bin multiplied by the number of full bins. To estimate weight either measure the weight of all bins or take some sample weights of full bins, average and multiply by the number of full bins. Waste type collection bin type/volume Total number of bins Total volume (L) Total weight estimate or actual (kg) General Waste Mixed Recycling Paper/Cardboard Compost General waste composition You will need to understand what the composition of general waste is so that you can see whether your waste minimisation plan worked and where future improvements can be made for your event. You can use either weight or volume or both to determine a percentage composition. You can audit all waste or take a sample. For a full description of general waste categories register on Waste type Paper Cardboard Mixed recycling Organic material Non recyclabe plastic Other Weight (kg) percentage composition by weight Volume (l ) percent composition by volume

15 Appendix E Green Event waste minimisation plan template Event details: Event manager: Event date: Pack in date/time: Pack down date/time: Number and type of event vendors and operators: Vendor / operator e.g. Bob s Coffee Kart Type Mobile coffee cart Number 2 Expected number of attendees: Expected waste streams: Vendor / operator class Waste streams Number e.g. mobile coffee Coffee cups Lids Stirrers Sugar sachets Coffee grinds (vendor waste take home) Milk bottles (vendor waste take home) Bulk packaging (vendor waste take home) 500 cups of coffee at event Venue waste, recycling and compost facilities for vendors: Worm farm Mixed recycling (glass, aluminium, tin) Cardboard recycling Waste to landfill. Event waste, recycling and compost facilities for attendees: e.g. Staffed mixed recycling, compost and general waste stations Waste minimisation plan map: