Sample chapter by Lindsey Newkirk, submitted in the Measure and Report Impact section.
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Elysium Events manages zero waste programs for events. Through waste reduction, recycling, composting and donations, “zero waste” can be used as a goal to strive for and a mind set for decision-making.
Challenge: Portland businesses are required to recycle 50% of their waste (75% by 2015). Many of the large public events in Portland have recovery rates less than 30%.
Case Study: The Bite of Oregon
In 2006, the Bite of Oregon generated 44,000 lbs of material, only 24% (10,560 lbs) of which was recycled. A waste audit found that 55% of the materials thrown in the trash could have been composted.
Over the next two years we worked on a zero waste program, which resulted in an increase of the recovery rate to 66%. Here’s how we did it:
- Created a policy for the 80 vendors to use compostable service ware and to eliminate the use of non-recyclable and non-compostable items;
- Provided composting bins for the public;
- Use management and volunteers to educate the public and sort through materials to remove contaminants.
The result: The Bite was one of Portland’s first successful large-scale public event composting programs.
Metrics: We coordinated with the hauler to obtain separate weights for all of the material that was collected on site. The results were:
- 45,840 lbs of material generated
- 30,220 lbs of that was recycled and composted
- 15,620 lbs went to the landfill
To calculate the recovery rate we used this formula: (recycling+composting) / (recycling+composting+landfill) x 100. So, 30,220 / 45,840 = 0.66 x 100 = 66% recovery rate
It is also important to calculate waste generated per person. Since attendance numbers vary each year, this metric is a constant baseline in which to compare your efforts over time regardless of this variable. Here is the example from the Bite of Oregon:
2006: 55,000 attendees and 33,440lbs of landfill material: 33,440 / 55,000 = 0.61 lbs of landfill material/person
2008: 45,000 attendees and 15,620 of waste material: 15,620 / 45,000 = 0.35 lbs of landfill material/person
The reason that it is so important to obtain and track the data is to evaluate the results of your efforts. Results for zero waste planning can vary quite a bit depending on the event’s strategies and understanding of complexities. It is important to see where you stand, evaluate your program for continued improvements and to report on your efforts. Understanding your results also helps to avoid greenwashing; the truth is in the numbers.
Lindsey Newkirk is the owner of Elysium Events, an event greening company that focuses on zero waste. She has helped her clients reach recovery rates of 66-98%. | Elysium Events
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