In my previous blogs I talked about event organizers creating an environmental plan. Part of that environmental plan is a waste management plan. You can read my previous blogs here.
In a waste management plan you identify how you will deal with waste and the different waste streams at your event. There are different forms of waste. You can think of rubbish, air pollution, noise pollution, soil pollution, and sewage. When creating a good waste plan you should look at the layout and logistics of your event site.
Event site layout
The layout will determine where your audience will produce, and leave, most of their rubbish. Think of the front of stage, a food court or sanitary facility areas; these are normally the areas where you will see most rubbish left behind. If this is the case at your event then make sure you have enough bins and/or recycling stations in these areas.
Oh come one! Really?
How you design your site will affect how people move around at your event. You decide where people should walk, sit down, rest, pitch their tent, and so on. This will also determine where people will leave behind their waste. In your planning you need to make sure that you are able to get to the different areas to pick up trash and empty bins on a regular basis.
Waste management planning
You should think of your waste management plan when you conduct a site survey in the very early stages of your planning process. The logistics involved when coordinating your waste streams can be mind-boggling. It’s not just the coordination of waste streams on site that is important. What you do with your waste at your collection points and off site, is perhaps even more important.
In your plan you should indicate how many bins you will have on site and where they will be placed. Please make sure you have clear signage by each bin. In my experience people want to recycle but they don’t always know in which bin to place their rubbish. Make sure you empty the bins on a regular basis. There are companies out there that produce cleverly designed waste bins. A well thought through waste plan can help you keep your site cleaner and will make your cleanup a lot easier.
For more information on event planning and logistics you can download my online workshop Event Planning. Or follow me on Twitter.