Shannon Sahs: All right. Thank you all so much again for joining today's Uva 0 waste event session. Let's go ahead and get started.
Shannon Sahs: I will kick it off to Alma. Alma Mackic: All right. So very basic. We're going to go through a quick agenda about 30 min presentation and then leaving time at the end for questions. Starting with, what is a 0 waste event? Why are they important to Uva what the timeline is for a 0 waste event? Also the core elements, a quick sorting game to kind of get everybody accustomed to a 3 stream waste system, and then at the very end, we'll we'll kick it off with Q. And as.
Shannon Sahs: All right. So to go into the basics, you might be wondering, what does a 0 waste event mean? And that means that an event is considered 0 waste when at least 90% of the waste is diverted from the landfill by either reuse, recycling, or composting, and so composting is really composting is really a key element of a 0 waste event. And we're going to be focusing on that a lot today.
Shannon Sahs: Okay? And so just to give some context. Why, 0 waste events are important. Uva has a lot of support from leadership
Shannon Sahs: on growing our sustainability efforts at Uva. So we actually have a 2030 sustainability plan which has 10 bold goals, and I won't go into all of them here. But for the purposes of this training, one of our most ambitious goals is to reduce waste by 30% by 2030. And that's actually a 70% reduction.
Shannon Sahs: And so, Alma, if you can go to the next slide. I can show you what our progress to date looks like. We are about 37%, as of last year. We've reduced waste by 37%. So we're really only about halfway there to 70%. And we have 5 more years to meet our goal. So it really is going to take all hands on deck to get to this goal of ultimately reducing waste that goes to the landfill by 70%.
Shannon Sahs: And so many of you might be aware, if you've been at Uva for a while. Our leadership has given us directives for several years now to not purchase single use plastics in relation to food. So anything from food service containers to plastic water bottles.
Shannon Sahs: disposable straws and cutlery and shopping bags. There's a little bit more on the list, but those are the kind of the big ticket items. So these should not be purchased by Uva funds or
Shannon Sahs: be distributed at Uva events. And so actually over the summer or in the fall, I would say this became codified as official Uva policy, which is really exciting, but also brings about some changes. So we can talk about alternatives. Because,
Shannon Sahs: yeah. Shannon Sahs: So you might be wondering what you can do to replace single use plastics. A lot of events can be quick, grab and go. So we are
Shannon Sahs: encouraging everyone to switch to reusables. But that sometimes is not realistic. And so the disposable alternative is a compostable item. So we have photos of compostable items here, and luckily these have become really popularized on grounds. We have a pretty great compliance rate when it comes to complying with that single use, plastics policy.
Shannon Sahs: So these should all look familiar to you. But one thing that I'll point out on this slide is this logo in the bottom? Right? The Bpi compostable logo, that if you ever see that on an item is how one of the signs that you'll know that it is compostable, because sometimes it can be hard to tell.
Shannon Sahs: So just to zoom out a little bit more in terms of compost compost is nutrient, rich soil made from decomposed organic matter. So we work with black bear composting, which is an industrial facility over the mountain in Augusta County, and so we give them our food waste. And actually, all of the food waste turns into
Shannon Sahs: this nutrient, rich soil, as you can see in the photo on the right? Shannon Sahs: And
Shannon Sahs: yeah, thank you. That's a great note, Rebecca, about pla number 7. And so yeah, it turns into this nutrient rich compost, as you can see on the right, and we actually are able to use that in our gardens and landscaping on grounds. But it's also distributed to local farmers and gardeners in the area. So it's really closing the loop on our food waste.
Shannon Sahs: So compostable items are all food waste. So that's including meat, bones and dairy. Since we work with an industrial, larger scale, composting facility. We can compost a little more than you would in your backyard compost pile.
Shannon Sahs: We can take uncoated paper products, including napkins and paper towels, especially if they're dirty with food residue. We want to get those into the compost rather than we don't want to recycle that. And so again you can look for that Bpi logo that I pointed out a minute ago, and then the pla 7. So you'll see, like a recycling symbol, the little triangle, and then pla 7. That means it is made from plants.
Shannon Sahs: and if you want an easy rule of thumb to tell if something's compostable or not, you can remember that if it grows it goes in the compost.
Shannon Sahs: and so when it comes to compost, there are some contamination concerns specifically plastics, metal, and glass. So for a 0 waste event, we really really discourage having any glass at the event. So because if it does break down and end up in the compost that can become potentially dangerous for people that are working with the soil and the end product. And like farmers and gardeners so definitely want to avoid glass
Shannon Sahs: and metal, since it will not break down and plastic. This is actually a photo taken at Black Bear from a recent tour that we did, and these are all of the plastic utensils that end up in the compost that do not break down. So we like to say, if it grows, it goes, but also when in doubt, throw it out.
Shannon Sahs: not in the compost bin. Shannon Sahs: So now that we've provided some context on composting, we'll kind of move into the logistics of hosting a 0 waste event. So what you'll do first, st and we'll kind of talk about these pieces a little more as we go. But as an overview, what you'll do 1st is submit a 0 waste event request form, which is on our website, and we'll show you that in a little bit, but you will submit that request form at least 10 business days before your event.
Shannon Sahs: so that we can confirm that we can support that, and then you'll receive a confirmation from the Sustainability office and the Uva recycling department.
Shannon Sahs: Then the recycling department will be in contact with you about how, where, and when to drop off the compost recycling and landfill bins.
Shannon Sahs: and they will do that before your event, and then your event will take place, and you'll put in best signage practices and communicate with your attendees to prevent contamination. And then, after your event, the recycling team will come by and pick up those bins, they will go to Black Bear composting.
Shannon Sahs: and then your event will be hopefully completed and be a successful 0 waste event, and then you can complete a 0 waste event. Feedback survey the day after the event to help us improve our system.
Shannon Sahs: So these are the core elements of hosting. A successful 0 waste event, and we'll dive into each of these each of these categories a bit more. But in general you want to have reusable or compostable service wares.
Shannon Sahs: You're going to need to get compost bins and compost bags and then making sure that you're communicating and educating your attendees so that they know that it's a 0 waste event, and to utilize the compost bins properly. And then, lastly, as a event host, it's important to make sure that you are preventing the contamination from the plastic, metal and glass, or any other noncompostable items.
Shannon Sahs: And so, when it comes to purchasing compostable service wares or sourcing compostable service wares. You can either one work with your caterer or 2, buy a stockpile on your own and have that on hand. It provides a little bit more flexibility. But if you are working with a caterer directly, and you're using the Uva marketplace to place your catering orders, you can go on America to go
Shannon Sahs: and filter for a 0 waste caterer. Some of our favorites for small events are roots, sticks, Seaville, coffee, and Pearl Island, and some of these are great for large events, too, but for larger events.
Shannon Sahs: If you especially want to have some reusable materials, we love Harvest Moon, Virginia Catering company and red hub. So it's always a best practice, though, to reach out to your caterer and confirm that they'll supply the compostable materials, and just give them a gentle reminder of Uva's single use, plastics, policy. But if you like, a little more flexibility with your caterer, what you can do is source compostable
Shannon Sahs: plates and utensils, and those things on your own. So you can also do that through the Uva marketplace. The supply room catalog has a lot of options, and so we recommend world centric.
Shannon Sahs: the the brand world centric and eco products. They have a lot of good
Shannon Sahs: good products at an affordable cost. But one thing to keep in mind with Eco products is that not all of their products are compostable. Some of them are made from recycled materials. So it's just important to keep an eye out for the word compostable, and you can also purchase any product that has that Bpi compostable logo, because that means it is compostable as well.
Shannon Sahs: But be careful when it comes to greenwashing, because words like biodegradable and eco-friendly and plant-based are not regulated terms, whereas compostable is a regulated term. So keep an eye out for the word specifically compostable when you're purchasing supplies for your event.
Shannon Sahs: And so when, if you do go, this route, what you can do is tell your caterer that you opt out of service wares and just supply your own.
Shannon Sahs: And so these are just examples of things that you can see that you can find on the Uva marketplace. These are some Eco products. But if you have any questions about whether a product is compostable or not, you can always just send an email to us, and we're happy to help you find options that are affordable.
Alma Mackic: All right, and it doesn't look like we have any students or cios in the chat. But if there were, this is also an option for receiving compostable, whereas for events, less than 150 student-run events,
Alma Mackic: under 150 attendees can request compostable service wares free of charge from the Uea recycling department. It's part of the 0 waste event process and program that we offer. The only caveats are that if
Alma Mackic: you can only request these wares if compost service is being provided to your event.
Alma Mackic: And that also includes Alma Mackic: that have a clues. The disclaimer has to be 10 business days prior to the event date, and also something that we didn't add in this slide deck. But 0 waste events are something that can only be serviced on Uva grounds, so that includes central grounds, north grounds, but areas like Morven and Fontaine Research Park. Those are unfortunately not considered on grounds at Uva. So services from the recycling team cannot be delivered there, nor can
Alma Mackic: complementary compostable products from the program
Alma Mackic: so compost bins and bags. If you submitted the 0 waste to that quest form which we'll go over in a second that will automatically be covered in the service.
Alma Mackic: The containers that are presented to you in the event, space are already lined. You don't have to touch the bags or bins whatsoever. One thing that you do need to be cognizant of is that
Alma Mackic: Making sure that the bins are co-located, which we'll get into a second, and that goes for if you're doing a diy 0 waste event as your own on your own, so converting an existing waste bin by covering the existing stream or signage. So, for example, if you want to convert a landfill bin into a compost bin.
Alma Mackic: we would just make sure and ask you that you would cover everything that's a landfill on the bin and kind of makeshift and provide clear signage that for the purposes of that event it is considered a compost bin, and it's lined with a compostable liner
Alma Mackic: and then again making sure Alma Mackic: compost. Landfill and recycling are all co-located together, and signage is very clear.
Alma Mackic: So let's see if this will work. Screen sharing has not been. My has not been my friend recently, but it looks like
Alma Mackic: alright. Can you all see that. Shannon Sahs: Yes.
Alma Mackic: Okay, perfect. So this is our 0 waste events website, where you can find a helpful guide. That kind of is a quick rundown of everything that we're talking about right now, our toolkit, where you can find signage and other communication materials. Our 0 waste event request form.
Alma Mackic: So this is the form that you will submit 10 business days prior to your event. You log into the the form
Alma Mackic: it asks for your contact point ask for your contact phone number department organization. And then, as you move for move further into the form, it asks you more details about your specific event.
Alma Mackic: What time. How many people who the caterer is just to kind of give us as much of a cohesive. Look at what your event is going to be. It's going to be like and how we can best service your event.
Alma Mackic: So this is what I mean by co-locating, as you can see in all the photos right next to each other. You have a landfill, plastic metal, glass and compost bins, and this just gives attendees an equal opportunity to sort all of their waste into the correct streams, so that there's not so that there's not anybody needing to go to a separate part of the event space to throw their cup versus their plate.
Alma Mackic: and this also makes it easy for volunteers to be able to sort items out of the incorrect bin and into the correct one. If volunteers are something that you have the opportunity to have at your event as well.
Alma Mackic: so as far as communication, we kind of break this up into 2 parts. The pre event of communication is when you inform your guests that they will be attending a 0 waste event through any preliminary emails or social media posts that you're putting out before the event takes place. And so in these preliminary kind of pushes, we encourage attendees to bring their own reusable utensils, if they have, if they have them, bring to go containers to kind of eliminate the pressure of having
Alma Mackic: leftover food, and then the in event communication is having clear waste bin signage, and then making kind of an announcement to your attendees that are there at the event, that this is a 0 waste event. Please be responsible with how you sort your
Alma Mackic: sort, your waste so on and so forth.
Alma Mackic: So, as I showed you in a minute ago, the 0 waste event. Toolkit is where you can find resources like this. So we have digital communication tools, such as social media posts, email content blocks and powerpoint break slides as well as printable signs that you can post around the event space.
Alma Mackic: and when it comes to the signs, Alma Mackic: having as much detail as you can is best. So we did a study back in August at 2 identical events just taking place on different days, and found that when you just posted the blink.
Alma Mackic: the blank signs with no descriptions whatsoever. At a fully compostable event we found that 48% of everything that was collected still wound up in the trash versus the compost, and then, but when we did add proper.
Alma Mackic: you know proper signage with directions and items that belonged in each waste stream, we found that 62% of everything wound up in the compost, which is still not perfect, but for an event that size it's pretty dang good.
Alma Mackic: because this was about, I want to say, about 350 people at this event.
Alma Mackic: So speaking of larger events for large event, add-ons having 0 waste volunteers is always a good way to make sure that contamination is left to a minimum. Having one or 2 people to monitor the bins, help people sort their waste.
Alma Mackic: or just kind of pick out whatever contaminations they see at the end of the event, to make sure that all of the bins are clean and contaminant. Free is a good way to
Alma Mackic: make sure that this is a true 0 waste event, and there's no contamination in the compost bags or any of the other bins for events of for events, 250 plus student events, we ofs will do our best to kind of coordinate volunteers for that as well.
Alma Mackic: Water monster, which is a water refill station, is perfect for events of a thousand plus. It provides you a refillable water source that doesn't use single use, aluminum bottles, or any other
Alma Mackic: or any other single use water solutions. Alma Mackic: And then for those who are wondering about a food recovery plan. We just recently launched our free food alert app, which has kind of 2 sides, a host side where people can post about leftover food, and then a subscriber side where subscribers can see what events have leftover food, and for 30 min after the event
Alma Mackic: they can go and pick up leftovers. So that is a great way to kind of eliminate leftover food and food waste at the end of events.
Alma Mackic: so we won't go through this whole chart. However, there are other ways that you can green your event besides just waste diversion and minimization. Right? So when looking at things like decorations, you know, kind of avoiding plastic sequins, balloons, or disposable decor.
Alma Mackic: invitations, avoiding paper invitations, avoiding disposable or packaged giveaways. Having, you know, all 3 waste streams available at the event to kind of keep as much out of the landfill as we can, and having your events be somewhere that's super accessible, so that people aren't having to drive if possible.
Alma Mackic: Hello! Alma Mackic: There you go! And here are some extra resources. We'll sign. We'll send this slide out if anybody would like it. Including the 0 waste events. Page free food, alert water monster and then any additional contacts that you might need with regards to 0 waste events.
Shannon Sahs: Before we move on to waste sorting practice. Does anyone have any questions about the 0 waste event process?
Bobby Putrino: I had one Shannon. Bobby Putrino: Hey? So so here, on on grounds. If we're using a facility like earn commons or an event I know
Bobby Putrino: last time I checked. They have landfill and recycle.
Bobby Putrino: If we're wanting compost bins, there is that something that's only offered for certain buildings? Or do we make a request for that? Or how would we go about that.
Shannon Sahs: I'm not certain about that specific building. I think that the recycling team services that. So if a space already has a landfill and recycling bins. Then we would just bring the compost bins. If that's the only station, if that's the only stream that they're missing. But I do believe that that building can be serviced, so I would encourage you to submit that request.
Shannon Sahs: and if it ever isn't possible, then the recycling team would let you know. And then we could talk about that Diy, Diy, 0 waste event, strategy.
Bobby Putrino: Okay, so submit that request through your team or through the recycling team. Shannon Sahs: Yeah, you can submit that request using the 0 waste event request form which is linked here. So we'll share that with you.
Bobby Putrino: Thank you.
Shannon Sahs: any other questions. Shannon Sahs: Yeah. I worked one time, and it was really fun at the Uci road race with Virginia Green composting. So if anybody remembers in 2017 there was that big
Shannon Sahs: worldwide cycling event that happened in Richmond, or part of it happened in Richmond, and it was really fun. We got to be volunteers to help people who came put their leftover food that they didn't eat into the proper bin, or whatever put whatever it was.
Shannon Sahs: But how would Shannon Sahs: how would my organization find those volunteers that would help do that? Because I can only imagine that many people this might be on their radar of a lot of people, but not everyone even knows why you're doing this. Not outside of Uva.
Shannon Sahs: People might not have had a science teacher that had the time to teach them about methane climate change stuff, so they don't even know why, let alone which bit wind goes where. So I would think the volunteers would be a pretty key.
Shannon Sahs: Okay. Shannon Sahs: yes, the volunteer absolutely right. The volunteers are are very critical to 0 waste events, especially if there's like over 50 people. I would say, so
Shannon Sahs: I would say, if you're having a large event, reach out to us. And let let us know, and we
Shannon Sahs: are happy to provide 0 waste volunteers. We've also done trainings with departments to train their own if they have student employees, or if they have staff that are like really excited about sustainability, and we can do 0 waste volunteer trainings. But our team is always happy to jump in and help, and we have a team of very
Shannon Sahs: enthusiastic students who love to help with the compost.
Shannon Sahs: Oh, great! Oh, that's good to know! Shannon Sahs: Yeah. Shannon Sahs: Thank you.
Shannon Sahs: And I guess, following up on that so that you're gonna give us the link. That's not the link, correct
Shannon Sahs: the link that's on the screen right now is not the link to the form. Shannon Sahs: Correct. This is to a different tool, the Uva Waste Directory, which is a search tool to find out which stream any item goes into. But the form is on our if you, Google Uva 0 waste events, that web page will come up and there will be a big button for the form, and we'll send out the slide deck afterwards with the link.
Shannon Sahs: Okay, UV Google, Uva, 0 waste. Okay. Shannon Sahs: And last question would be if
Shannon Sahs: if 40% of the people working in a department
Shannon Sahs: are excited about composting, and 60%
Shannon Sahs: don't know what it means. Is there something we can do? Shannon Sahs: You get the 60%.
Shannon Sahs: So we are always happy. Our team is happy to join staff meetings, to talk about sustainability, and do some like outreach and education. But I would say, making compost optional is great for people that aren't comfortable with it, or maybe aren't as enthusiastic about it.
Shannon Sahs: Okay, alright, Brooke. It looks like you have a question. Brooke Clary: I do so for this service. Is there a charge to the building? If somebody is
Brooke Clary: trying to utilize the 0 waste. Shannon Sahs: Right now there is no charge. Nope. The only service that has a charge is for the large water refill or water monster refill stations. 0 waste. Events are free.
Brooke Clary: Okay, so I'm just checking, because, you know, we cover a lot of events.
Brooke Clary: we have done well over 300 so far, just in the last, like 6 months.
Brooke Clary: so we can request that on behalf of the person doing the event.
Shannon Sahs: I would have to connect with you about that separately. We have had some cases where people do that. But it's really important to have all the event logistics. In terms of who the caterer is, what type of food there's going to be, and how many people are expected. So if you have that information, then you could definitely do it on behalf of the host.
Brooke Clary: Okay. Alright. Thank you. Shannon Sahs: Alright, any last questions before we go through this waste sorting practice
Shannon Sahs: all right, we're gonna go ahead and move along Shannon Sahs: so one of the trickiest parts of 0 waste events is having a weird item in front of you and being like, I don't know if this is recyclable or compostable. So we're going to go through some common items that we see at events, and feel free to come off mute and shout out the answers, or put them in the chat.
Shannon Sahs: All right. We have your standard Shannon Sahs: paper plate with some waxy coating and
Shannon Sahs: color on it. What do you all think? Where would you throw this in the landfill compost, bin, or recycling bin.
Bobby Putrino: Landfill. Shannon Sahs: That. Yep, that is correct. So these are unfortunately not recyclable or compostable, because it has it's not only paper, but it has that film on top as well.
Shannon Sahs: All right. What about this one. Shannon Sahs: Hard to know if, unless it says that it doesn't have the film.
Shannon Sahs: Yeah, this one is tricky. A lot of the time. Paper plates don't have. They don't have any wording on them, so it won't say compostable. But with this one, if you can hold it and see that it's it doesn't have that waxy coating, and it's just paper. Then it is good to go in the compost, and I'll add that those super, like the most basic paper plates that you can get from the grocery store that are like the super flimsy paper
Shannon Sahs: that don't have any coating. Those are also compostable because it's just paper, so you can remember if it grows, it goes in the compost.
Shannon Sahs: All right. We have our aluminum water bottles. Brooke Clary: Recycling.
Shannon Sahs: Yep. Shannon Sahs: and just a friendly reminder that all of Uva's recycling is hand sorted by the Uva recycling department. So please make sure that your bottle. Anything that you put in the recycling bin is empty and free of food. Residue.
Shannon Sahs: How does one know that something is aluminum versus tin metal, or whatever else.
Shannon Sahs: That is an excellent question. I'm not sure. I think that we always say that because aluminum is the standard and aluminum is highly recyclable. So a lot of the beverage companies will use aluminum to create their products. But I'm not sure that's a great question.
Shannon Sahs: all right. And what about leftover food.
Brooke Clary: Compostable. Shannon Sahs: Yep, if you unfortunately have already taken a bite out of your sandwich, and you can't finish it, and you can't take it home, for whatever reason that would go in the compost. But we always want to try to put food leftover food in the hands of people that are hungry rather than putting it in the compost bin. But this would go in the compost as opposed to the landfill
Shannon Sahs: compost. Shannon Sahs: It's.
Shannon Sahs: And you can see here that has that Bpi. If you go back, it has that Bpi compostable logo, and it also has the word compostable on it. So you know it's good to go
Shannon Sahs: all right. What about the your standard coffee cup?
Brooke Clary: Landfill. Shannon Sahs: Yeah, this one's really tricky. But yes, the the lids are recyclable, those plastic lids. But the cup, since again, it kind of like that 1st paper plate. We looked at. It has paper, but it's also got that waxy lining. Those can't be separated, so it has to. It cannot be recycled. It has to go in the landfill
Shannon Sahs: alright, and then napkins. Brooke Clary: Compostable.
Shannon Sahs: Yep, because of their paper. Shannon Sahs: You always. Shannon Sahs: There no problem then? I mean, I know this is industrial composting. But
Shannon Sahs: is there ever, I mean is bleach still a thing where, if it's been bleached, then it's not so great for the soil I used to hear for home composting. Avoid bleached cardboard and paper.
Shannon Sahs: Yeah, that's a great point. We work with Black Bear, and they haven't expressed any concern. Brooke Clary: And so forth.
Brooke Clary: Sorry. Shannon Sahs: Okay. Shannon Sahs: black Bear hasn't expressed any concerns over that but that is an interesting point. So as of now, these are safe to go in the compost at Uva.
Shannon Sahs: Thanks. Shannon Sahs: Alright, and then single. Use packaging chip bags.
Shannon Sahs: Mostly trash. Landfill, unless somehow it was aluminum. I don't know.
Shannon Sahs: Yep, this will go in the landfill. Shannon Sahs: and then we see these all the time. At events, single use sauce or creamers. Where do you think these go.
Bobby Putrino: I'd like to say recyclable. But I feel like you're gonna tell me I'm wrong.
Shannon Sahs: You are, you are correct, that it's wrong. These are going to go in the landfill as well, especially because it's to those 2 different materials a lot of the times, and it has food residue. It's gonna go in the landfill.
Shannon Sahs: Alright, I think this is our last one. But we have like catering pants. And these are probably aluminum. But
Shannon Sahs: what do? What do you all think about this? Shannon Sahs: I would think landfill.
Shannon Sahs: So these are actually recyclable if you can get most of the food residue out. So if you can get like 90% of the food residue out, these are good to go in the recycling bin.
Shannon Sahs: If for some reason you cannot clean them, they're just a mess. You're right. They would go in the landfill.
Shannon Sahs: Alright, last one, I promise. But this one's tricky. What about utensils?
Shannon Sahs: Only if they have that logo that, says Bpi, was it Bpi or they say.
Bobby Putrino: Commercially. Shannon Sahs: Postable. Yeah. Shannon Sahs: Yes, so utensils are super tricky. We tend to say landfill, because, unfortunately, most of them are not compostable. But you're right. If you see the word compostable, and that's getting a lot more popular at Uva. If you see the word compostable on a utensil that can be composted again, because the word compostable is a regulated term. So you guys did a great job. Thank you all so much for
Shannon Sahs: participating. It sounds like you would be excellent event, hosts, and educating your guests on what materials are compostable, recyclable, and landfill, and before we end I will just open it up for any last questions.
Taylor Goff | Morven Sustainability Lab: And then y'all might have resources for this already. I'm just thinking about more than when we do events. We are well off the beaten path for people. So we tend to try to provide, you know.
Taylor Goff | Morven Sustainability Lab: maybe a food truck, and then we also provide snacks. Do you all have suggestions and resources for doing like a snack bar. That isn't a bunch of prepackaged things, but also is still being sanitary. And it's not just, you know bowls of chips, that you have 200 people free for all in through just with limited footprint of staff to be able to man a trash station and a snack station. Do you all have ideas for those things?
Shannon Sahs: That's a really good question. That's something that we don't see very often. But if you are interested in doing that the vendors that I could think of like we've worked with kona ice in the past, who is a registered vendor with Uva, and they are amazing at providing compostable materials.
Shannon Sahs: Everything's compostable. And then a lot of ice cream businesses also will do compostable cups and spoons. So it's really just about asking them if they can accommodate the single use plastics policy. But yeah, in terms of snacks.
Shannon Sahs: Any finger foods are great, like cut up slices of pizza, little sandwiches that have been quartered, but then again, just buying in bulk.
Shannon Sahs: Awful. But I know it can be difficult. Yeah. Taylor Goff | Morven Sustainability Lab: Yeah.
Shannon Sahs: All right. Thank you all so much. We will send out this recording and the slide deck, and please know that we're always here as a resource. If you want to brainstorm about an event, or have any ideas on making events more sustainable, we would happy to be happy to connect. So thank you all for joining, and hopefully we will see you soon at a 0 waste event.
Shannon Sahs: Right. Shannon Sahs: Thank you. Nina Tripp (she/her): Thank you.

[Music]
looking to make your event more
sustainable try hosting a zero waste
event a zero waste event means that at
least 90% of the waste generated is
diverted from the landfill and either
composted or
[Music]
recycled you're likely familiar with
recycling but composting might be new to
you or your attendees composting is a
natural process of breaking down or
organic matter like leaves and food
scraps back into Rich fertilizer that
enhances soil and
plants food waste makes up about 1/3 of
our waste string and when it ends up in
the landfill it produces carbon dioxide
and methane both powerful greenhouse
gases keeping food waste out of the
landfill means reducing our greenhouse
gas emissions while creating something
beneficial there are three key steps to
hosting a zero waste of bent minimize
your waist stream request appropriate
and prevent
contamination think about what kinds of
waste will be at your event from vendors
attendees or cers reduce as much waste
as possible before the event by finding
low waste Alternatives one of the
biggest ways to do this is by ditching
single-use Plastics and opting for
reusable or compostable items in your
food service wear like utensils cups and
plates when it comes to compostable wees
double check labels to ensure items can
be composted green washing happens look
for these key
[Music]
indicators be aware of items labeled
biodegradable as this is not the same
and these items will not break down in
the
compost now that you've analyz your
waist stream you'll need bends for
proper landfill diversion it's
imperative that the compostable wees end
up in the compost bin as they won't
break down in the landfill if you
haven't already fill out our zero waste
events request form on our website
you'll provide event details and be
prompted to select what bins you'll need
for your event including composting
Recycling and landfill a recycling
department will deliver them to your
event lastly it's time for your event
one of the most important steps in
hosting a zero waste event is ensuring
no contamination ends up in the compost
bin the compost produced on grounds is
sent to Black Bear composting where it
is handled by people and ultimately used
as fertilizer on local farms
non-compostable items won't break down
during the composting process and
contaminate the final product to avoid
contamination you can have a designated
volunteer keep an eye on the bins
throughout the event make sure they know
which items are compostable and
recyclable the bigger the event the more
volunteers you'll need you can also
Place bins next to each other and
educate your attendees through
announcements and signage we can assist
in providing printable signage to post
on each voice bin
to host a successful zero waste event
look for ways to minimize your waste
stream before it's created by
eliminating items or picking sustainable
Alternatives ensure you have the proper
bins for landfill diversion by filling
out our zero waste events request form
and lastly help prevent contamination at
your event through signage and having a
volunteer keep an eye on the waist bands
to ensure items end up in the correct
stream for more sustainable event tips
check out our zero waste event toolkit
under the zero waste page on our website