D1. Introduction and problem definition
At events, considerable amounts of waste can be produced in a short time, such as disposable packaging and disposable tableware, bottle caps, cigarette butts, confetti or decoration materials. Often, on-site waste bins are insufficient and quickly overflow. The litter left behind, especially in public open spaces, is not only an aesthetic problem but also a serious environmental one. The most common problems are:
- Inadequate waste infrastructure (waste containers)
- Overloaded waste infrastructure (full waste bins)
- Invisible or difficult to use waste infrastructure
- Poorly or not organised waste management team
- Accumulation of rubbish in places not intended for this purpose
- Excessive cigarette litter
Waste poses various risks to animals and plants. Waste such as cigarette butts can contaminate soils and groundwater. Especially annoying: green and planted areas are often difficult to clean by hand. A littered environment also damages the image of your event and can lead to conflicts with the neighbourhood. Leaving trash around attracts more trash, especially in hard-to-reach places like bushes (also known as the "Broken Windows Theory"). This problem can quickly become a challenge to the point of making proper waste disposal even more difficult.
Effective waste management and consistent waste avoidance can significantly increase the acceptance of an event. Furthermore, responsible use of resources reduces the climate footprint of an event. To minimise environmental and climate impact, all resources should at best be reprocessed as recyclable materials in new cycles (keyword: circular economy).
D2. Strategies for effective waste management
For an effective and planned approach to the issue of waste at events today, it is necessary to address the issue directly during the conception of an event and thus avoid later consequences of possible rescheduling. For this purpose, we provide a brief overview of the topic of waste management.
Some key points for efficient and environmentally friendly waste management are:
- Waste management planning
- Prevention and reduction of waste
- Reuse of used materials - e.g. reusable instead of disposable
- Efficient waste treatment through sorting by type and proper disposal for the best possible reuse (recycling)
- Establishment of an effective waste management system and involvement of all relevant stakeholders
- Raising awareness among participants and communicating waste prevention measures
- Waste management planning
Waste is generated in different areas, for example at sales and catering stands, at stage areas, as well as in entrance and exit areas to the event site. For planning within the framework of a waste concept, you should primarily take into account the site conditions and event areas or waste generation locations, the number of participants (in order to be able to estimate the amount of waste), steps for disposal and emptying, etc. You should also identify which types and quantities of waste will be generated in each case. In addition, identify the types and quantities of waste that will be generated. On this basis, you should develop an appropriate waste concept at an early stage and incorporate it consistently into all areas of your event.
- Prevention and reduction of waste
The best waste is that which is not produced. Today, there are many ways to prevent waste altogether or to ensure that only a small amount of waste is produced in the first place. In the waste hierarchy, we speak of prevention, then reuse, recycling, recovery and disposal. Planning should therefore take into account at an early stage where waste can be prevented or reduced. To name a few examples of waste reduction, instead of small packaging, large packaging, traders should be obliged to take packaging with them, and offers should be based on finger food instead of offers that have to be served in dishes.
- Reuse of used materials - e.g. reusable instead of disposable
Within the framework of a waste concept, possibilities should be developed that consistently focus on the use of reusable solutions. Especially in the area of food and beverages, there are now many options for the use of reusable tableware. A possible deposit system should also be developed in a user-friendly way. Bringing your own drinking cups, for example, can also contribute to the solution.
Furthermore, the reuse of materials can also help to reduce waste. Especially in the area of decoration materials or banners, it is worthwhile to reuse them. In the area of equipment, borrowing necessary items can also contribute to a resource-saving and thus sustainable event.
- Efficient waste treatment through sorting by type and proper disposal for the best possible reuse (recycling)
In various areas of your event, it is possible that despite all efforts, waste will be produced. In order to ensure that the waste produced is fed into the recycling chain in the best possible way, it is necessary to separate all waste by type and to set up the necessary waste containers for this purpose, which must be clearly marked. Possible areas include food waste/biological waste, waste glass, cardboard/paper/cardboard, light packaging/valuable materials and residual waste.
- Establishment of an effective waste management system and involvement of all relevant stakeholders
At best, these points are documented in a waste concept. A waste concept is a planning basis for all waste-related activities at an event. It includes measures for waste prevention and disposal of all waste.
The waste concept should provide for the following:
- Sufficient waste containers in the public area
- Separate collection points in the backstage area in accordance with the Commercial Waste Ordinance (Gewerbeabfallverordnung)
- Organisational measures for waste management and waste prevention
- Involvement of the responsible waste disposal companies for the selection of suitable containers and collection times
- Communication of the concept to all parties involved for smooth implementation
A sample waste concept can be found in chapter D3
- Raising awareness among participants and communicating waste prevention measures
It is not enough just to provide sufficient waste bins or to implement waste prevention measures. Another important building block is to raise awareness among all those involved in your event. This includes not only the visitors, but also the many service providers such as security, food courts or sanitary service staff. They should be obliged to comply with the waste concept as part of their contractual obligations.
D3. Waste concept templates
To give you a little insight, we have put together 3 examples that can help you create a waste concept.
The guidelines of the Senate Department for the Environment, Mobility, Consumer Protection and Climate Protection in cooperation with the Berlin City Sanitation Department have compiled a comprehensive brochure that offers very concrete tips for the creation of a waste concept in many areas. It is particularly relevant to large events, but can also be used as a good guide on a smaller scale.
- Waste concept template (German)
- Explanatory notes on the waste concept template (German)
- Template planning waste quantity (German)
Source: Link
Further examples of model waste concepts can be found in the two links, one published by the City of Vienna and another by the Grüne Liga (Green League). Have fun browsing.
https://www.wien.gv.at/umweltschutz/abfall/pdf/veranstaltungen-konzept.pdf
Source: Link
Source: Link
Further links and literature on the topic of waste concepts can be found here:
Low-waste events (GRÜNE LIGA Berlin) (German)
Avoiding food waste in catering (DEHOGA & UBA) (German)
General guidelines
Guidelines for Climate Neutral Events in Berlin (GRÜNE LIGA Berlin), p. 44 ff. (German)
The guidelines for action also contain many waste-relevant links on p. 52ff.
Guidelines for the sustainable organisation of events (BMU & UBA) (German)
Green Club Guide (Clutopia) (German)
Kiez Tool Box, Zero Waste & Cleaning (German)
D4. Planning, realisation and supervision of effective waste management
Waste management at outdoor events is not only an infrastructural and physical challenge, but also requires sociological and social dynamic sensitivity. Only the combination of these aspects can guarantee successful waste management.
Comparable to all other aspects of a successful event, waste management must also be thought of as a holistic concept. Only when the whole functions as a unity can one speak of success. To achieve this success, several factors have to be taken into account.
Waste stations
Litter bins symbolise the agreement between organisers and visitors and serve as a "desired place" for waste. How much of the resulting waste ends up in these containers depends on how important it is to the organiser to realise this agreement with his guests.
The following factors play an important role here:
- Number
- Design
- Accessibility
- Visibility
- Supervision
The number depends on three factors: number of visitors, size of the area and sources of litter. The more visitors, the smaller the distances between the bins should be. It is important that in all cases one bin is visible from the next bin.
The design of the litter bins has a direct impact on their use and care. It is important to keep both aspects in mind!
Litter bins must always be as accessible as possible. This is difficult to ensure in a crowded bar, a full dance floor or in the commotion at the entrance. Here it is recommended to work with double stations (bar left and right, entrance left and right, dance floor in front of and behind the post), even if it would not be necessary from a purely infrastructural point of view. “Accessible" should be understood to mean not only the visitor, but also those involved in the event, such as production, security, service personnel, etc.
Litter bins should always be placed where they are clearly visible to all and ideally well lit for the period of darkness during an event.
All of the above are, of course, worthless without professional care of the infrastructure. The worst mistake in a running production in terms of waste management is an overfilled waste bin. Physically, the bin loses its function and psychologically, disinterest is conveyed by the organiser to the visitor to keep the existing arrangement.
The “Green Team”
Members of the waste management team are important in the consistent implementation of the waste concept. Their attitude, appearance and work have a direct influence on the waste behaviour of the visitors. Here, as with all teams at the event, only motivated employees contribute to the success of the project! To ensure this, there has to be a relevant paradigm shift in the set-up of the waste management team. The willingness to perform a certain role is completely insufficient in an event scenario. Accordingly, only staff members who express a direct desire to deal with this matter should be considered for the waste management team in particular. In order to further strengthen the contact with the audience, it is advisable to use employees from the same age group, if possible even from the same environment, as the audience. This facilitates dialogue and subconsciously encourages responsibility among the visitors. Highly visible uniforms are a great help in this regard. If visitors see that many staff members are making an effort to keep the environment clean on the part of the event, this also has a motivating effect on their own behaviour.
When putting together the waste management team, various factors need to be taken into account:
- Number of visitors
- Size of the event area
- Type of event
- Style of music
- Use of substances
The number of visitors does not parallel the number of staff. At an art event with classical music, 1 staff member per 500 visitors is sufficient. For an event with electronic music, accompanied by the use of hard drugs, this number increases to 1 staff member per 200 visitors. If it is a rock or punk concert where a lot of alcohol is drunk, then a scale of 1 staff member per 100 visitors should be applied.