Sustainable waste management - the great impact and steering force
A sustainable waste management system is a written and systematic plan of action with the goal of reducing waste to zero. It also includes the communication and participation of all stakeholders such as suppliers, the public, media partners, employees, sponsors and investors. You can achieve this by separating (or having separated) unavoidable waste so that it can be reused, recycled or composted.
Step 4 of the 16 Steps Initiative: Sustainable waste management
The initiative "16 Steps to 2025 - For a climate-neutral event industry" presents its fourth step: Sustainable Waste Management. The initiative informs about why sustainable waste management in the event industry has such a great impact and steering power in society and the economy. It also shows how we, as players in the event industry, can be part of the solution and have a positive impact on nature and society.
Especially when dealing with waste and the involvement of all actors, i.e. including the audience, we can make sustainable behavior and management tangible and visible. Organizers and artists can make a sustainable lifestyle more acceptable and define it as a desirable goal. Artists like Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Radiohead, Milky Chance, Jack Johnson and many more succeed very well. They take millions of people with them on their way to more sustainability.
Sustainable waste management starts with purchasing
The volume of waste generated by companies and events is already determined by purchasing. Which recyclable materials and resources do you allow and which are allowed to be brought into the location by the suppliers and the audience? The less packaging material, disposable material, different types of plastic you allow, the less waste you create. The more equipment you rent instead of making extra and the more you pay attention to food waste, the more old, unsustainable habits creep out of event management.
You also avoid energy and waste by using recyclable and already recycled recyclables.
Municipalities have the greatest leverage
Alongside venues, municipalities have the greatest leverage in shaping a sustainable and climate-neutral circular economy. As the largest client in the industry, municipalities can stipulate that events must be implemented in a climate-neutral and low-waste manner. This applies to events in public spaces as well as to trade shows and events in municipal venues.
We can make sustainability tangible
As players in the event industry, we have an enormous reach and can regularly bring waste avoidance, energy conservation, circular economy and sustainable lifestyles to life for our guests with sustainable events. Those who experience sustainability without sacrificing enjoyment can have a positive impact on nature, society and the economy. The important thing here is that the concepts should be light on their feet and convincing. How do you achieve this? With consistent integration in all trades, right from the first planning step.
Sustainable waste management - importance and benefits
This is what it means: A sustainable waste and resource management system is a written and systematic action plan including communication and participation of all stakeholders. By systematically measuring, analyzing, and continuously improving the guidelines for action, you can prevent and reduce the amount of waste generated. Only in the second best case should you recycle the waste. The crystal-clear goal: reduce waste to zero.
Ecological advantages
The ecological advantages are clear. The less waste generated, the fewer resources are wasted. This in turn means less waste is sent to incinerators or landfills. And so you reduce greenhouse gas emissions, because whether you incinerate (have incinerated) or landfill (have landfill) waste, both have a negative impact on the environment.
That's why we, as players in the (event) industry, play a crucial role in preventing waste.
Always focus on avoiding waste! The less material resources and recyclable materials are used, the less energy is required for production. This eliminates plastic packaging, as well as the production of the packaging material.
By the way, the more sorted, recyclable and recyclable the non-avoidable products and packaging are, the better.
Economic advantages
Financial benefits come simply from the fact that less waste means less disposal costs for you. Residual waste is the most expensive waste and therefore you should avoid it as much as possible. Less use of resources and reduced energy consumption saves costs and protects the environment.
Sorting waste by type even creates new revenue opportunities. This is because sorted recyclable materials can be sold, e.g. copper, metals, sorted plastics for recyclate production, etc.
Refrain from one-time use, non-modular special structures and additional wood and carpeting. If possible, plan in such a way that they can be reused for theaters, schools, daycare centers or other social enterprises. If you want to plan as closely as possible to demand, you should involve potential buyers at an early stage.
At large events, it is important that you pay attention to uniform systems so that the return of waste functions smoothly throughout the event site. The centralized washing and distribution of reusable cups and dishes can also be financially worthwhile for you. Think here, for example, about sharing the costs by the cooperating catering companies. So make use of cooperations and reusable systems at an early stage.
The population becomes more (more) environmentally aware
And there's another plus when it comes to reducing waste:
Sustainability is now part of the population's purchasing decision and career choice. A clean and controlled event space, free of mountains of trash and disposable plastic, is perceived by many as pleasant and safe. This promotes connectedness, trust and a willingness to buy - especially when your guests can celebrate with a clear conscience.
In addition, motivation is increasing among employees, who are now attaching more and more importance to who they work for. Those who work for a company that is ecologically aware are more motivated and more satisfied. After all, many people are in harmony with themselves when they work in a job whose effects they don't have to protest against the next time there's a climate strike.
Legal basis for less waste
Since the amendment of the Commercial Waste Ordinance, paper, cardboard, plastics, glass and metals, wood, textiles, oils/greases, pollutants and all organic waste must be collected separately at the point of generation. In addition to the separate collection obligation, you also have a documentation obligation. The documentation obligation includes site plans, photos of the collection points, practical documents such as delivery and weighing bills, etc. The waste producer needs a declaration from the waste disposal company about the separately collected waste, which proves the supply and the quantities for recovery or recycling. In addition, you need a statement from the waste disposer about the supply of the separately collected waste for recycling.
> more information for waste producers of commercial municipal waste
> You must pack in accordance with the Packaging Act separate, collect, recycle or reuse.
> You must comply with the requirements of the Climate Protection Act and thus reduce CO2 emissions. In other words, we must cut 65% of emissions by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2045.
> In addition, the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act applies in principle.
What you can do - concrete waste management measures in your company
- Think in cycles already in the planning phase. This is even more sustainable than using a waste management system afterwards.
- Nomination of a responsible person for the topic of waste and resource management
- Explanation why you are implementing a waste management system
- Creation of an action guide for waste avoidance, waste reduction, waste separation, composting as well as reuse, reusable solutions and recycling.
- Communicate with all stakeholders and explain how everyone can become part of the sustainability strategy
- As part of the sustainability strategy, the action guide should always be accessible to the public, e.g. homepage, and also internally for employees - participation and acceptance can be strengthened through workshops, further training
- Waste management should be designed as a continuous process including measurement and reduction of waste generation and continuous improvement of the action guideline.
- Waste separation at the workplace through appropriate containers and labeling
- Sustainable Zero Waste Canteen
- Sustainable purchasing of office and work utensils, including waste avoidance
- Use of sustainable supplier:inside incl. waste avoidance and reduction
- Optimization through cooperation, e.g. combined logistics of local suppliers making deliveries
- Compliance with the Commercial Waste Ordinance during disposal
- Separation of waste by type with a sustainable waste management company
What you can do - concrete waste management measures at events
Basic
- Thinking in cycles right from the start would be even more sustainable than using a waste management system afterwards
- Creation of a guide to waste avoidance, waste reduction, waste separation, composting as well as reuse, reusable solutions and recycling. Some municipalities already require waste concepts at public events
- Waste management should be designed as a continuous process, including measurement and reduction of waste generation and continuous improvement of the action guideline. The waste management system must be mandatory for all stakeholders and subcontractors and be part of the instruction of the production order.
- Avoiding the introduction of waste by the public, trades and all stakeholders e.g. drinks, bags, bottles, carpets, one-off special structures, packaging ...
- Sustainable purchasing incl. waste avoidance and taking into account certificates such as Blue Angel, EMAS, ISO standards and management guidelines such as ISO 20121, the international standard for sustainable event management, Green Globe ...
- Use of reusable or compostable or recyclable and recycled resources.
- Avoid giveaways, if then giveaways from sustainable production with long-term benefits or digital giveaways powered by green electricity via QR code - NFTs have too high energy consumption
- Monitoring compliance with the waste management system among trades, the public, employees and all stakeholders is essential and increases motivation
Waste separation
- Installation of bins for waste separation and comprehensible (possibly multilingual) as well as clearly visible signage (incl. pictures) of the bins for the public, which are emptied regularly.
- Volunteers or measures adapted to the target group to promote and incentivize waste separation among all stakeholders
- Waste separation in accordance with the Commercial Waste Ordinance and the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act for all trades and stakeholders
- Early involvement of a sustainable waste management company
Supply chain and supplier:inside
- Selection of sustainable, if necessary certified, trades and suppliers who avoid waste and CO2 emissions and take packaging materials back and reuse, recycle or compost them accordingly.
- For technology, decoration and other trades, use as much local rental material as possible and few special constructions. Use of sustainable regenerative resources
Reusable system
- Use of uniform reusable systems (possibly incl. local flushing) on the entire site incl. uniform deposit system
- Selecting reusable, dishware and dishwashing providers that are as local as possible.
- Establishment of logistically sensible rinsing points and distribution systems
- Involvement of sustainable NGOs and associations, e.g. Viva Con Agua, which collect the deposit for a good cause. This is how reusable systems are also fun and ensure a positive impact.
- If reusable is not possible, a recyclable or compostable disposable system can be chosen. No bioplastic and no coated cardboard or paper solution should be used, as it is not recyclable
Catering
- In catering, attention should be paid to (Prio 1) zero waste or (2nd best) waste reduction, so that suppliers avoid food waste, donate it and - if there is no other way - compost it.
- No single-use items (straws, sauces, coffee creamers, sugar in single-serve packaging) or single-use bottles - use reusable and bulk sauce dispensers/large containers instead, and recyclable or compostable packaging
Communication
- Preliminary communication of the waste management system and the guidelines for action with all stakeholders (public, trades, suppliers, investors, sponsors, clients, employees, etc.).
- Public naming and contacting of a responsible person for waste and resource management.
- Public declaration of waste management measures within the framework of the sustainability strategy.
- If printed products are unavoidable, they should be CO2-neutral and sustainably printed with environmentally friendly inks on recycled paper (preferably Blue Angel certified), taken back and collected accordingly.
- Offer to take back all materials given out to the public, e.g. name tags, lanyards, paper, flyers....
- If possible, digital communication that is powered by green electricity and does not consume unnecessary power.
Practical example: The extreme reduction in waste at the Wacken Open Air through communication with "Keep the holy ground clean" makes it clear that waste avoidance in connection with appreciation works.
Sustainable solutions and suppliers to the event industry
First of all: Use our free database.
B.A.U.M. members who are active in the field and offer solutions:
- Berliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe AöR (BSR) bsr.de,
Kristian Kijewski is Head of Environmental Protection in the BSR Board Office and received the B.A.U.M. Environmental Award in 2016. - Brockmann Recycling GmbH brockmann.de
- DSD - Duales System Holding GmbH & Co. KG
- GRENOL GmbH
- Hellmann Process Management GmbH & Co. KG
- reCup GmbH with recup.de and www.rebowl.de
- WASTE MANAGEMENT Thomas Weihmann
Good practice examples from nachhaltig.digital (a joint project of B.A.U.M. e.V. and the DBU):
About the initiative "16 Steps to 2025 - Towards a Climate-Neutral Event Industry
More about the initiative "16 Steps to 2025 - For a climate-neutral event industry" and the complete press release can be found at pressebox.de
> to the official press release - step 4
> to all press releases of Stefan Lohmann
> 16 Steps to 2025 - For a climate-neutral event industry
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