Sustainable waste management is one of the cornerstones of hosting eco-friendly events, and an event organizer’s responsibility is to provide a safe, clean, and sanitary environment for those attending.
Fortunately, there are many ways to incorporate sustainable waste management practices into organizing and planning your concert, market, or festival.
When best practices involving recycling, composting, porta-potties, and even temporary fencing are put into action, organizers can create an environment at their event that is clean, waste-conscious, efficient, and sustainable.
Sustainable Waste Management Best Practices
Sustainable waste management reduces waste and the energy required to handle garbage. It also makes your event more enjoyable and will help garner goodwill from the community where it is taking place.
Nobody wants to attend a concert or festival where garbage bins are overflowing, or litter is left here, there, and everywhere. By thoughtfully implementing best practices like recycling and composting, you’re conserving resources, diverting landfills, and ensuring that your event space will be clean, hygienic, and enjoyable for attendees.
Recycling Stations
Recycling is one of the most effective ways of reducing waste and should be a core part of any event organizer’s waste management plan. Simply having recycling bins is a good start, but there are a few additional considerations that can help events encourage everyone attending to divert waste through recycling. These include:
- Clear signage: Making it obvious where attendees can recycle and what should go in the bins simplifies the process.
- Strategic placement: Place recycling bins near exits and entrances, as well as near areas where food is sold, eaten, and consumed.
- Track your progress: Monitoring the volume of diverted waste can show you what is and isn’t working.
Choosing a LEED-Certified Company
Fenceline Rentals Ltd. can help with all your recycling needs. Our company is LEED certified. What does that mean?
LEED is an abbreviation for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a certification showing a commitment to Canada’s sustainability. LEED companies provide services that help conserve energy and water. Fenceline’s experience helping companies build better recycling programs translates directly to events where a robust recycling plan is good for the environment and will save money.
We can help design and review your recycling plan and provide the right bins for collection and disposal.
Compost Bins
Composting is another key way to reduce waste at events. Food waste makes up a big percentage of what goes to our landfills, with a City of Calgary study in 2019 finding that 43% of garbage bin waste for the Accommodation and Food Services sector was food waste.
Some tips for implementing compost bins at your event include:
- Place compost bins near food vendors and dining areas
- Educate attendees with clear, easy-to-understand signage
Porta-Potties
Providing clean and comfortable washrooms for attendees to use is vital at any event for obvious reasons, but they are also an important part of sustainable waste management.
FenceLine’s portable toilets available for rent meet all local health and safety standards, come with on-site pump-outs and cleanings, and are designed for Alberta’s sometimes harsh temperatures. This prevents emergencies caused by freezing or other environmental hazards, which could cause spillage and contamination of an event site.
Looking to reduce your event’s environmental impact even further? Use eco-friendly cleaning products in your portable toilets.
FenceLine also handles pickup and delivery, ensuring that the waste from portable toilets is removed and disposed of in a clean and hygienic manner. We also offer portable handwashing stations for rent and purchase. They don’t require running water and will prevent the spread of germs and bacteria.
Temporary Fencing
There are many advantages to renting temporary fencing for your event, from crowd control to keeping unwanted intruders out. It can also be incredibly useful for implementing a sustainable waste management plan. Here’s how:
- Organize Waste Management: Temporary fencing can help organize waste management by creating separate spaces where garbage, recycling, and compost can be sorted and stored away from attendees looking to enjoy your festival, concert, or market.
- Create Privacy for Sanitary Stations: Temporary fencing can also be used to create privacy around areas with portable toilets and handwashing stations, as those are generally not spaces where people want large crowds to gather.
You should know: FenceLine Rentals sets up all fencing upon delivery.
Waste Removal & Disposal
Collecting and separating waste and recycling are huge parts of event waste management, but so is removing it from the event space and disposing of it properly. A lot of garbage can pile up during events, and it must be removed safely and efficiently.
Fortunately, FenceLine Rentals Ltd. provides waste disposal services that can help make this process go smoothly and ensure a safe and sanitary environment for staff, volunteers, and guests.
Sustainable Waste Management Is Achievable with FenceLine
Sustainable waste management is more important than ever when you’re hosting an event, and Fenceline Rentals Ltd. is committed to helping build a more environmentally friendly world. Our range of temporary fencing, portable toilets, and waste management solutions won’t just help improve the organization of your event; they’ll also help you reduce your environmental footprint.
To hear more about how Fenceline Rentals Ltd. can help you implement sustainable waste management practices for your next event, call us at 782-825-5737 in Edmonton or 587-864-5607 in Calgary or reach us online.
FAQ About Sustainable Waste Management
Do I need a permit for waste disposal?
For many events in Alberta, you don’t necessarily need a permit for waste disposal, but you do need to follow municipal guidelines. Working with a waste management company can help you ensure your event stays above board. They can also offer you advice and help you come up with a sustainable waste management plan that will help you divert recycling and composting and safely remove waste from your event site.
Whose responsibility is waste management at an event?
The responsibility lies with the organizer. Municipalities like the City of Calgary offer guidelines and tips for sustainable waste management for events. Still, it is ultimately part of organizing an event to have a plan in place.