Zero Waste Success Stories

NO CHICKENING OUT ON ZERO WASTE!

When Friends of the Farms asked Zero Waste for guidance on having as landfill-free a fundraising dinner as possible, little did anyone imagine that the trash output would practically all fit into the bag you see in the upper left-hand corner. A big reason for their success: Jeff at Blackbird Bakery ordered for the restaurants represented compostable dishes, cutlery and cups, with which sated patrons filled to the brim two 96-gallon yard waste containers. An equal-sized recycling receptacle was also jam-packed with wine bottles, paper tablecloths and nongreasy pizza boxes. Because the shells of the oysters served would be too dense to break down at the commercial compost facility, they were instead returned to Puget Sound to become barnacle housing.

Aside from making sure vendors use materials that can be composted (i.e., anything with food) or recycled, the most important aspect of a waste-free event is having monitors at the waste station (the side-by-side recycling, compost and landfill toters) to prevent items from going in the wrong containers. Friends of the Farms was able to find these volunteers by making the request in an email to their supporters. Nice job all around!

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TEACHING THE ABC'S OF A LOW-WASTE PARTY

Who doesn't love a good party? Now the elementary students at Rebecca Rockefeller's daughter's school like them even more because their leftovers will go to feed the chickens, who, alas, will not end up laying cupcake-flavored eggs. Visit her blog for great pictures and the basics of how to throw a low-waste classroom party.

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A SMASHING ZERO WASTE SUCCESS!

How do you a throw a party for 200 kids and adults and make NO trash whatsoever?  Read on to find out…

Julie Riely and Dawn Snider were determined to make their end-of-year tennis tournament gathering as low-waste an event as possible. As a result, EVERYTHING went into the compost toter or recycling bin, was taken home and washed, or was repurposed.

Keys to success:
1. Plan well. Find out what is being served so the appropriate tableware can be acquired (durables are best). Good planning = good outcome.
2. Communicate with your end users: Dawn announced to the captive audience at the start of the event that the party was aiming for zero waste, and she explained what went into each of the designated containers.

Durables: glasses for water

Compostables: paper plates (not polycoated), paper napkins, pizza boxes

Recyclables: soda cans, juice in plastic bottles (liquids emptied out first, tops screwed back on), two plastic containers for water

Reusable: pizza boxes (garden weed blockers), pizza center rings (creative toys for kids)

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