Demystifying Waste: Sector Based Solutions #1
Arenas, Entertainment & Convention Centers
Activating Zero Waste Engagement in Venue Facilities & Events
Whether it's a rocking music festival, an intense sports event, a popular exhibit at a museum, or a massive multi-day trade show, the venues hosting these gatherings share several key characteristics:
Large Gathering Spaces: Suitable for events that attract crowds.
Public Engagement: Serving as hubs for social, cultural, or commercial activities.
Economic Impact: Generating revenue and stimulating nearby businesses.
Substantial Infrastructure and Services: Ensuring smooth and safe operations.
Massive Waste Generation: Producing significant waste in a short amount of time, with high rates of landfill disposal.
Large-scale events often leave behind mountains of plastic bottles, cans, and single-use foodware. This common scene reveals a pressing issue: how do we handle all that trash? Here are a few staggering facts to set the stage:
As reported by government and industry sources, special events generate about 2.5 pounds of waste per person each day. Some quick math shows the following daily waste generation:
20,000-person music festival: 50,000 lbs of waste = 4 adult male African elephants.
30,000-person trade show: 75,000 lbs of waste = 3 fully loaded school buses.
80,000-person football game: 200,000 lbs of waste = 50-70 cars.
In 2019, before the pandemic, U.S. music festivals produced 53,000 tons of waste, equivalent to 450 blue whales. In the UK, 23,500 tons were generated (⅕ of the US population), with an estimated 70% sent to landfills.
We understand that the owners and operators of these facilities were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic recovery has been slow. However, this is a perfect opportunity to realign with sustainability goals. Waste reduction strategies, such as those included in a TRUE certification, offer some of the fastest returns on investment (ROI). They reduce operational costs, create local jobs, revitalize communities, and elevate brand images.
California formally recognizes that activities at venues and events can generate significant waste quickly. The law requires the largest venue facilities and events to plan and report for solid waste reduction. Large venues are defined as those hosting over 2,000 individuals per day, including stadiums, amphitheaters, arenas, halls, amusement parks, conference centers, zoos, aquariums, airports, racetracks, performing arts centers, fairgrounds, museums, theaters, or other public attractions.
Adopting cutting-edge waste diversion strategies at stadiums and convention centers is a game-changer. While the waste generated in operations and respective greenhouse gas emissions from these venues are a fraction of those from energy-intensive industries like mining, transportation, or construction, their potential to reduce overall waste and landfill contributions is immense. With their high foot traffic, these venues can create a positive ripple effect, influencing behaviors across diverse socio-economic, racial, and age groups.
Waste is a tangible issue that guests can directly experience, making it a focal point for event hosts globally. Commitments like the United Nations Sports for Climate Action have attracted over 200 teams and organizations to reduce their carbon footprint by 50% by 2030, including all emissions material to venue operations. Emissions from waste are certainly material to this sector, and zero waste solutions are among the fastest ways to achieve significant carbon emissions reductions.
We've had the honor of conducting both LEED and TRUE zero waste audits and providing zero waste consulting services to a variety of these facilities (Convention Center, Stadiums, Event Centers), and we've observed consistent patterns. What excites us the most is the tremendous potential for change. While each facility has its unique challenges, the solutions listed below are generally applicable across this sector.
At All About Waste, we adhere to the Zero Waste Hierarchy, prioritizing waste reduction and reuse, followed by recovery through composting and recycling. Our Zero Waste Framework allows us to identify opportunities and challenges at each step of the waste journey. This framework helps our clients create customized Zero Waste Roadmaps and Implementation Action Plans.
While there are many solutions within each of these process categories, below we highlight some of our favorite waste-related sector-based solutions and key considerations for high-transient occupancy entertainment venues & event centers:
01 Strategy: Every venue should establish a zero waste plan, or roadmap, similar to other sustainability plans like zero carbon roadmaps. This roadmap guides the creation of a zero waste action plan, detailing short, medium, and long-term steps toward meeting zero waste goals. These documents inform policies and tools requiring event organizers and vendors to submit waste management plans aligned with the venue’s zero waste goals. For example, Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena offers vendors easy access to zero waste solutions. Roadmaps can greatly benefit from conducting zero waste audits first, in order to ensure a clear understanding of the current baseline state (total waste generation, diversion rates, contamination levels).
02 Supply Chain & Purchasing: Starting upstream by ensuring the right materials and services enter the facility is key to achieving high diversion rates. Event centers can reduce overall waste by introducing reusable foodware and closed-loop opportunities, such as take-back programs. Companies like TURN and R.Cup are excellent examples, and stadiums can benefit from branded aluminum collector cups for refilling at water stations and bars. Going plastic-free with water bottles, as seen at SFO airport, and encouraging reusable aluminum bottles and water refill stations, like Coachella, are also crucial steps. Where reusables aren’t feasible, ensure all single-use foodware is compostable across all vendors, starting with VIP areas to create an elevated guest experience.
03 Upstream Infrastructure: Ensuring a positive user experience without extensive education relies on the design of products, bins, and signage. "Upstream infrastructure" refers to where waste first becomes waste. Key elements include well-designed waste collection bins (both front of house and back of house) and appropriate signage. Effective waste bins, often referred to as centralized bins, should include multiple streams, such as: landfill, mixed recyclables, and compostables, with regional adjustments. Bonus features include collection for liquids and space for collection of reusables.
04 Total Participation: Training for food vendors and janitorial team members is critical for successful waste sorting and operations, requiring onboarding and ongoing education. Staff or volunteer support at waste bins during events can significantly improve waste diversion. For example, Greenbuild Conferences use volunteers to help divert waste properly, offering free passes as a reward. This can be included in the event policy handbook as a suggested solution for event organizers.
05 Downstream Infrastructure: Once waste moves from generation points to the collection room, often at the loading dock, it encounters large equipment known as downstream infrastructure. Creating an inventory of waste equipment helps facility management conduct life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) to find financial savings. Overlooked infrastructure can lead to overpaying on waste hauling fees. Implementing upstream steps necessitates “right-sizing” downstream waste infrastructure, benefiting from audited waste data to support such changes.
06 Waste Handling: Reducing waste upstream through reusables, take-back programs, and lease-as-a-service offers significant economic savings in waste hauling fees. Properly sized downstream infrastructure allows for revisiting hauler contracts and exploring fee structures that encourage diverting waste from landfills and incinerators. This is also an opportunity to plan for donating leftover items and exploring third-party recovery facilities for material reuse.
07 Data Management & Verification: To enhance sustainability reporting and attract new events and clients, ensure proper waste data reporting. Depending on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set in your zero waste roadmap, various solutions are available for collecting relevant data. Waste hauler data can be unreliable, so using smart bins, sensors, AI technology, and conducting annual Zero Waste Audits can verify waste data accuracy. Collaborating with supply chains and vendors can identify opportunities for reduction, reuse, and recovery. Consider an assurance review with a zero waste consultant or pursuing TRUE Precertification to support your ESG/CSR reports.
If you want to learn more about these solutions and many other solutions, as well as how to apply our zero waste framework to your facility, please connect with us directly. You can also email our Founder & CEO, Denise Braun, at denise@allaboutwaste.org. We would love to hear from you!
ALL ABOUT WASTE
All About Waste is a pioneering force in zero-waste and circular economy consulting, proudly owned by women and minorities and based in California. Our comprehensive services include green building certifications, circularity strategic planning, zero-waste program assessment and management, project consulting, training workshops, and community outreach.
Recognized as technical advisors for USGBC LEED and TRUE Zero Waste committees, our client-centric approach reflects our core values of teamwork, integrity, creativity, and effectiveness. Committed to driving sustainable solutions globally, we contribute our expertise to projects across Europe, APAC, South, and North America, shaping a more sustainable future for generations to come.
What sets us apart is our unwavering passion for continual growth and innovation, backed by a team of experts at the forefront of green building and solid waste management industries. With over 200 certified projects and waste assessments for 37 million square feet of buildings, we specialize in guiding initiatives for high-performing, socio-environmentally responsible, and resilient buildings.
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