2016 Waste Management Report
Goal
As a leader in sustainable event management in Perth, the waste goal of Upbeat Events is to divert
waste from festivals away from landfill and to raise awareness for issues surrounding the impact of
waste to the health and wellbeing of the community. At Subiaco Might of Lights our goal was to
audit 100% of the waste produced from street vendors and the general public in order to identify
the waste trends and influences at the event. The overall aim was to ensure that future events could
better reflect demand from the community and local government to have community festivals that
are greener and responsibly manage their resources.
Being a new festival the goal of the Waste Management was to capture the types, amounts and
position of waste occurring during the festival to identify key opportunities for improvement.
The key strategies employed were:
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A two stream waste system- recycling and general
Bin signage
Bin educators positioned at key sites to inform the public where to place their waste
An audit station open to the public for viewing as bins are sorted
Collection of key data about the recycling waste stream including types, weight and volume
Sorting of recycling waste stream to minimise pollution
Ongoing reporting to the public through signage
The key issues targetted through this process were:
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Informing/ educating the public about waste streams
Minimising the pollution in the recycling stream (under 5% of organic waste pollution)
Identifying what types of waste are produced and in what quantity
Results
The festival demonstrated the trend from stallholders and businesses away from plastic and towards
compostable packaging. Key findings from the waste audit included:
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A high proportion of compostable packaging was used compared to other types
A large amount of general waste is caused by polluted recycling waste streams (especially
plastic food and drink packaging) and the public using incorrect bins
Plastic items with low weight and high volume caused inflated volumes in plastic and general
waste streams
A very small amount of Styrofoam packaging was used
Less bins were required than expected, 15 of each type is suggested for next year’s event.
Created by Tim Hill: Carbon Free Communities 2016
P: 0431 334 288
E: [email protected]
Total amount of Waste by Weight
Total amount of Waste by Volume
T0TAL: 155.71kgs
TOTAL: 4,570 Litres
% of General Waste: 33%
% of General Waste: 47%
% of Recycling: 45%
% of Recycling: 45%
% of Compostable: 22%
% of Compostable: 8%
What worked well
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The results demonstrated the positive impact of compostable packaging. It is not only the
most sustainable but also cost effective with a huge reduction in the volume of waste
produced.
The two stream system was effective as it was simple for the public to understand and easy
for the waste team to manage, the use of coloured bin caps was effective in helping people
to stream.
The bin signage is clear in identifying the different streams being used
The Earthcarers provided support as bin educators. This proved very effective in minimising
pollution in the recycling stream at bins where they were stationed. This was the most
effective strategy for minimising pollution in waste streams.
The auditing process was effective in capturing the information required with 100% of the
waste audited. The process also compacted the waste into less bins.
Numerous members of the public showed interest in the work being carried out and were
grateful that this approach was taken.
Even better if
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Stallholders used only compostable packaging for food as this would minimise pollution.
Compostable waste was collected separately and sent to a composting facility.
Created by Tim Hill: Carbon Free Communities 2016
P: 0431 334 288
E: [email protected]
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There were waste educators at each bin station for the duration of the festival
Feedback from the public about the waste management was captured during the event
Mainstage announcements were included at set times to publicise the waste goals (key
point reminders- what to put in each bin and running totals)
General Waste
 Organic matter: food scraps
 Wet containers
 Food/ drink containers with organic
matter inside
 Soft plastics
 Baloons
Recycling
 Cardboard/ paper (not containing food
or liquid)
 Plastics
 Cutlery
 Aluminium
 Glass
 Cofee cups (empty)
 Drink bottles/ containers (empty)
What next?
We have an amazing opportunity given the size and scale of the festival to maximise the amount of
waste going to recycling or composting and minimise the amount of waste heading for landfill. The
City of Subiaco waste management services sort organic from non organic material with the non
organic going to landfill. If stallholders used compostable packaging only when serving food then
either of the following could occur:
1. All organic waste can be sent through the general stream to be sorted and then sent onto
composting. This should be shared with the public as they can then help to minimise
pollution in recycling and understand that all organic materials will go to a compost facility.
2. Or, intergrate a 3 bin system (General, Recycling, Compost) into the waste management. The
compost bins would be available for members of the public to empty their food/ drink scraps
into before recycling with the assistance of bin educators.
It will require more volunteers to act as bin educators on the day. With increased funding bin
educators could be trained prior to and during the event to effectively communicate the key
messages during the event. Training Earthcarers and other interested groups to deliver strong
positive waste education messages would be an investment in future events and ensure more of the
public understand the importance of making simple changes to the way they manage their own
waste. This could be an opportunity for the Waste Council of Western Australia to target large
sections of the community in Local Government areas and improve waste sorting and management
at a broader level.
Created by Tim Hill: Carbon Free Communities 2016
P: 0431 334 288
E: [email protected]
Waste management at community based festivals provides a unique opportunity for positive
community action that can have long term positive impacts. Generally festival goers are highly
enthusiastic about making a positive difference, no matter how small the action. This adds to the
positive tone of the festival overall.
Special Thanks:
To Ken and Jimmy from Upbeat Events for having the vision and foresight to identify the
need to reduce the waste footprint of events and festivals and the passion to see it through.
To the Earthcarers teams for their incredible drive and dedication to make so many positive
impacts for the future of our world.
To the City of Subiaco for their leadership and support in helping to make healthy,
connected communities a reality!
Created by Tim Hill: Carbon Free Communities 2016
P: 0431 334 288
E: [email protected]