Trash talk: questions should be asked of venues
Why venues need to rethink their approach to waste and be more transparent in their recycling claims.
I can’t help but agree with Michael Foreman’s comments in ‘The best possible waste’ that waste presents a massive opportunity for the business meetings and events sector.
Questions should be asked of venues as their actions have huge implications on how waste is managed.
Michael questioned the validity of some venues’ claims that they are recycling 70, 80 or even 90 per cent of their waste. He’s keen for the greenwashing to stop, which we’ve been very vocal about, and not just relating to waste.
We’re extremely keen for the sector to become more transparent with its sustainability claims, as venues like ours are proud to be achieving high recycling levels – thanks to our conscientious commitment to understanding our waste streams.
Warren Campbell
Warren Campbell
We have a comprehensive recycling policy with compartmentalised bins and clear signage throughout the venue. We take it so seriously that as part of our small events team we’ve appointed a dedicated waste champion, Amy, who through her ‘Amy’s Aim’s’ initiative has the responsibility for upcycling.
Our Southbank venue was launched in 2008 with sustainability at the forefront of every decision. Our ethos is to follow the waste hierarchy giving top priority to waste prevention, followed by reuse, recycling, recovery and finally disposal. Ultimately it helps us rethink our relationship with waste.
It is all about education and benchmarking. We don’t even have black waste bags on site. No waste leaves 15Hatfields that doesn't go into a dedicated stream, which ultimately ends up with 0 per cent going to landfill and a very minimal amount going into energy production.
You need to be committed to the hierarchy, to ensure that nothing gets to the bottom. Because you just can't turn your head and ignore the difficult and hard things to recycle as there’s always a way if you’re determined to find the solution.
Venues need to understand what their own recycle management organisation is doing. Visit their site, and then look at the feedback on their reports.
We’re firm believers that you can only achieve higher recycling rates when you have somebody specifically managing upcycling.
During the quiet times, every month Amy looks at the difficult waste streams that have been created and then utilises upcycling. We have so many success stories of giving away unwanted items to the local community and via sites such as Freecycle.
Just this month, for example, we’ve given away redundant plastic jugs, and dishwasher cutlery racks. Everything is always snapped up, as one person's waste is another person's treasure.
We only have pencils in our venues that are made from recycled newspapers and often organisers will leave branded plastic pens, which we upcycle with Rymans. Pots have been previously donated to a cattery to use as water bowls and redundant furniture and stationery has been donated to a local education establishment, while surplus thermos flasks or crockery have been given a new lease of life at a homeless shelter.
Our advice to other venues is to do the leg work and find a member of the team who's really dedicated and passionate about giving things a second life and back into a system. For Amy, and the wider team, it provides huge satisfaction that nothing goes to waste.
It’s also about what you purchase. Just because you've bought the contents of something, it’s still your responsibility. We won't purchase anything unless it's got a sustainable credential, it can be recycled, or upcycled. It's very rare that we find anything that we can't upcycle or reuse from the very start. But it all starts with the prevention at the very top of the ladder.
As we're responsible for the waste we generate at 15Hatfields, we've implemented a fee for leaving any non-recyclable waste on site. We're happy to process any recyclable waste, but if anything goes into our waste stream that is not recyclable such as a pop-up banner that is constituted as parts, we will then go back to that exhibitor and charge them £50 per item.
Photo by Javier Graterol on Unsplash
Photo by Javier Graterol on Unsplash
Photo by Utopia By Cho on Unsplash
Photo by Utopia By Cho on Unsplash
Photo by Johnny Briggs on Unsplash
Photo by Johnny Briggs on Unsplash
This approach, which we are very transparent about in our booking terms and conditions, automatically makes organisers take ownership for any waste they generate and makes them think twice about one-time use.
You often have to include a financial implication to make people own what they've produced. And clients are happy with this approach, as they understand and respect our ethos.
We're very lucky to have a loyal, dedicated, long-serving team of environmentalists working for us, who understand the process and are passionate about finding those solutions.
They’re also really keen to help educate the wider events community through our extensive online Sustainability Hub, which we launched earlier this year to be transparent with all our work and successes. Here, event professionals will find a wealth of information and blogs about our ongoing commitment to waste management and our wider sustainability initiatives.
We don’t claim to have all of the answers and are always researching and interested in hearing about other innovative solutions currently being used by the sector.
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