How to Have a Zero-Waste Event
Guest Post by: Erlene Howard and Mary Beth Schaye of Collective Resource
At this point, whether you recycle or not, you are at least familiar with the idea. You separate glass, aluminum cans and some plastics and put them in a separate bin. As landfills around the world fill up, a third bin has been introduced in order to divert food scraps.
The simplest way to have a zero-waste event is to buy compostable plates, napkins, cups and cutlery and have a company like Evanston-based Collective Resource haul it all away, along with all of the food scraps, to a commercial composting facility.
In this scenario, there is not a lot of sorting. Collective Resource provides you with 5-gallon buckets. You only have to pay for the buckets you fill, so a certain amount of sorting helps your bottom line. If you scrape the leftover food into one bucket and stack the plates neatly in another, pour out liquids and nest cups, you can save a lot of space.
Every gathering is different, but they can all be greened. I’m fond of an exquisite brand of compostables called Wasara. They are designed in Japan by Shinichiro Ogata and produced in China. They are made from reed, bamboo and bagasse and are very ergonomic. The wine cup fits nicely in your hand and the maru appetizer plate has a curved lip on one side to make it easy to hold onto. The two pieces, along with a napkin, are all you’d need for a simple cocktail or wine and cheese party. How cool would it be to hold the party outdoors and make tearing up the cup and plate and tossing it into your backyard compost bin part of the fun? The food-stained paper is fine but don’t throw cheese or meat into your outdoor bin or you will soon have some unwelcome guests! If you want to have a more formal affair but don’t want to rent everything, you can mix and match washable items with the compostables. This works well if the collecting, cleaning and composting is happening behind-the-scenes, like in the kitchen, for example. VerTerra has a unique square plate that is made from fallen leaves that are steamed and pressed into a form. Every plate is different so a table set with these is very beautiful. They are thick so you wouldn’t be able to tear them up very easily! You’d need to send them through a hauler to a commercial composter.
All of the products listed above, as well as many others, can be purchased through me, Mary Beth Schaye at www.collectiveresource.us.
Erlene Howard is the founder and owner of Collective Resource, Inc. Collective Resource, a woman-owned, Evanston-based company provides food scrap pickup on a regular or one-time basis. Erlene started the company in 2008 because she believed if food scrap recycling was made as easy as other recycling or garbage removal, more people would do it. It has turned out to be true! The food scraps and other compostables are brought to a commercial composting facility and magically turned into beneficial, usable compost instead of festering in a landfill.
Mary Beth Schaye officially joined Collective Resource on Earth Day. Mary Beth loves to party and if it is a green gathering, all the better. She has experience with greening gatherings of all shapes and sizes and is thrilled to help everyone do the same. Mary Beth is a 2011 recipient of an Environmental Hero award presented by Governor Quinn for leading the way in composting at her daughter’s school. She is particularly interested in helping other schools to divert some of their waste from the landfill.
Themocracy