Penn State University's Forum For the Future
A Minimal Waste Event
October 24, 2007
Mission
Penn State's Forum for the Future provided an opportunity for University leaders to gather for a few hours to discuss the University's strategies and actions for becoming an environmentally friendly and sustainable campus. Following this mission, we worked closely with the catering staff and participants to reduce our waste.
Success
For the morning beverage service and the luncheon for 80 attendees, the waste we sent to the landfill totaled 10 pounds or 10% of the total waste produced. The total distribution is as follows:
| Type of Waste | Amount (lbs) | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Refuse to Landfill | 10 | 10 |
| Compost | 60 | 60 |
| Cardboard Recycled | 20 | 20 |
| Other Recyclables | 10 | 10 |
Lessons Learned
Throughout the planning process, we worked closely with our catering manager, Toby Scott, and his staff to reduce our waste, recycle all possible materials, and collect any waste that could be sent to Penn State's composting center. "It was a learning curb for all of us," says Toby, "and we look forward to replicating the event."
Some mistakes that we caught during the process were:
- We set out individual creamers with the coffer and plastic stirrers. Barb Kephart, Toby's assistant, recognized the mistake and immediately replaced them with spoons and a jug of cream in a bowl of ice. We learned in the day's discussion, however, that we cannot always assume that this exchange is the more environmentally friendly recourse.
- At first, we did not include a specific garbage can for the compostables, but we recognized this mistake and Penn State's Recycling crew provided a special biodegradeable plastic liner for the can.
- Although we explained the process for disposing of waste to the attendees at the conference's first coffee break, we should have done this earlier and included more information in the pre-conference materials.
Tips for Planning a Minimal Waste Event
- Ask caterer to avoid individual packaging:
- Request locally grown foods
- Use biodegradable cutlery and dinnerware
- Secure recycling bins for all recyclables, food waste and biodegradables
- Bin signage should direct participants where to put their waste: trash versus compostables
- Use recycled content paper napkins and paper towels
- Collect the preparation and post-event food waste, weigh and send to compost processing center
- Collect recyclables, weigh and send to recycling center
- Collect the non-recyclable and non-compostable waste, weigh and place in refuse dumpster
- Collect name tag badges for reuse
- Distribute conference materials via email or the internet
- Begin the meeting with an explanation of the steps taken to reduce waste and how they can help.