Reducing Waste at Venues & Events

Waste Analysis for Owners/Operators

When developing a waste reduction plan, it's wise to find out what you throw away (paper, plastic, food waste, etc.) and how much each of those materials contributes to your total waste. You can gather this information by conducting a waste analysis (also called a waste characterization or a waste sort). The information from your waste analysis will help you select the most productive and cost-effective programs.

You can hire a consultant to do a waste analysis for you (see Choosing an Environmental Consultant) or you can do it on your own with the cooperation of your waste hauler. Here are some tools to assist you:

• Sample health and safety guidelines and waste sampling/sorting procedures for performing an analysis, both developed by the CIWMB.
• A list of standard waste material types and their definitions to help identify and classify your waste.
• A list of standard conversion factors to convert cubic yards to pounds for various materials to help estimate your waste amounts.
• A model waste analysis form (Excel, 89 KB) to help collect and analyze your data.
• Summary data from 2005 of the disposed and diverted waste streams of selected industry groups, including venues and events, is available in the CIWMB publication, Targeted Statewide Waste Characterization Study: Waste Disposal and Diversion Findings for Selected Industry Groups. Also available is summary data from a 1999 analysis of restaurant/bars, hotels, airports, and retail shops. You may wish to review extracts from the CIWMB 1999 Statewide Waste Characterization Study (Excel, 22 KB).
• The City of Seattle Waste Composition Reports.
• Sample waste analysis summaries:
  • Car Show
  • State Fair
  • Horse Show

Owners/Operators