Why trash?
Meetings and events have many opportunities to reduce their impact by conserving resources, whether through increased efficiency, reduced consumption, or reducing environmental impacts by reducing waste and pollutants. Reducing waste is a single but significant step in the journey of addressing the full scope of environmental impacts from meetings. Members of the GMIC selected trash as their challenge because it was felt to be a simple first step to engage everyone in making a positive difference.
In 2007, the 254 million tons of waste were generated in the United States, according to the EPA. Of this amount, a third of the waste consisted of paper and paperboard waste. A quarter was organic waste, and another quarter consisted of plastics, metal, and glass.
Generation of waste has large economic, environmental, and social impacts, and likewise shows immense opportunity for improvement. Of this waste generated, about a third, or 85 million tons were recycled. This was represented a reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 193 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent removed from the atmosphere.
Yet only half of paper waste, 7% of plastics, and 3% of foodscraps on average are recycled or composted in the United States.
How much trash do meetings and events produce?
Waste streams from conferences have not been researched and analyzed well, at least not recently. In 2001 the USEPA estimated the typical conference attendee produced about 20 lbs of trash per day, but this data is almost 10 years old! By comparison it is estimated the typical North American produces about 4-5 lbs of trash per day while at home and work. One of the goals of this project is to better understand how much waste meetings and events produce, and how much of a difference reducing, reusing and recycling can make.
For example, a study in California showed that the majority of waste disposed of in hotels and events consisted of organic materials and paper. Yet for hotels and events, diversion rates of waste generated was only 23% and 29% respectively. These recycling rates are extremely low in comparison with other industries.
Aside from the benefits of Greenhouse Gas emissions and landfill reduction, recycling and composting waste materials from events can improve the bottom line. Composting and recycling is typically offered at a lower price than hauling waste.
By aggregating meetings and events waste data, we can help the industry become aware of its environmental impact as well as its potential for improvement, and the financial and environmental benefit of taking action on trash.
Who can take part?
Meeting planners, hosts and suppliers can support the Trash Challenge. You can either report your data on a per event basis, or as a company. So if you are hosting a conference, sign on and register your meeting data. Or, if you are a hotel, meeting venue or caterer you can sign up and report your individual data. GMIC will be cross-referencing trash submissions to prevent duplication but we encourage you to talk to your event partners to designate one reporter if possible to help us avoid duplication.
How do I take part?
GMIC invites you to join in the challenge by tracking and reporting how much waste you are reducing and recycling at your events. Register to participate by clicking on the link above and reporting your efforts.
What kind of data do I need to collect?
All participants are required to report how much trash their event or company produced, and how much was recycled by weight at a minimum. Two simple numbers. For those who are also reducing trash by composting, providing donation programs or cutting back on things like paper you can report this information as an option. Optional data fields include weights of plastics, glass, paper, e-waste, cardboard, oil, compost, wood, construction waste, donations and others. Data can be provided in metric or imperial, and will be converted for aggregate calculations.
How do I track waste and recycling data?
Meeting planners and suppliers are partners in collecting waste management data. At the most basic level, ask your trash hauler:
1. How much trash they collect by weight
2. How much they recycle and/or compost by weight
Be specific about dates. If reporting for your event you may need to make arrangements in advance to separately measure your waste stream. If reporting for your company you may want to take a quarterly or annual record of your waste and report on that. Most haulers will be able to share trash and recycling data as facilities are typically billed regularly by weight of trash and/or recycled materials. Some facilities or haulers may co-mingle waste from different locations so accurate measures of recycling by event – particularly if your event is small or your company rents part of a building – may take some work. But estimates are possible based on average diversion rates your hauler should be able to provide.
How will my data be used?
No individual trash challenge data will be shared without express permission from you. Participation in the Challenge does not infer consent to GMIC to publish your event or company data, merely a willingness to add your individual data to the Challenge total. Your private information will not be shared by the GMIC. Aggregate data from all participants will be shared publically in regular progress reports on the Challenge. In addition, collective data will be analyzed to help the GMIC better understand waste management adoption by our industry as a whole, an area which until now is not well understood or researched.
How will I be recognized?
All Trash Challenge participants will be listed on the GMIC web site. In addition Challengers are welcome to submit a case study of their event to the GMIC web site for possible inclusion. To submit a case study please email: challenge@greenmeetings.info
How much do we have to reduce to reach this goal?
GMIC estimates conferences in the USA produce an estimated 10.5 million tons of trash. 1 million tons therefore represents a reduction of about 10%. If every single event or meeting venue could recycle 10% of their left over materials, or repurpose them through donations we can meet our goal. Reducing use of paper, un-necessary giveaways, packaging and other materials is the icing on the cake that will help us exceed this goal.
* Footnote: MPI Canada estimates 70.1 million people attended meetings in Canada in 2008. Multiplying this by the population difference between Canada and the United States means an estimated 700 million people went to meetings and conferences last year. Assuming USEPA (2001) estimates that the average conference participant produces about 20lbs of trash per day, this translates into an estimated 10.5 million tons, or 21 billion pounds of trash.