As I write this, I’m finishing last-minute prep for a zero waste program for an event tomorrow. So I thought I’d give you an inside look at what happens the night before a zero waste event!
It’s often said that a certain type of human waste rolls downhill, and the same is often true of event waste. Because the waste plan for an event depends on all of the other decisions made in the planning process, the day before a zero waste program is typically when a lot of the details come together. So today was my big prep day!
Here are 5 of the most important last-minute jobs I completed today to prepare for a successful zero waste program:
1) Print signs
Because elements can be added to an event at the last minute, I always wait until as late as possible to print my waste sorting signs that go on my bins. Thankfully, I live just down the street from a FedEx Office and can get quick same-day prints on recycled paper.
2) Make my team’s schedule
My team tomorrow will be a mix of my staff and some volunteers provided by the event. I make a detailed schedule to ensure every team member is utilized, all of the waste stations have someone monitoring them, and everyone gets a break at some point during their shift—zero waste can be tiring!
3) Inventory my supplies
In addition to bins and signs, I bring an array of other important zero waste supplies like recycling bags, compost bags, gloves, tongs for waste sorting, a scale for measuring waste, and more. Today is when I double-check to make sure I have everything I need, all the way down to multiple sizes of gloves and the right back-up batteries for my scale.
4) Schedule my meeting with venue staff
Even if you can only grab a few minutes, having an on-site meeting with venue housekeeping staff is vital for a successful zero waste program. At tomorrow’s event, the housekeeping staff will be emptying the waste bins, so our meeting will be a reminder that they need to bring every bag of waste to our zero waste measurement station for weighing, instead of to the usual dumpster or compactor.
5) Relax
I don’t tend to get great sleep the night before an event. It’s a combination of being too excited and dreaming that I’m still getting everything ready, which basically just feels like being awake. (I even had stressful dreams about my garage sale last weekend, so the struggle is real.) Knowing I may not get restful sleep, I try to get a couple of hours of relaxing on the couch to unwind and feel rested before a strenuous day.
That’s my last-minute zero waste event checklist! What are your biggest last-minute jobs before your events? Do you share my struggle of stressful work dreams?
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I totally feel you! #5 is important to me as well. Good food the night before and as much sleep as possible. One thing I always do the day before the event is to call my “major” vendors one more time (trust issues, anyone?), otherwise I might wake up in the middle of the night panicking that the caterer won’t turn up, or the venue accidentally double booked the location. Silly as that never happened but whatever helps me relax the day before… 🙂
That’s a good idea! Since every detail is so important for zero waste to go successfully, a last-minute call to confirm that materials would give me a lot of peace of mind.