Zero Waste Event - SPLC Summit 2018

Sustainable Solutions Corporation (SSC) began working with MeetGreen, hotel staff, and Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) in order to design out the waste months before the event began.

SSC reviewed the hotel’s event processes and determined areas for improvement and developed a waste diversion roadmap for the event that included:

  • Replacing disposable plates, cups, and cutlery with reusable materials

  • Eliminating single-serve condiments and sugar packets

  • Replacing paper towels with cloth towels

  • Working with kitchen staff for meal and portion planning to reduce food waste

  • Identifying and coordinating with MMO to provide composting services for the event

The hotel staff implemented the roadmap to successfully achieve a Zero Waste to Landfill event.

  • Zero waste to landfill means that zero waste is disposed directly to landfill or to incineration without energy recovery by the particular facility. In order to be certified zero waste to landfill, an organization must send 100% of the waste streams to a downstream material management organization (MMO) with the intent to divert this material from landfill.

  • Waste diversion from landfill is the prevention of waste sent to landfill through waste minimization, recycling, reuse, composting and other means as defined by the acceptable means of diversion hierarchy.

GreenCircle coordinated with the hotel’s MMO's to obtain data for how they manage their waste. MMO audits were scheduled to verify correct disposal practices. A GreenCircle auditor worked with kitchen staff throughout the event in order to personally weigh all waste materials and record weights for waste diversion calculations. After confirming the MMO waste management practices and weighing all materials, GreenCircle calculated a 100% diversion rate.

Results:

GreenCircle verified the event was Zero Waste to Landfill.

The Marriott hotel staff was so impressed by the changes implemented for the event that they decided to permanently adopt all new procedures.

 

Operation Zero Waste: How To Achieve Zero Waste to Landfill

In this document we discuss our Operation Zero Waste process and deliver valuable insight on difficult-to-manage materials, the role of recyclers in the journey to zero waste, how waste minimization can help you reduce your carbon footprint, and so much more. Click the button below to download!