Waste Wise Events grants aim for zero-waste

20 January 2022

Five community event organisers have been given a share of more than $22,000 to help in the transition towards zero-waste events in the Bega Valley Shire.

The not-for-profit organisations each received a Council-funded Waste Wise Events Grant along with expert assistance from Council’s waste reduction team.

Council’s Acting Waste Strategy Coordinator, Rechelle Fisher said the grants will be used in different ways to encourage the running of local festivals while minimising waste going to landfill.

“Thanks to its abundance of natural open spaces and popularity with tourists, the Bega Valley Shire is the perfect location for hosting memorable events,” Ms Fisher said.

“However, its picture-perfect setting is at risk if the running of events leads to large volumes of waste needlessly ending up in landfill.

“The Waste Wise Events Grants means we can have the best of both worlds; the shire can be the home of amazing events without impacting the places that draw people here in the first place.

“We were thrilled at the amount of interest in the grants, which points to waste management being high on the list of priorities for community event organisers to reduce their environmental footprint.

“This year we were able to assist the Cobargo Folk Festival, the Cobargo Annual Show, the Merimbula EAT Festival, the Bega Show and Sapphire Coast Boardriders with their waste reduction plans.

“The Cobargo Folk Festival showed some innovative ways to run a zero-waste event, including the hire of staffed wash stations to make it easier for people to reuse their cups and plates throughout the event.

“There are so many ways to reduce event waste, such as providing extra yellow and green bins; making reusable, recyclable and compostable items available to food vendors; donating unsold food to local pantries; hiring bin attendants; and increasing signage at bin stations and other prominent areas to help people to choose the right bin.

“Nobody likes an event spoiled by excessive littering, so we’re really happy to be helping these organisations in their planning of events that help to promote the shire’s clean and pristine reputation.”

For more information, visit the Waste Community Assistance Grants webpage.