Zero waste events doing the business

We're proud of our community events like the Movies in the Park and the Christmas on the Coast and the fun and vibrancy they add to the Kāpiti Coast. 

We're also proud that they're zero waste, meaning we're minimising the amount of rubbish heading to landfill. 

Running an eco-friendly event isn't just a great idea, it's also a requirement that organisers of events over 1,000 people plan to minimise and divert waste, measure the results and report these back to Council.

Many local events are already leading the way on zero-waste events, and a great example is the Kāpiti Strawberry Festival, one of Mary Potter Hospice's main annual fundraisers. Read about their journey to becoming waste-free below.

If you're planning an event, check out our Event Waste Management resources for practical tools, including our event waste plan template, bookable waste equipment, and a workshop to help you run a low-waste event successfully.

The journey to a zero-waste event

The Kāpiti Strawberry Festival is one of Mary Potter Hospice's major annual fundraisers, bringing the community together to celebrate summer while supporting a great cause. Since the first event in 2006, the festival has grown in popularity and is now regarded as the start of the summer event season here on the Kāpiti Coast. A wide range of stallholders together with the Mary Potter Hospice strawberry tent, live entertainment and demonstrations make for a fantastic day out.

In early 2023, the event organisers recognised the need to improve their sustainability efforts and set a goal to champion zero-waste at future events. They sought guidance from our Waste team and worked with event waste minimisation specialists and began their journey to eliminate all avoidable waste from their event.

Before zero-waste

Prior to 2023, sustainability wasn't a top priority for the organising team – it often fell into the 'too-hard basket'.  As a result, only about ten percent of event waste was diverted, with most going to landfill - a poor outcome for the Kāpiti Strawberry Festival and the community.  A combination of external factors including the regional Waste Bylaw, and a growing commitment to do better, prompted the organising committee to take action.

For the 2023 festival, they brought in an event waste minimisation provider, which was a great first step. They learned that early planning and pre-event volunteer training were key to successfully managing waste on the day, rather than leaving it too late to organise. Their efforts paid off, achieving an 83% overall diversion rate in this first year. However, with a short lead-in time, they still faced challenges around resourcing and volunteer numbers, leaving room for improvement. 

Striving for excellence

For the 2024 festival, organisers teamed up with local event waste experts Organic Wealth, who have a strong track record of minimising waste at local, regional and national events. Their approach focuses on upskilling event ambassadors ahead of time – shifting the role of 'bin volunteers' to proactive educators who engage with festivalgoers in a positive, informative way.

This change required more hands-on effort, but the results were worth it. Volunteers found the experience more rewarding, attendees felt welcomed and supported, and most importantly, the festival achieved an impressive 95% diversion rate – an incredible result from just 10% in 2022.

Volunteers to make your event fly

The secret sauce to the festival's waste minimisation success is the support of local air cadets, who volunteer each year as part of their commitment to community service. Every team needs a strong leader and Organic Wealth's James Michael brings care, attention to detail, personality, and high energy to that role. His expertise, enthusiasm and hands-on support allow festival organisers to focus on running a great event, knowing their waste ambassadors have the guidance they need. 

Key learnings:

• Research your options for event waste minimisation early.
• Learn about best practices using online and offline resources.
• Understand what can be diverted, especially the plastic numbers.
• Build a long-term volunteer network.

Running a successful zero-waste event takes planning, collaboration, and confidence in your team. The best results come from integrating waste minimisation at every stage, from early event design to on-the-ground execution, so that reporting outcomes to Council becomes a breeze.

Next steps

One key takeaway from the 2024 festival was the need to evaluate all event materials. A waste audit revealed that using non-recyclable tablecloths contributed to the 5% of waste that ended up in landfill. Moving away from singe-use event items to reusable alternatives may require an upfront investment, but event organisers can apply for funding through the annual Waste Levy grants.

By continuously refining their approach, the Kāpiti Strawberry Festival team is proving that zero-waste events are both possible and can set the standard for all community events.