What We Do
Zero Waste Event Productions LLC is a social enterprise helping festivals to decrease their environmental footprint by diverting waste from the landfill through waste reduction, recycling and composting. We offer pre-event consultation, onsite management of materials, and post-event reports.
Using our waste sorting and diversion model, we have been able to divert over 90% of festival waste from the landfill, while also educating attendees about the importance of recycling and composting.
Our History
Zero Waste Event Productions LLC started in 2011, under Rural Action’s Zero Waste Program.
We got our start working as a grassroots material management and recycling effort specific to the Nelsonville Music Festival. Over the years our effort grew. We added a composting service, began working with food vendors and festival organizers to change policies around what was distributed during the event, and increased our sorting effort to maximize diversion. The Nelsonville Music Festival has achieved a zero waste status four years running, as have new events and festivals who have picked up our service, including Bounty on the Bricks, the Ohio Pawpaw Festival, and The Athens Harvest Festival.
In 2015 Zero Waste Event Productions was established as a Social Enterprise. By the end of the 2019 season, we had spread our services to 40 events and festivals in 11 different states. Currently, we have successfully diverted over 400,000 lbs of material from the landfill and reached over one million attendees with our message of waste diversion.
Zero Waste Event Productions LLC became an LLC in April of 2018.
What is Zero Waste?
Zero Waste is an approach to resource management that conserves, repurposes and recycles what otherwise would be buried in a landfill, into valuable assets that contribute to environmental, economic and social well-being.
Our goal is to create a world where there is no waste. Until then, we support waste reduction and diversion efforts. For now, a zero waste festival is one that diverts 90% of all materials generated and discarded during the event from the landfill through reuse, composting or recycling. There is not way to go zero waste without an events full participation, but if you’re ready to go zero waste, our team is ready to help.
Why Zero Waste?
Zero waste events are good for our planet and our future.
The United States’ EPA estimates that for every 1,000 lbs of recycling sent to the landfill, approximately 3,107 lbs of CO2, or CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. (EPA WARM model 2016). That’s the equivalent of 581 gallons of gasoline.
More and more festival attendees desire sustainable initiatives at festivals. Including zero waste at your festival will give you an edge in the ever-growing festival community.
Going zero waste is just one of many steps an event organizer can take to reduce their carbon footprint, keep their festival grounds clean and improve the experience of their event for attendees, but it is an important one.
Learn More
Zero Waste Event Productions goes above and beyond. We provide equipment and supplies, actively manage event grounds, and work with organizers to ensure that we design and execute a system that maximizes waste diversion efforts, keeps events clean and comfortable for attendees, and reduces the environmental footprint for every event we work with.
Learn to Celebrate Sustainably! By working with the Zero Waste Event Production team we can find the best solutions for reducing waste at your next event and bringing recognition for your efforts to strive for a Zero Waste Status!
Check out the events and festivals we’ve worked over the years. Each of our projects is unique and require customized solutions in order to minimize waste and reduce their environmental footprint!
Become a leader in sustainability! Hire Zero Waste Event Productions for your next Festival or Event.