Our goal: waste-free for a smart city
In Wellington we don't take our natural wonderland for granted. We are smart about conserving and reusing our resources.
Be a waste minimisation hero
- Commit to reducing your waste
- Understand your event’s waste
- Develop a site plan
- Appoint an on-site waste operations manager
- Educate staff and volunteers
- Engage stakeholders
- Share your message loud and clear –- with the media, your staff and volunteers, and event attendees.
Waste management planning for significant events
If you’re planning an event with more than 1,000 people outdoors, or more than 5,000 people indoors, you’ll need to submit an Event Waste Management and Minimisation Plan.
See who needs to complete one, what the plan covers, and what you’ll need to consider before completing your plan:
Waste management for significant events
Guides
Reducing waste at your event booklet
Our handy free guide for recycling at events contains case studies and everything you need to plan, organise and execute a waste-free event, no matter how big or small.
Find out how to:
- reduce, reuse and recycle
- develop a site plan
- appoint an on-site waste operations manager
- engage stakeholders
- educate staff, volunteers and attendees at your event
- write an event waste policy.
Reducing waste at your event (1.80MB PDF)
Event packaging guidelines
The guide helps event organisers and vendors minimise waste from food packaging.
Event packaging guidelines (1.06MB PDF)
Free rubbish and recycling bins
We have wheelie bins and hoods for organics, mixed recycling, glass recycling and rubbish you can borrow for free to use at events held in Wellington City.
Free bins for events
Compost
The following items are accepted in Wellington City compost facility:
- unbleached paper products, such as bowls, plates, napkins or paper bags
- wooden or bamboo cutlery
- some sugarcane, bagasse, and bamboo products.
Bioplastics, which is the clear hard plastic PLA, are not accepted.
Advice on how to minimise waste
We can help educate your team on the actions you can take to minimise waste at your event. Email us on waste.education@wcc.govt.nz
Wash Against Waste
Newtown Community Centre’s Wash Against Waste provides reusable crockery, cutlery and cloth napkins for events.
Waste Matters video series on Zero Waste events
View the Waste Matters playlist to view the following videos
- Zero waste events - for vendors and stallholders - YouTube video
- Zero waste events - waste monitors (volunteers who stand by the bins helping event attendees with which bins to use) - YouTube video
- Zero waste events - for event organisers and waste contractors - YouTube video
Feel free to share these videos with your team and the stakeholders of your event.