SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT AT SPECIAL EVENTS USING REUSABLE DISHWARE: THE EXAMPLE OF WHOLE EARTH FESTIVAL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS

摘要

The Whole Earth Festival (WEF) is an annual event that takes place on Mothers Day Weekend at the University of California, Davis Quad. One aspect of WEF is an integrated prevention plan to minimize solid waste generation. In the past, the waste reduction plan was based primarily on recycling and composting of festival waste. Implementation of this system included compatible material specifications for event food vendors, modified collection systems and waste sorting. Apart from the above mentioned a large set of reusable dishware was purchased including plates, cups, chopsticks and utensils. Discussed in this paper are the planning, operation and results of the reusable dishware program, which started in 2002. The problem most commonly encountered initially was an insufficient amount of small denominations of currency for deposit refunds. Other issues encountered were the occasional use of disposable products by the vendors when reusable items were not cycled through the system fast enough. When compared to the average of 1998 and 2000, the reusable dishware system in 2005 reduced the overall weight of waste, compost, and recyclables (not including cardboard) by 27, 27, and 36%, respectively; the overall volume of these materials was reduced by 62, 41, and 52%, respectively. The per capita waste generation rate was reduced from 0.22 to 0.19 kg/capita-day. Determined valuable backups of the system include: appropriate biodegradable backup products in case the reusable system fails for any reason; better educational signage on the reusable system and accompanying deposit information for eliminating the loss of dishware from the festival; finally, a dedicated volunteer staff for efficient operation of the reusable dishware system and overall waste management system.