Waste is the single most important impact to your event’s footprint and needs to be managed at every point of your event plan, from appointing a waste contractor who can sort and provide composting, to managing waste stations and volunteers and setting up a collection under the Container Refund Scheme.
If you already have a current waste plan (waste management considerations are required by Noosa Council as part of your event permit), we encourage you to use the information below to expand it to include composting. If you do not yet have a plan, this information will be helpful.
For larger events
We recommend the use of a waste manager or contractor - they can handle all of the logistics for you.
For smaller events
Assign someone from your team to handle the waste and ensure these tasks are done.
Setting up to collect containers used at your event/ market and redeeming them under the Queensland Container Refund Scheme (Containers for Change) is well worth the time, and it's not as hard as you might think.
If you hire a waste contractor to manage your waste, they will likely organise your collection and provide you one quote which includes all waste services. This is an option worth considering to make it easy for you. There are also private providers on the Sunshine Coast who can offer this service for you and it may be worth discussing a quote with multiple providers. Most of them will provide the bins for you.
Check that they are also able to provide a composting service as composting commercially on the Sunshine Coast is still relatively new and not all service providers are set up to offer this as yet.
If your event is very small (i.e only a few bags of compostable material) and you have managed your packaging stream so that the materials are home compostable, you may be able access a community gardens or local compost co-op.
Cleanaway
Noosa's main transport provider can provide a composting, recycling and general waste service for events including:
Earthborn
For most events you will need to commercially compost. In Noosa, the closest commercial composter is Earthborn in Chevallum. Earthborn is able to take commercially compostable waste, including bioplastics.
You will not need to contact them directly, rather your waste transport provider will make these arrangements for you as part of their service.
All Areas Rubbish Removal
For all your event rubbish solutions...
All Areas Rubbish Removal are a family run and operated rubbish removal company who pride themselves on friendly old fashioned, reliable service with a smile.
These guys are experienced in many Noosa events and can provide anything from wheelie bins and rubbish removal to contractors for the event who will provide labour for collection and sorting.
Your vendors will be the biggest factor in the success of your composting stream.
Create a clear event policy and enforce it
Ensure your vendors know what is going on and what is expected from them
Have back up options ready
Signage is important. We often hear from events in retrospect they should have used more.
The most effective signage at bin stations is to use full bin covers in combination with signage behind the bin stations that shows the exact packaging being used at the event. As a member, you are able to borrow our existing signage (Signs can be affixed to fencing, poles or star pickets) and 240L bin covers for your event.
Simply make contact with the Noosa Council Waste Department and our Plastic Free Noosa Program Manager.
This Signage design has provided with permission from Biopak and Boomerang Alliance, and has been used successfully at many Plastic Free Noosa events. We have an PDF version to download, just add logos and print. The Biopak logo can be removed.
We recommend that you place Waste Warriors (volunteers or paid staff) at each bin station. Waste Warriors will be able to communicate your message and educate your patrons on which bin to choose.
You can access volunteers through Plastic Free Noosa and other local environment groups like Sunshine Coast Environment Council and Surfrider Foundation who have a large volunteer base.
Waste warriors will need to be trained and we recommend shifts of 5 hours or less for any volunteers and also recommend sourcing T-shirts to identify them.
Ready to go plastic free? Plastic Free Noosa helps to protect the environment by empowering the Noosa community in eliminating single-use plastics through direct engagement, recognition and facilitating circular economies.
Go plastic free
