Parks are vibrant spaces where we can connect to nature, ecology, and sustainability—right within Canada’s urban centres. 

Parks are also delicate ecosystems. As visitors, we all have a role to play in protecting plants and wildlife and ensuring that we leave no waste behind.

We’ve prepared this planning guide to help you plan a fabulous zero-waste event that leaves your park just as healthy as you found it.

Consider Your Community’s Needs

Each community has different opportunities and challenges when it comes to reducing its waste at park events. For example, some parks may have fewer garbage cans and recycling facilities for people to use, while others may have residents who feel more comfortable using single-serve packaging when at public events.

Before you start planning your event, ask yourself:

• What is the current state of waste in my park? Is there often a lot of garbage around? If so, why might this be?
• Are there suitable recycling bins for people to use? Are they clearly labelled and visible?
• Have I seen signs for zero-waste activities before? Are park visitors used to seeing these kinds of events in this area, or will I need to explain what they are?
• Are there local organizations that promote recycling, environmental activism, or park cleanup events that I could contact for advice?

Once you’ve determined what information or resources your community might need to support your zero-waste goal, it’s time to make a plan!

Create Your Zero-Waste Plan

The exact details of your zero-waste plan will be different depending on your community’s needs, but the following checklist provides a handy template for you to start with.

Choosing Your Venue

• To reduce the need for car travel, consider selecting a park with public transportation access and bike racks.
• Visit your park in advance, and make note of the waste bins and water fountains. If your park doesn’t have them, plan to bring clearly labeled bins for compost and recycling, and set up a water bottle refill station, if possible.
  

Communicating with Participants

• Clearly communicate your sustainability goals to participants, vendors, and volunteers. Define what “zero-waste” means for your event, and make it easy for people to follow your instructions. For example, if you’re asking people to bring only reusable items, list them! (water bottles, cups, plates, utensils, cloth napkins, etc.)
• Consider offering incentives like discounts or raffle entries to participants who bring reusables or follow other zero-waste protocols.
• Use social media, email, or a website to spread the word instead of printed flyers.

Selecting Materials

• When it comes to decorations, skip the balloons, glitter, and other single-use items. Instead, choose natural, reusable, or recycled decorations like fabric bunting, potted plants, and chalkboards for signs. 
• Avoid giveaways with disposable or non-recyclable items. Instead, consider sharing seedlings or other great (and sustainable!) gifts. 
• If you’re serving food, consider renting reusable dishware, asking participants to bring their own plates, or use compostable options. If you’re ordering food, choose vendors who use compostable packaging, who commit to reducing food waste, or who demonstrate other eco-friendly practices.
• Bring backup: no matter how many reminders you send, someone is bound to forget about your zero-waste protocols. Plan to pack a few extra reusable items like cups, napkins, etc. as needed.

Reducing Food Waste

• Food may be organic, but food waste is still a serious problem for our environment. To reduce food waste, encourage RSVPs and only bring/order as much food as your participant numbers require. Make a plan on how you’ll distribute any leftover food when the event is over.

Post-Event Activities

• Ensure the park is left as clean (or cleaner) than it was before the event. You might want to assign volunteers in advance who can do a final sweep. 
• Conduct a waste audit: measure any waste your event generated to understand your success and any areas for improvement. Report back to the community about the event’s zero-waste achievements, and acknowledge everyone’s efforts in making the event sustainable.

Build Waste Education Into Your Park Event

To go the extra mile, combine your zero-waste event with engaging and informative waste education activities. For example, at Park People’s end-of-season potluck celebration, we invited participants to decide whether common household waste items should be put into the garbage, recycling, or food waste bins.

You might choose to host eco-friendly workshops on topics like upcycling, gardening, or composting demonstrations, or incorporate nature-focused activities like guided walks or clean-ups.

Your goal is to show how fun, easy, and accessible zero-waste activities can be!