Municipal Composting Draft 1

Every day we are in the habit, or in other words the process, of throwing items away in the trash. All of us have been introduced to or informed about recycling at some point in our lives and are aware of what that is. You put trash in one bin while we separate paper, plastic and glass in others. The Paper Industry Association Council found that In 2008, 57.4 percent of paper that was consumed by the U.S. was reported being recycled (What Is the Impact of Recycling Paper?). Very impressive right? Well one way to continue being environmentally sustainable is through another process known as composting. “Composting is an aerobic (oxygen-dependent) degradation process by which plants (leaves, vegetable trimmings, lawn clippings, and similar garden debris) and other organic wastes (kitchen refuse, sludge) decompose under controlled conditions” (Environmental Facts Sheet).

Composting has been in practice for decades by residents on a small scale in their backyards, larger agricultural industries and naturally by the planet. “Composting has occurred since plants first existed on the earth. When leaves and fruit fall from trees, and when plants die, they drop to the ground, enriching the soil through the process of natural decomposition” (Bell). Now it is becoming available to residential areas provided by their cities. According to the US EPA, “as much as 65% of grass and yard trimmings (leaves, brush) are being composted. While this is a significant achievement, more than 60 million tons of solid waste -- food scraps and soiled/wet paper -- are still being sent to landfills” (Biodegradable Products Institute).

A community, under their local government, has the power to help their towns “go green” by recycling their used organic waste. These items can consist of yard foliage such as twigs, leaves and grass that property owners collect to be composted (Bell). The composting program allows any natural materials to be collected by the city and broken down so that it can be put back into the soil. The idea is to reuse the natural materials that came from the earth in order to help the land. It is not a year round process but it still has a positive effect. After the material is composted, the city can offer to sell the compost back to any residents who want to reuse it on their property (Bell). This program allows the city to sell the compost for a low cost to the residents since it is their material that is being reused. It also allows for the residence of the city to dispose their waste while the city collects and composts for them (Bell).

This type of municipal composting program is popping up across the country in huge success. In 2002, the city of San Francisco’s production of solid waste totaled 1,882,490 tons; 702,012 tons of that was landfilled. That means that over 1,180,478 tons of material were able to be composted and recycled, not sending it all to a landfill (Miller). More than half of the items we throw away do not have to be sent to a landfill and can be reused. In Rapid City, South Dakota, a new $7.2 million dollar composting facility was constructed in 2003 due to their overwhelming success of their previous program (Miller). President of the Alliance of Architects and Engineers of Rapid City, Dallas Wasserburger, stated, “We designed the Rapid City composting hall to handle projected volumes 20 years into the future. At full capacity, we will be composting more than 213 tons of material per day” (Miller).

Not only is the popularity of programs in the U.S. increasing, but there are emerging in Canada as well. The city of Ottawa, Canada is providing their residents with the products needed to contribute to the composting process. They are equipped with large green trash like containers to fill with organic waste that are picked up once a week by the city. “Unlike regular backyard composting, you can put almost anything in your green bin (this is because the large scale composting facilities that are used allow the organic matter to reach much higher temperatures, breaking things down faster than backyard heaps” (Richard). The bin process of composting helps the environment a lot, but partaking in the program also saves the taxpayer money (Richard). "By extending the life of our landfills, we can delay sourcing and setting up new landfills - a very expensive proposition" (Richard).

Municipal composting is being offered and put into laws by many cities. The benefits are continuous. The compost helps the earth by giving back the nutrients that are in the material and give the city residents healthier ground to raise their produce. Though it takes a lot of money to start up facilities to power the composting process, it saves money in the long run. Taxpayers save money for garbage disposal and the city saves in transportation runs to the landfills. The landfills do not pile up and create a greater harm to the environment. Overall, municipal composting is a huge success for our plant and its sustainability. These composting programs should go into effect in all cities across our nation.

Works Cited

Bell, Ellen. “Municipal Composting Programs – A Way to Go Green.” Web. 22

February 2011.

“Environmental Facts Sheet: Municipal Composting of Yard Waste”. New Hampshire Department

of Environmental Services. 2007. Web. 23 February 2011.

Miller, James. “Municipal Composting Gains Acceptance; Provides Relief for Landfills”. May 2004.

Web. 23 February 2011.

“Municipal Composting Programs”. Biodegradable Products Institute. 2003-2011. Web. 22

February 2011.

Richard, Michael Graham. “Ottawa's "Green Bin" Municipal Composting Program is About to

Take Off!” 21 October 2009. Web. 23 February 2011.

Sen, Debashree. “What Is the Impact of Recycling Paper?” Web. 23 February 2011.

A Guide for Event Planning Interests

Going Green in Event Planning

My name is Emma and I am a junior here at Ohio University studying organizational communications. Organizational communications deals with the communication among corporations and companies. As an organizational communications major you will find that there are many different careers that one can go into. My perspective career field is concentrated toward the event industry. I am interested in every aspect of the event planning process from the fine details of a table layout and to the overall feel and experience the event creates. I’m not here to tell you about where my career is going, but instead to help inform you a little about the event planning industry and what it is doing to be environmentally sustainable.

Most likely you became interested in event planning from planning high school dances and watching wedding shows on TV that provide huge elaborate events. They consist of huge flower arrangements, over-the-top lighting, fine catering, fancy invitations and much more. Before looking into the industry, I never thought about how much harm a single event can have on the planet. In reality, events can produce countless amounts of waste including paper, food and decorations. Many companies have noticed this environmental issue and are taking great strides to fix the problem.

Some event companies have even changed in their ways in order to create events that are 100% eco-friendly and they are proud to offer that service to their clients. A process known by almost any human being to help save the environment is reducing paper use. Most events have invitations, itineraries and other pieces of information printed on some sort of paper with important information needed for guests. An alternative to using so much paper is web-based forms of information. Sending an E-invite for example, is a lot cheaper, gets the information to the guests and keeps more trees growing on our planet.

(E-invites are a fast and easy alternative to using paper.)

Another way to be more eco-friendly at events is by looking into the food and how it is used. It is hard to get an exact estimated number of guests, and you do not want to run out of food, so more food is prepared. Instead of just throwing the food away, some companies offer to donate the extra food to local food shelters. Most clients are very pleased to know that their extra food is going to a good cause and not going in the garbage. A good idea to save money for you and the client is to purchase food that is locally grown and in season. This helps the local farmers and creates a great and tasteful menu for all the guests to enjoy.

“Green” and eco-friendly events are somewhat of a new idea in the event industry. Many companies do not realize the large amounts of waste they are producing from each event, but also do not care. Looking for sustainable events in this industry is like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. They are out there, but only as of recently. You may not want to work for or own a company that goes 100% “green”, but It does not hurt to practice these few simple tasks to help keep our planet more sustainable. Eliminating paper, donating food and buying locally are simple changes that any company can make. “Eco-friendly” planning is not expensive for companies, but it is actually cheaper for you and your clients.

There is not a specific major here at OU for anyone interested in an event planning field, but the closest one to help you get there is an organization communications major. Classes give you a lot of information on businesses and how to communicate, but experience gives you the most knowledge. I highly suggest you to get involved with organizations on campus to help you build you resume and get a feel for planning events. I have planned events for parents and sibs weekends as a member of our University Program Council along with the Yell Like Hell pep-rally for homecoming. These great experiences have taught me how to communicate with many different people and organizations and I know that they will prepare me for my future career. I wish you luck in your journey to becoming an event planner and encourage you to get involved during your time here at Ohio University.

Green Event Planning

As an organizational communications major there are many different careers that one can go into. Organizational communications deals with the communication among corporations and companies. My perspective career field is concentrated toward the event industry. I am interested in every aspect of the event planning process from the fine details of a table layout and to the overall feel experience the event creates. My position for each of the organizations I am involved in deal with planning and executing events for students on campus. Currently I am looking for internships with event planning companies in hopes to help implement their elaborate events. They consist of huge flower arrangements, over the top lighting, fine catering, fancy invitations and much more. Before looking into this assignment I never thought about how much harm a single event can have on the planet. In reality, it totals countless amounts of waste including paper, food and decorations.

“Waste audits conducted by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC) through a USDA-funded project, demonstrated that more than one pound per person of food is generated. At each of these events, food and serving packaging averaged 41% of the waste by weight. A study conducted for the California Integrated Waste Management Board found that food, leaves and grass, and compostable paper make up to 54 percent of the potential diversion from an event’s waste stream; recycling paper and cardboard another 12 percent, and beverage containers about nine percent” (Bradley, 1)

Many companies have noticed this environmental issue and are taking great strides to fix the problem. Some event companies have even changed in their ways to creating events that are 100% eco-friendly for the environment and are proud to offer that service to their clients. A process known by almost any human being to help save the environment is reducing paper use. Most events have invitations, itineraries and other pieces of information printed on some sort of paper with important information needed for guests. This paper produces a lot of trash if not recycled. An alternative to using paper is web-based forms of information. Sending creative invites online is a quick and easy way to get a client’s information out and a much cheaper option. The guest just opens their email and emails their RSVP right back. No worries about wasting paper and killing more trees. By posting an events itinerary online a planner not only saves money and trees, but also gives the guest the option to individually print the info if needed. With circumstances that absolutely call for printed material there are other options to staying environmentally sustainable. Using vegetable based inks to print on recycled paper makes the task more eco-friendly. Even though paper is a huge form of waste, many companies have found more sustainable ways of spreading their messages.

For any event, guests have to travel to a location or venue where the event is held. This means that the more guests attending, the more vehicles being used, therefore, there are more fumes polluting the air. Not many people think about transportation effecting the sustainability of an event, but that is all part of it. “Most ozone pollution is caused by motor vehicles, which account for 72% of nitrogen oxides and 52% of reactive hydrocarbons (principal components of smog)” (Automobiles: Pollution…). To cut down on this, an event can be held in a central location minimizing the transportation time. Shuttle services and carpools can also be offered or suggested by the client. The location choice can mean a lot for the client, but also a lot for the environment. If the location is outside lighting is an important feature needed to create a great experience. Holding the event during the day eliminates a need for artificial lighting and also reduces energy use and costs.

Food is a basic element for social, corporate and personal events. Who doesn’t like free food at? By purchasing produce locally and seasonally, once again, costs and transportation can be condensed. This also helps the local farmers and their business along with obtaining healthy and tasteful foods. A planner needs to acquire an accurate number of guests to prevent from paying for extra food that is not needed. Composting bins are obtainable to eliminate the waste of food. Biodegradable utensils are great to purchase since they are compostable as well. In the case that there are leftovers and no composting site, these meals can be donated to local food shelters. dkk events is one event company located in Los Angeles that strives to “create stylish and sustainable events that are as extraordinary as they are eco-friendly” (dkk events). They provide the service of delivering all left over food to a local food shelter in their area after events.

Dkk is proud of the unique services they offer and state,

“in fact, it's one of our favorite things to do on our clients' behalf. Our thinking is what makes each event an explora-party experience. How can we nurture what is most unique about the client / mission / vision and reflect it back in a sustainable and responsible way? This is truly our hardest work and our greatest talent.”

Knowing that any extra food from an event was donated to someone that needs it can mean a lot for clients.

Environmental sustainability in the industry is somewhat of a new idea. Many companies do not realize the large amounts of waste they are producing from each event, but also do not care. Throughout my internship search and countless hours of looking up possible positions I never found one company that was practicing eco-friendly planning. Conducting research for this assignment, I reluctantly came across a few. Looking for sustainable events in this industry is like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. They are out there but only as of recently.

One of the few companies that I did come across was Green Planet Events. It is owned by Jessica Welle in Miami, Florida. Her pride is in keeping the environment clean while creating flawless events for clients. Welles shares, “I didn’t want to be the same event planner as everyone else [in the market], and [green events] was a good niche for me,” she says. “There is so much waste produced from events that this seemed like a natural way to help the planet.”

Green Planet Events offers all services that events need while still utilizing all eco-friendly and sustainable products.

The event industry as you can tell from my research is not one to think about saving and sustaining our environment. Though there are few companies out there that care they seem to be the ones with a true passion for going green. There are multiple ways to make events more green while still creating a unique and extraordinary experience for clients. Eliminating paper, donating food and buying locally is not that big of a change. Even though there are not hundreds of companies striving to be sustainable, I can see this trend picking up in the future. More and more of our population are becoming more interested in being eco-friendly and will hunt for planners that can help them achieve that. Not only is it helping the environment but it’s leaving more money in the client’s and planner’s pockets. Now that I am finished with this assignment, I am interested in interning or working for a company that care about the environment through their events. Who knows, maybe I will jump on the bandwagon one day and own my own sustainable event company.

Environmental Sustainability in Event Planning

As an organizational communications major there are many different career that you can go into. Organizational communications deals with the communication among corporations and companies. My perspective career field is concentrated toward event planning. I am interested in every aspect of the event planning process from the fine details of a table layout to the overall feel of an event. With planning experience and research of events I can see the outcome of what takes place after an event is over. In reality, it totals a lot of waste of paper, food and decorations.

Many companies have noticed this and taking great strides to fix the problem. Some event companies have even changed in their ways to creating events that are 100% eco-friendly for the environment and are proud to offer that service to their clients. A process known by almost any human being to help save the environment is reducing paper use. Most events have invitations, itineraries and other pieces of information printed on some sort of paper with important information needed for guests. This paper produces a lot of trash if not recycled. An alternative to using paper is web-based forms of information. Sending creative invites online is a quick and easy way to get a client’s information out and a much cheaper option. By posting an events itinerary online a planner not only saves money and trees, but also gives the guest the option to individually print the info if needed. With circumstances that absolutely call for printed material there are other options to staying environmentally sustainable. Using vegetable based inks to print on recycled paper makes the task more eco-friendly. Even though paper is a huge form of waste, many companies have found more sustainable ways of spreading their messages.

For any event, guests have to travel to a location or venue where the event is held. This means that the more guests attending, the more vehicles being used, therefore, there are more fumes polluting the air. Not many people think about transportation effecting the sustainability of an event, but that is all part of it. To cut down on this, an event can be held in a central location minimizing the transportation time. Shuttle services and carpools can also be offered or suggested by the client. The location choice can mean a lot for the client, but also a lot for the environment. If the location is outside lighting is an important feature needed to create a great experience. Holding the event during the day eliminates a need for artificial lighting and also reduces energy use and costs.

Food is a basic element for social, corporate and personal events. Who doesn’t like free food at events? By purchasing produce locally and seasonally, once again, costs and transportation can be condensed. This also helps the locally farmers and their business along with getting healthy and tasteful foods. A planner needs to get an accurate number of guest so they do not pay for extra food that is not needed. In the case that there are leftovers, these meals can be donated to local food shelters. Knowing that an extra food from and event was donated to someone that needs it can mean a lot for clients. They state,

“in fact, it's one of our favorite things to do on our clients' behalf. Our thinking is what makes each event an explora-party experience. How can we nurture what is most unique about the client / mission / vision and reflect it back in a sustainable and responsible way? This is truly our hardest work and our greatest talent.”

More draft to come....