Thinking Green Blog: Dog Show Achieves Zero Waste

Sep 12, 2014 10:00 AM ET

Posted from Waste Management: Thinking Green Blog

For the dog-lover, it was paradise, as many different breeds were on display – English Mastiffs, Bulldogs, Dalmatians, English Setters and more. But what was also on display at the Pacific Kennel Club Dog Show was recycling at its highest level. That means zero waste.

The event took place this summer in Surrey, British Columbia, where Waste Management of Canada was on-hand to provide some environmental guidance. As any event organizer will tell you, managing the items that 300-500 people throw away can be a challenge, especially when the goal is to send nothing to the landfill. However, the Pacific Kennel Club was able to accomplish this feat by having patrons dispose of materials into separate containers:

  • Organics bins for food waste
  • Commingled bins for plastics and cans
  • Mixed fiber containers for paper and cardboard

In addition, separate buckets were placed around the grounds for…well, dog waste (either scooped or bagged).

To properly handle concession items, Waste Management worked with the Pacific Kennel Club to order compostable forks, knives, coffee cups and take out containers. The Dog Show even eliminated bottled water by giving away free cups to any attendant who pledged to help the event (and their environment) by recycling.

Click to continue reading and find out how a dog show achieves zero waste on Waste Management's Blog: Thinking Green