Litter FREE Events

How to Host a Litter-Free Event

Objective: To leave your public event and areas free of litter & debris.

Benefits: Change individual behavior and attitudes toward littering and reduce or eliminate costly cleanup.

Rewards: A cleaner, more attractive environment and positive Public Relations.

For additional assistance contact Keep Brazos Beautiful at 979-776-6227 or E-mail amyreed@keepbrazosbeautiful.org

Getting Started

§ Designate a Litter FREE Event Chair Person

§ Conduct an organizational meeting with whoever is most appropriate for your event: waste hauler, local government official, volunteers, or anyone who would be directly involved in the event.

§ Work with the event sponsors and vendors remind participants that this is a "Litter-FREE Event." Have as a contracted item that they must have a waste receptacle next to their booth.

§ Make sure all vendors are told that they will be expected to keep their area clean DURING the event.

§ Contact the City Public Works Dept. to possibly assist with small trash containers and to possibly sweep the streets before and after your event.

Role of the Event Sponsors

§ Agree to provide necessary advertising prior to the event on ALL promotional materials to create “Litter FREE” expectation. Solicit media coverage. Be available for media with Litter Free talking points

§ Insure that adequate trash receptacles are available and that frequent checks and pick-ups have been arranged in advance and that emergency cleanup volunteers or crews are available.

§ Work with local waste hauler to contract for roll off container(s), trash & possibly recycling receptacles.

§ Have someone assigned to check on cleanliness of streets after the event. Possibly contract someone to clean.

§ Remember never to place trash in private city dumpsters as this is against the law and theft of service.

§ Provide trash bags for volunteers to use for cleanup throughout the day.

§ Solicit for volunteers to assist with ongoing cleanup, to hand out rewards & litter bags at the event.

§ Create a volunteer sign in sheet with 1 to 2 hour shifts. (Give copy of # of volunteers & hours to KBB)

§ Create a supply sign out sheet to track supplies. (Return borrowed supplies to KBB)

§ Take pictures before and after the event and of your volunteers. (Share with KBB)

§ Secure support from event emcee, entertainers, etc. to obtain announcements about the “Litter Free Event” during activities. Ask them to challenge the crowd to keep it clean and generate excitement to make the “Litter FREE Event” successful. Keep Brazos Beautiful can provide sample announcements

§ Provide rewards for crowd members spotted picking up litter and throwing it in appropriate trash receptacles.

§ Identify volunteers to look for and reward positive anti-littering behavior by attendees.

§ Ask Keep Brazos Beautiful about borrowing vests that identify “Litter Free Event” volunteers.

§ Ask Keep Brazos Beautiful about borrowing or purchasing litter grabbers for your event.

§ Ask Keep Brazos Beautiful about purchasing inexpensive litter bags or “reusable disposable cigarette ashtrays” for smokers. to hand out to people attending the event (One per person or family)

Role of Volunteers

§ Tie-off bags at overflowing containers and contact collection crews about removal of filled bags.

§ Pass litter bags down the aisles at seated events; tie-off and remove filled bags

§ Move trash receptacles that are not located properly.

§ Encourage participants by saying: “Thanks for helping us make this a Litter FREE Event!”