Hobart Greens Alderman Bill Harvey will move at Tuesday night’s council meeting for a report calling for the development of a sustainable events policy and guidelines that would require all requests for council assistance, either in-kind or financial, to be subject to the implementation of sustainable events guidelines.
Alderman Harvey believes there is a need to improve the environmental performance of all events, including conferences, held in Hobart to the same standard as the Taste Festival. The new policy would mean that to receive assistance, all organisations and community groups would need to agree to follow sustainable events management practices.
“The Taste Festival has set a high standard in environmental management, with the requirement that only compostable packaging, plates, cutlery, cups and crockery is to be use. This means that very little waste ends up in landfill and is composted instead,” said Alderman Harvey.
The reason behind the initiative is to reduce waste to landfill and to replace petroleum based plastic and foam food containers, that don’t break down, with compostable or washable. Petroleum based plastics also, when they end up as litter, are leaving a devastating legacy as they enter the oceans and are digested by marine and seabird species.
On a yearly basis, council receives numerous applications for financial grants and in-kind assistance from organisations and community groups to assist with functions and events. Observations clearly indicate, that waste management practices are lacking at most events and waste generated, other than some bottles and cans, is not dealt with in an appropriate way and gets sent to landfill.
Alderman Harvey believes it’s time to raise awareness about reducing waste to landfill considering MacRobies Gully tip is nearly full.
Alderman Harvey also wants other opportunities explored that could be included in any potential sustainable events policy and guidelines such as the promotion of public transport and use of active transport to attend events.
