Reduce waste at your next event!
Have all the fun and less environmental impact.
From small office parties to festivals we offer composting and recycling services to help you reduce the amount of waste that goes to the landfill.
Zero-Waste Events
A zero-waste event is designed to reduce or eliminate waste that ends up in a landfill by reducing the amount of material used and using materials that can be reused, recycled, or composted.
How does it work?
A lot like a normal event, with some adjustments. For example, rather than using plastic cups, plates, and utensils, guests will be provided with reusable or compostable alternatives. Instead of having one giant garbage can for everything, bins will be provided for recycling, composting, and reusable items.
What does Fertile Ground provide?
Prior to your event, our event management team will consult with you about ordering supplies to ensure everything is reusable, compostable, or recyclable.
We will provide bins, signage, and set-up, and after the event ends, we haul away sorted waste to make sure there’s no more trash in landfills than necessary.
Composting
Your attendees and or kitchen staff can put all of their food scraps and leftovers into our compost bins and we take care of the rest!
To minimize contamination, we require that any disposable serving ware be BPI Certified Compostable.
Recycling
We offer mixed-recycling and glass recycling. The mixed-recycling option includes the collection of Aluminum Cans, Steel Cans, Cardboard, Paper, Plastic #1, #2 & #5 but not glass.
Glass is a separate service.
About Food Vendors
In order to make your Zero-Waste event a success you will need to compost and recycle at the event. That means that your food vendors will have to purchase BPI-Certified Compostable items to serve food or drink at this event and sign a Zero-Waste Food Vendor Agreement.
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Many serving ware suppliers claim to have compostable items. But, most of them contain Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are chemicals that create a plastic coating. This coating resists heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. They are on almost all disposable serving wares and they cause a huge problem for our compost piles.
To eliminate contamination in our compost, we require that if you are composting with us and hiring food vendors or caterers who use disposable serving ware, it must be BPI-Certified. It is the only compost certification that requires its approved products to be PFAS-free.
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You can check if an item is BPI-Certified by entering the SKU number of the item into the search box on the BPI website: https://bpiworld.org/. If the item appears, that means it is certified! If it does not show up, then it is not certified. If you have any issues finding an item feel free to reach out to us, we’re kinda good at this.
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Yes, we do! Check out our Products. If you need to order by the case or need something specific, give us a call. We can make a special order for you.
What is the Zero-Waste Food Vendor Agreement Form?
The form is an agreement that food vendors that will have to sign in order to move forward. It basically states that:
All disposable products provided to event attendees will be either BPI certified compostable or recyclable.
All food will be served on 100% BPI certified compostable serving-ware.
All drinks will be served in 100% BPI certified compostable cups or recyclable cups, bottles, & cans.
All utensils will be visibly compostable.
Food will not be wrapped in foil.
NO individually wrapped condiments will be provided to customers.
When handing food to customers they will be informed that EVERYTHING that they have been served on is compostable or recyclable and will be asked to look for the compost or recycling bins when they are finished.
What type of events can be Zero-Waste?
Fundraisers
Trade shows
Weddings
Fairs and festivals
Rides, races and runs
Retreats
Concert venues
Block parties
B'nai Mitzvah celebrations
Other events at houses of worship
School community events
Meetings