Erase Your Trace

Funded in part by a grant from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and New Belgium Brewing Company

Purpose: The Erase Your Trace program aims to lessen the ecological impact of the hundreds of local special events in the Reno-Sparks-Tahoe area. With over one million people attending special events in Northern Nevada, the amount of plastic, glass, aluminum and cardboard sent to our landfill can be substantially reduced by implementing recycling measures at these events.Nevada EcoNet wants to make recycling and waste reduction as easy as possible for event organizers. With help from Erase Your Trace, events can reduce the amount of waste they generate through careful planning, recycling and composting. Special events can benefit by potentially cutting event costs and helping to further improve our community. In addition, hundreds of thousands of people will have the opportunity to learn more about proper waste disposal options at these events.

Services: Erase Your Trace will provide consulting services and materials to local event planners to help minimize waste at their events. Event organizers can obtain recycling and compost bins, templates for signs, suggestions for reducing waste, contact information for other resources, etc. through the Erase Your Trace Program. Staff members are also available for hire to coordinate recycling on-site at your event. To obtain your free "Guide to Waste Reduction at Special Events" please call (775) 323-3433 or e-mail lauren@nevadaeconet.org. You can also download the PDF version here:
Guide to Waste Reduction at Special Events

Fees: Thirty 56-gallon Link-A-Bag recycling bins with bags, six 32-gallon refuse containers (for compost), and twelve sets of tongs (for removing contaminants from bins) are available for use at your event. A $200.00 refundable deposit is due 14 days prior to the event to rent equipment. All equipment must be returned in the same condition in which it is received and a $20.00 per hour cleaning fee and damage costs will be deducted from the deposit if necessary. The Erase Your Trace equipment rental form is included in our free "Guide to Waste Reduction at Special Events." Erase Your Trace staff are also available to help coordinate recycling efforts at your event for a fee of $17.50 per hour. Contact the office at (775) 323-3433 for more information about this option.

Going the Extra Mile: If you are interested in expanding beyond recycling and incorporating zero waste efforts at your event, the Erase Your Trace Program is available to guide you through this process. Nevada EcoNet staff can assist you in obtaining compostable serving ware and arranging composting at your event, reducing waste before the event begins (pre-cycling), determining your volunteer needs, and assisting in other important steps in the process of greening your event. If you are interested in incorporating zero waste efforts at your event, please contact the office at least six months prior to your event.

History: The Erase Your Trace program was inspired by the success of zero waste efforts at Northern Nevada’s Earth Day celebrations, which feature compost bins for disposal of food waste; biodegradable serving ware and utensils; recycling bins; compost bin monitors to answer questions on composting; and educational signs explaining how attendees should dispose of their waste. Food scraps, paper, and biodegradable cutlery and cups were combined with wood chips and cow manure and composted into nutrient-rich humus, which is donated back to the City of Reno for Idlewild Park's rose garden. Nevada EcoNet's Earth Day waste reduction efforts result in 80% of the event's waste being diverted from the landfill and the recovery of more than 1,500 pounds of recyclable and compostable materials. more than 1,000 pounds of compostable waste being diverted from the local landfill and the recovery of more than 500 pounds of recyclable materials. Erase Your Trace has provided services and/or equipment to the following events:

The 2003 and 2004 Markleeville Death Ride Tour of the California Alps bike race;
The 2003 Downieville Classic Mountain Bike Race;

The 2007 Reno Tahoe Open Press Release
The Red, White and Tahoe Fourth of July Festival 2007

The 2006/7 Calpine Festival;
The City of Reno's 2005/6/7 "Tune in to Kids" event .

Truckee's 2005/6/7 Tour de Fat bike festival;

 


Links:

For more information about recycling in Nevada visit the state of Nevada's Division of Environmental Protection at: http://nevadarecycles.gov/

For information about where to take your recycling in Washoe County: http://www.co.washoe.nv.us/health/ehs/recycling/home.html~color=blue&text_version=

For information on where to obtain biodegradable serving ware and utensils, check out the following web sites:

http://www.greenearthofficesupply.com (cups, lids, straws, plates, utensils)

http://www.thinkbti.com (utensils, chopsticks)

http://www.biocorpna.com/ (cups, lids, plates, straws, utensils)

http://www.earthwarebiodegradables.com/ (non-GMO wheat-based cutlery, corn-based cutlery, plates, cups, etc.)

http://www.simplybiodegradable.com/ (utensils plates, cups, bowls, trays, hinged-lid clamshells, packing materials, bags)