Litter-Free Event Information
ULTIMATE GOAL: To decrease the amount of litter in the Denton community.
RECOMMENDATION: Permit only 'litter-free' events on City property.
EVENT GOAL: To decrease the amount of litter at Denton’s community events.
PURPOSE:
- To raise awareness of Denton’s desire to be a clean, progressive, and beautiful community.
- To use community events as an educational springboard to change littering behaviors in the community.
- Positively impact resident, visitor, sponsor, vendor, and entertainer perceptions regarding the quality of the event.
- Overall increased enjoyment of a cleaner event environment.
- Reduce post-event clean up costs.
- Decrease post-event volunteer clean up time.
- Gradual change in community’s attitude and behavior regarding littering.
- Cleaner community.
- Improved community image
A litter-free event is primarily an awareness raising effort to educate citizens about litter and to promote personal responsibility in stopping littering habits.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP WITH OUR LITTER-FREE DENTON CAMPAIGN
DENTON LITTER-FREE EVENT GUIDELINES
A special event has a guaranteed audience. People arrive to participate, to eat, to shop, to listen to music, to play—in general, to enjoy themselves. Inevitably, waste results. The host organization must consider the importance of an organized plan to effectively and efficiently handle waste. Without a plan, trash will end up on the ground. Once loose, it can scatter across the event grounds to the surrounding community. Unattractive surroundings may prompt some people to leave. Mishandled refuse can take the ‘shine’ off of an otherwise successful event.
It is up to the host organization to set the stage for total event success, and to establish event standards.
To help you have a cleaner, more enjoyable event and to maintain the cleanliness of Denton, the following guidelines should be followed.
Role of Host Organization
- Set expectations by including ‘Litter-Free Event’ in the publicity campaign, eg. advertisements, press releases, promotional materials/items, website, etc.
- Hang ‘A Litter-Free Event’ banners and ‘Be Litter-Free’ laminated posters at the event. (Provided by Keep Denton Beautiful.)
- Require that ALL food and drink vendors have a trash container with liners inside the booth in the food preparation area. The bags will be disposed of per direction from the event organizer.
- Work with Parks and Recreation and Solid Waste Departments to secure plenty of trash, recycling and roll-off containers; to agree upon their specific placement; and to arrange for their timely emptying/removal.
- Predetermine the best placement of all containers, ie. in parking lots, at all entrances and exits, at all seating/eating areas, at all performance stages, etc.
- Secure the support of your emcee and all entertainers to announce the ‘litter-free’ event CHALLENGE! They can easily generate a positive and fun ‘We can do this!’ spirit of participation amongst event goers. Make announcements regularly during performances.
- OPTIONAL: Provide litterbags to event goeers. May be able to get this activity sponsored. Include event name and sponsor(s) for extra promotion.
- Secure and coordinate volunteers to remove stray litter, and pass out event litterbags and portable ashtrays. In some cases, may assist with emptying trash containers.
- Assess litter levels at end of event. Have volunteers scheduled to remove remaining litter.
- List Keep Denton Beautiful, Inc. as one of your ‘litter-free’ event sponsors.
Role of Keep Denton Beautiful, Inc.
- Provide ‘A LITTER-FREE EVENT’ banners in English and Spanish for use by the Host Organization for the event.
- Provide pocket ashtrays for the event.
- Assist in providing volunteers and volunteer training, if requested 30 days in advance.
- Provide promotional advertising in KDB’s quarterly newsletter and on our website for your litter-free event!
- Act as a resource to your litter-free event!
