The Surf Coast provides an extraordinarily beautiful environment to hold events and the opportunity to curate an event calendar that resonates with values that respect and protect our natural environment.

Of course we all know that events are fun! They are an opportunity to gather with friends, meet new people, contribute to the economy and strengthen our sense of place and well-being. But, events can also play an important role in waste minimisation by demonstrating that with some small behavior changes, it’s easy to produce less waste and use more renewables.

Surf Coast Shire Council developed its Plastic Wise Events and Markets Policy to, ensure events align with the environmental values of the community. Events partner with Council, land managers and the community as joint custodians of the magnificent environment, to lead, educate and help make waste minimisation more accessible and mainstream. They have developed practices that eliminate single use plastics and some event organisers have extended and strengthened this policy further to reduce waste overall.

There are many inspiring event Waste Wise stories in the Surf Coast. The Nightjar Festival’s waste minimisation story is one of them, and it has been captured on video. It is a great story to share!