SPLC Summit Achieves Certified Zero Waste Event Through Strategic Planning and Collaboration with SSC
Executive summary
In 2018, the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) hosted its Summit + Connect conference in Minneapolis, MN, bringing together over 400 sustainability and procurement professionals. SSC partnered with SPLC to achieve an ambitious goal: making the event a Zero Waste to Landfill success.
Months of pre-event planning included assessing hotel operations, eliminating single-use items, replacing disposables with reusables, reducing portion sizes, and arranging composting services. With strategic collaboration and third-party validation, the Summit became a model for sustainable event management—proving that zero waste is achievable at scale.
Key Findings
Collaboration is Essential:
Engaging all stakeholders, including event organizers, hotel staff, and attendees, was critical to success.Personal Waste Reduction is Necessary for Success:
Discouraging attendees from bringing outside items (coffee cups, food wrappers) improved diversion rates.Food and Beverage Planning is Critical:
Working with the hotel chef to plan meals according to guest turnout, ensuring enough food was prepared without creating excess waste.Clear Signage Drives Compliance:
Visible, effective signage at waste bins ensured proper sorting of waste materials.Ongoing Staff Feedback Ensures Smooth Execution:
Regular meetings with hotel staff throughout the conference kept all stakeholders aligned and ensured consistent execution of the plan.Zero Waste Education Begins at Registration:
Communication and education around the zero waste goal began at attendee registration and continued throughout the event, reinforced by messaging in attendee materials and signage.Daily Waste Audits and Updates Increase Attendee Engagement:
Updates and education about the progress of the waste diversion efforts were given to all attendees at the start of each day during the conference. This real-time reporting increased transparency and attendee engagement.
Results
100% diversion rate verified by GreenCircle Certified, qualifying as a Zero Waste to Landfill event.
Permanent Adoption:
SSC’s waste reduction strategies were permanently adopted by the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel.942 lbs of Waste Diverted from Landfill:
Through careful planning, strong collaboration, process redesign, and effective diversion strategies including recycling and composting, the event successfully diverted 942 lbs of waste from landfill.
“By designing out waste from the start and engaging all stakeholders—from kitchen staff to conference attendees—we demonstrated that Zero Waste to Landfill isn’t just an aspiration, it’s an achievable reality. This collaboration stands as a model for how events can lead the way in environmental responsibility.”
Tad Radzinski, Co-founder & president
Sustainable Solutions Corporation
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The Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) hosts its annual Summit + Connect conference to convene sustainability and procurement leaders from across industries. In 2018, with more than 400 attendees, SPLC set an ambitious goal: making the Minneapolis event a Zero Waste to Landfill conference. To achieve this, SPLC partnered with Sustainable Solutions Corporation (SSC) to design and implement a comprehensive waste diversion strategy.
The challenge required not only addressing operational inefficiencies within the host venue and city, but also changing attendee behaviors and engaging vendors in the process. For example, glass was not accepted as a recyclable material in the city by the waste haulers and we identified an alternate recycling company that would take the materials. Diversion methods were verified by GreenCircle Certified.
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SSC conducted a pre-event assessment of hotel operations, operational changes such as replacing disposables with reusables, eliminating single-serve packaging, optimizing food and beverage preparation, and arranging glass recycling and composting services. During the event, SSC partnered with GreenCircle Certified to conduct daily waste audits, track diversion in real time, and provide transparent reporting to attendees. Clear signage and reusable exhibit materials further reinforced the initiative, ensuring both operational success and attendee engagement.
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Zero waste to landfill programs for events can be especially complicated as they require careful planning prior to the event in order to be successful. SSC works with the event planners to understand the details of the venue and event, including all plans for food and beverages. Most events generate a significant amount of food waste, which could be as much as 60-70% of the total waste generated at the event. SSC conducts a physical site visit to understand the layout of the venue and any existing or planned infrastructure for waste management. Next, SSC identifies opportunities for waste minimization and diversion of all materials.
For difficult-to-manage waste streams, which typically come from event set-up and tear-down, SSC uses our proven process to identify alternative management methods to avoid landfill. SSC creates playbooks and roadmaps to standardize all waste diversion activities and to ensure waste is diverted from landfills on a consistent basis. SSC provides comprehensive training to the event staff and vendors to establish a clear understanding of the materials that are acceptable for use in the event as well as the management methods for waste generated. SSC also trains the event staff, vendors, and volunteers to ensure the standard practices are understood and will be followed throughout the duration of the event.
