San Francisco hosts thousands of sporting events, street fairs, festivals, and concerts annually. Although these events bring communities together, they also generate large amounts of waste. To cut down on this volume of waste, the city passed an ordinance that requires recycling at special events. In addition, San Francisco banned the use of polystyrene food service ware by vendors. As a result, San Francisco's innovative public space recycling program helped the city achieve a 70 percent waste diversion rate in 2006, surpassing the state-mandated recycling law.


Waste generated at public venues and special events like fairs and festivals can build up in a short time. To curb the volume of waste, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill (AB) 2176 (Montanez, Chapter 879) in 2004, which requires large public venues and special events to develop and implement solid waste management plans and strategies to increase recycling and reduce waste. The law also promotes planning for recycling during design and operation of those venues and events.

In addition, all California cities and counties must comply with the Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, which mandates that each jurisdiction reduce waste disposal by at least 50 percent. As part of their annual reports on waste diversion to the state, cities and counties report their waste reduction progress at the top 10 percent (by waste generation) of large venues and special events.

To help cities, counties, venues, and event operators comply with AB 2176, the California Integrated Waste Management Board created a Web site that helps users develop waste reduction and recycling programs. Tools include sample ordinances and policies, cost calculators, case studies, and links to government and industry resources such as recycled-content product suppliers and material recyclers.


San Francisco requires recycling at all special events. Event coordinators are required to recycle the following items:

• Glass bottles and jars
• Aluminum and tin cans
• Plastic containers (#1 and #7)
• Plastic tubs and lids (#2, #4, and #5)
• Rigid plastics, such as clamshell and plant containers
• Newspaper
• Corrugated cardboard
• Office paper
• Other paper items, including egg cartons

As the first large city in the nation to collect food scraps citywide, San Francisco offers event coordinators the opportunity to compost food scraps, including shellfish, meat, bones, banana peels, and coffee grounds; food-soiled paper such as paper napkins, paper milk cartons, and pizza boxes; and plants such as floral and tree trimmings. The food scraps are made into nitrogen-rich compost for use by vineyards in California's wine country.


Among other things, event coordinators are required to do the following:

• Achieve or exceed a 20 percent recycling rate.

• Submit proof of trash and recycling service to the

• Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT) 30 days prior to the event.

• Attend a recycling training workshop and submit the certificate to DPT 30 days prior to the event (or contract with a city-registered provider of recycling services for special events).

• Provide event vendors information on recycling practices and related products and encourage them to use recyclable products.

• Mark all trash and recycling bins clearly, place blue recycling bins next to each trash bin, and frequently check them during the event to make sure trash isn’t mixed in with the recyclables, also known as contamination.

• Oversee and ensure consolidation of recyclables into debris boxes.