EUROCITIES’ Clean Cities Working Group published the ‘Greening of Major Events’ booklet in 2009. The document presents the results of a pilot project undertaken to assess the impact of major outdoors sporting events in European cities (with a particular focus on waste) and provides ‘green’ guidelines for such activities (EUROCITIES, 2009).
The project involved representatives of EUROCITIES members Barcelona, Belfast, Helsinki, Gothenburg and Madrid, who exchanged experiences and best practice cases on their respective cities. The brochure is a useful tool for any city organising major events, particularly street sporting events such as marathons and footraces and explores best environmental management practices across the following areas:
- Waste Management
- Mobility
- Energy
- Volunteers
- Communication
The guidelines and checklist contained in the booklet are based on the experience of a number of major events, including the 2008 Madrid Marathon which recycled 5,560kg of packaging (incl. plastic bottles) and 550kg of cardboard through installing 292 recycling points along the race course, a targeted communications campaign and eliminating a number of disposable items traditionally distributed, including plastic bags and single use bottled water (Madrid Council, 2009).
Belfast City Council has developed on the brochure by releasing a publically available guide for event organisers on ‘Managing Litter and Waste’, with a particular focus on outdoor events. The brochure contains guidelines on actions to take before, during, and after an event to minimise waste (Belfast City Council, 2014).