PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – June 21, 2017 – PRLog — Recycling, upcycling, and reducing waste is the massively successful byproduct of the BlogPaws Conference held recently in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Aiming for a zero-waste initiative, BlogPaws, in conjunction with the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) and Only Natural Pet, recently surpassed goals and made pet industry history.
“Putting on a zero waste event requires an immense amount of effort,” said Andy Downs, Senior Marketing Manager, Only Natural Pet. “It all starts with a goal of diverting as much waste material from the landfill as possible.”
In conjunction with the Myrtle Beach Sheraton, Myrtle Beach Convention Center, City of Myrtle Beach, Horry County, and Only Natural Pet, the Pet Sustainability Coalition produced an epic event equating to a waste diversion rate of 96 percent.
“This will actually serve as a pilot for the city to seed more zero waste programs in the future,” Karta Elise Hassler, PSC, shared. “This project is a great way to get everyone to participate in a meaningful way to reducing the impact we have on this beautiful town.”
Why Zero Waste Matters
Approximately 25% of everything that goes to a landfill is compostable – that is, something that can be turned into soil. Landfills are the 3rd largest source of human related methane emissions in the United States – mostly caused by organic matter anaerobically decaying. The BlogPaws Zero Waste Event prevented 31% of organic material from the week from going into the landfill.
By the Numbers
At the end of the BlogPaws Conference, all of the waste was weighed (compost, recycling and landfill), and totaled:
· Compost – 980 pounds
· Recycling – 2020 pounds
· Landfill – 127 pounds
The event recycled over 1 ton of material – most of which was cardboard. This recycling effort, saved approximately:
· 390 kWh of energy
· 1.1 barrels (46 gallons) of oil
· 6.6 million BTA’s of energy
“In 2015, the BlogPaws Conference went ‘green’ for the first time,” Chloe DiVita Director of Events and Programs for BlogPaws, shared. “We’re educating conference participants about waste issues related to the pet industry.”
BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network, hosts an annual conference, leveraging the opportunity to engage, educate, and bring brands together with leading pet influencers and experts.
The 2018 pet-friendly BlogPaws Conference takes place at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, April 18-20.
