Working with Vendors
​​

Planning for Success

If your event has caterers or vendors, ​it is helpful to consider what your waste streams will look like and to communicate expectations with potential vendors. Make sure vendors know about and comply with Act 69, the Single Use Products Ban.
  • Is reusable service-ware feasible?
  • Can containers for food and drinks be limited to one or two types?
  • What other give-a-ways do vendors plan to hand out?
​Below are some tips to plan ahead and ways to communicate guidelines to vendors.

Single Use Products Ban

Act 69 bans the distribution of single use products at point of sale such plastic shopping bags, plastic straws, plastic stirrers and "Styrofoam" food or beverage containers. Paper bags can be sold for $0.10/each.

Food Vendor Guidelines

Consider these guidelines. 
  1. Require vendors to recycle used cooking oil
  2. Require vendors/caterers to provide drinks and condiments in bulk instead of in individual packages and servings. Or require that they buy those that are sold in recyclable containers.
  3. Provide vendors with a compost bucket or ask them to be responsible for their own food scraps
  4. Provide vendors with a list of acceptable/unacceptable items to help prevent unwanted things showing up day of the event.
  5. Ask all your vendors to use the same containers to avoid confusion.
  6. If reusable serviceware is not an option, have vendors use recyclable options (& set up rinsing stations to clean them).
Accepted:
  • Food Scraps: meat, dairy, vegetables, egg or shellfish shells. 
  • Blue Bin recyclables: paper, cardboard, glass bottles, aluminum, steel and plastic containers #1-5
NOT Accepted:
  • Compostable food containers or utensils, or paper products (food soiled paper plates, napkins, paper cups).
  • Plastic utensils 
  • Styrofoam
  • Milk cartons, juice packs, straws, etc.

Non-Food Vendor Guidelines 

Ask vendors to choose more sustainable packaging or give-a-ways for the event, and to minimize packaging in general.
Require or request that they: 
  • Have minimal packaging, and respect Act 69, the Single Use Product Ban.
  • Limit the number of give-a-ways (business cards, brochures, packaged samples, etc.).
  • Only distribute items that are reusable, recyclable, or compostable (food items).
  • Allow participants to select only the items they want (instead of giving them to everyone).
  • Distribute items that help to reduce waste (cloth bags, native plant seeds, potted plants, etc.)

Choose to Reuse

​Catering services:
  • If you are working with a catering company, ask them to provide only washable/reusable containers.  Most catering companies are willing to comply with requests to compost food scraps, use reusable to-go containers, and limit the amount of waste. 

D.I.Y food service:
  • If possible, use catering supply companies or locally source items for reusable items like tablecloths, silverware, glasses, mugs, plates, bowls and cloth napkins. If your vendor or caterer cannot provide reusables, use only recyclable items, since compostables are not accepted by any Central Vermont commercial food scrap haulers or outlets.