Running a Waste-Free Wao Summit: Sustainable Practices in Action

At Wao Summit, sustainability isn’t just a theme—it’s a commitment we uphold throughout every workshop, tour, masterclass and korero. Our team has implemented numerous waste-free and emissions-reduction initiatives to ensure we’re minimising our environmental impact while inspiring others to do the same. Here’s a look at how we make it happen.

Emissions Reduction

Local Experts & Remote Presentations: We prioritise inviting local experts to reduce travel emissions. For international speakers, we balance in-person participation with Zoom presentations, cutting down on unnecessary flights.

Sustainable Travel Encouragement: We actively encourage attendees to walk, bike, or carpool to the event. Before the event, the Wao Ops team set an example by cycling and walking to planning meetings.

Digital-First Approach

No Printed Tickets: We ask attendees to show their tickets on their phones rather than printing them. This not only saves paper but streamlines the check-in process.

Humanitix Ticketing Platform: We use Humanitix for ticketing—profits from their services are donated to charities.

Digital Over Print: We choose to prioritise digital marketing for our event over print publications wherever possible. However, we also value to importance of suporting local small scale publications, and choose our print media partners carefully ensuring they also align with our low footprint approch.

Waste-Free Catering

Locally Sourced & Waste-Free Meals: We select caterers like Fox & Badger to provide sustainable, local meals for key summit days, including Better Building and Food Resilience workshops. For our Green Drinks event, we source local, packaging-free products from Freshlink.

No Single-Use Cutlery: All food and drinks are served using real plates, mugs, and cutlery—no single-use items.

Sustainable Beverage Choices: We serve drinks from local, eco-conscious suppliers like B.effect and Rippon Wines, always in recyclable vessels. Free water is available in glasses, with no plastic bottles allowed.

Morning & Afternoon Tea: Attendees enjoy coffee from local roastery See Crow Fly, loose tea leaves from Revology, milk in glass bottles, and unpackaged scones from Fedeli. Everything is served in reusable dishware.

Waste Separation & Composting

Composting Food Scraps: All venues are equipped with compost bins, and signs clearly direct guests to separate their organic waste. Attendees are also encouraged to take their non-organic waste home.

Minimal Event Waste: Our waste-conscious practices typically result in less than one bag of waste at the end of the 5-day summit.

Printing & Paper Reduction

Minimal Printing: We print only essential posters and materials, using eco-friendly paper. Posters feature QR codes, allowing attendees to access event information on their phones instead of using flyers.

Digital Programmes: Event tickets are scanned digitally, and programmes are printed in black and white to reduce ink usage. Many sessions are recorded and uploaded to YouTube, giving remote attendees access without the need for travel.

Paper-Free Workshops: In workshops, we avoid paper and post-its, opting for whiteboards and projectors instead.

Reusable Event Supplies

No Name Tag: To avoid waste, we skip plastic name tags, which are often lost or discarded. 

Volunteer Apparel: We source second-hand t-shirts from Wastebusters, print our logo, and have volunteers return them post-event for reuse throughout the year.

Signage: Our reusable Wao flags, which don’t include dates, are used every year, and we’ve created locally-made timber signs as a sustainable alternative to tear-drop banners.

Event Decor: Our stage décor features potted plants and furniture that’s reused across all our events, minimising the need for single-use items.

Our waste-free and emissions-conscious approach to running Wao Summit is an example of how small, mindful changes can make a big impact. By thinking sustainably in everything from catering to decor, we hope to inspire others to take these practices into their own lives and businesses. Together, we can make a difference—one waste-free event at a time.