Last month, CIC was invited to EnviroCentre’s symposium, “Connecting the Dots on Greener Events”, which convened event organizers, venue managers, policymakers, municipal staff, community partners, and solution providers in Ottawa to explore sustainability solutions shaping the future of events. Among the topics discussed, reuse emerged as a priority area, with speakers addressing the need to shift how events are designed, operated, and experienced to make reuse a successful, cost-efficient solution to reduce packaging waste. 

Key highlights from the event:

• Reuse Front and Centre: Across presentations and roundtables, participants shared real-world challenges and opportunities—from recognizing the true costs of single-use, to improving sorting behavior when reuse isn’t the default, to selecting appropriate containers and “borrowing” models for different event settings. A strong emphasis was placed on embedding reuse into venue strategies and procurement practices to move beyond one-off pilots.
• Inspiring Leadership and Community Support: Success stories demonstrated what’s possible when stakeholders collaborate to innovate and create new systems. Upstream, a US-based nonprofit, proved that a reuse program can start with something as simple as a church dishwasher; the Hillside Music Festival in Guelph, detailed how they made reusable mugs mandatory and set up a volunteer-run dishwashing station for plates and cutlery used by food vendors. These examples highlight how community-driven approaches can transform small initiatives into scalable, effective reuse systems.
• Collaborative Systems to Reach Scale: CIC moderated a discussion on community-based reuse, exploring what an ideal city-wide system could look like—one that is financially accessible, convenient, and seamlessly connects participating organizations with service providers. Participants discussed the idea of centralizing washing infrastructure and logistics, and offering a range of standardized containers that can support diverse use cases, from school lunches to conference catering. The discussion also highlighted the role of municipalities in driving reuse forward and helping scale these efforts, through pilot funding, policy development, or grant programs, to encourage systemic behaviour change and enable businesses and residents to make the switch to reuse. 

The conclusion is that we have reached a pivotal moment for reuse. Events and venues are increasingly embracing the conversation and inspiring case studies are multiplying across Canada. With summer just around the corner, it’s time to rethink food, beverage, and waste management strategies—and put reuse into action.