There is just something about a good meal that brings people together. Whether it’s family reunions, tailgating, or community festivals, special events are more special with tasty grub.
While it’s no secret that good food is key, what about the dishes the food is served on? It may seem like an afterthought, but dishware can elevate those special events to another level.
Finer dining is the idea behind Lane County Waste Management’s Sustainable Event Services (SES) program: to provide durable dishware and water-bottle refilling services for large events with 250 or more attendees. The SES program is a partnership between Lane County, the City of Eugene, and Action Rent-All & Events.
Volunteers enjoy hosting sustainable dining experiences using durable dishware provided by Lane County’s Sustainable Event Services program. The initiative aims to reduce waste while enhancing the overall dining experience at large gatherings.
Since its official launch in September 2023, SES has been a presence at nearly 50 large-scale public events, including at least 17 planned for 2026.
In early May, I helped coordinate the program for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration at Guy Lee Elementary in Springfield. My job that day was to ensure that event food vendors had a consistent supply of dishware (bowls, plates, and cutlery) for their customers.
These interactions gave me a great opportunity to get feedback from vendors and attendees. The on-the-ground reports were encouraging regarding program reception and usage.
Customers said the meals felt “fancier” than those on paper or plastic dishware, and that the dining experience felt more like being “at home.”
The vendors liked that the program saved them from purchasing their own supplies, that using dishware was easy, and that their customers were happy.
And, of course, Guy Lee Elementary loved that the event (which had approximately 2,000 attendees) kept loads of garbage out of the dump. In 2025, the program racked up some impressive totals regarding waste prevention, including:
- 30 events used portable drinking water stations, totaling 11,442 gallons of water, meaning approximately 86,700 disposable 16.9-oz. water bottles didn’t get used.
- 15 events used 30,580 reusable dishware items (plates, bowls, cups, and utensils).
While the waste-reduction aspect is great, it’s also very cost-effective for event organizers. For example, for an event using 1,000 9-inch plates, 700 15-oz. bowls, 1,000 stainless steel forks, 1,000 stainless steel spoons, 1,000 16-oz. shatter-proof glasses, and two portable drinking water stations, the grand total is just $175.
Plus, SES does the dishes.
The program is currently scheduled to be used at multiple large-scale public events this summer, including the Eugene Pride Festival (which typically has 10,000-plus attendees), the Oregon Asian Celebration, and the Oregon Aloha Celebration.
Learn more at lanecountyor.gov/wastewise-events.
Daniel Hiestand is the Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator for Lane County and a monthly columnist for The Chronicle.
