What do live music, a soak in the hot springs, good food, and caring for the planet have in common? They all came together at the 4th Annual Amplify Astoria!
Our early fall celebration brought the community together for an afternoon of music, food, beverages, and soaking at Astoria Hot Springs Park — all in support of Astoria Park Conservancy’s Access Fund, which helps keep our hot springs and programs affordable and accessible to all. And this year, we had another reason to celebrate: Amplify Astoria achieved an incredible 99.4% waste diversion rate!
With support from Sustainable Business Leaders, the Zero Waste Jackson Hole, Vibrant Events, our staff, volunteers, vendors, and attendees helped demonstrate that a lively community gathering can be both memorable and mindful of its environmental impact.
The Numbers Are In! 99.4%!
Our post-event waste audit revealed just how much a little planning and a lot of teamwork can accomplish.
- • 99.4% waste diversion rate: Nearly all potential event waste was kept out of the landfill.
- • Just 0.18 pounds of landfill waste: Less than a quarter pound of garbage remained for disposal.
- • 20.3 pounds of food waste composted: Food scraps were diverted from the landfill through organic waste collection.
- • 4.83 pounds of recyclables diverted: Aluminum, plastic, glass, and other recyclable materials were collected for diversion.
- • 20 staff and volunteers trained: Our team learned how to support Zero Waste event operations.
- • About 250 people engaged: Attendees, staff, and volunteers were engaged in Zero Waste practices and education.
The event’s waste audit accounted for 32.26 pounds of potential waste, including disposable items avoided altogether. Of that total, 32.08 pounds were diverted from the landfill through composting, recycling, reuse, and waste prevention.
These results reflect more than sorting waste after the party. They demonstrate the value of thinking about waste before an event even begins.
How to Make Your Next Event More Sustainable
Whether you’re organizing a community fundraiser, a backyard gathering, or a neighborhood celebration, you can borrow a few ideas from Amplify Astoria. You don’t need to overhaul everything at once, small, intentional choices can add up.
1. Compost the good stuff
Food scraps can make up a significant portion of event waste. At Amplify Astoria, more than 20 pounds of food waste were diverted from the landfill. Arrange for compost collection when available, communicate what can go in the bins, and make sure food-service vendors understand the plan.
2. Make recycling easy
People are more likely to sort waste correctly when the choices are clear. Place well-marked waste, recycling, and compost bins where people naturally gather, such as near food and beverage stations. Use simple signage and make sure staff or volunteers can answer questions.
3. Rethink single-use items
The most sustainable waste is waste that never gets created. Look for opportunities to avoid disposable items, choose reusable alternatives, and coordinate with vendors to minimize unnecessary packaging. At Amplify Astoria, disposable items totaling an estimated 5.83 pounds were avoided altogether.
4. Get your team on board
A Zero Waste event works best when everyone knows their role. Train staff and volunteers before the event, establish clear responsibilities, and make sure vendors understand how materials should be handled. At Amplify Astoria, 20 staff and volunteers received Zero Waste operations training, helping sustainability become a shared effort rather than an afterthought.
5. Plan for the crowd
As events grow, so do the logistical demands. Adequate staffing, thoughtful vendor coordination, and efficient food and beverage service all help keep an event running smoothly. Planning these details in advance makes it easier to maintain a great guest experience while following through on sustainability goals.
6. Sustainable choices. Community impact.
A post-event waste audit helps turn good intentions into measurable results. Tracking what was composted, recycled, reused, avoided, or sent to the landfill reveals what’s working and where there’s room to improve. Those insights can guide better decisions for the next event. Learn more here.
Good for the Community, Better for the Planet
Amplify Astoria is about more than a great afternoon of music and soaking. It’s an opportunity to bring people together in support of the Access Fund, strengthen relationships with local businesses and community partners, and celebrate the place we all share.
Our 2026 results show that sustainability can be woven into a community celebration without losing any of the fun. From the musicians and vendors to the volunteers behind the scenes, every contribution helped make the event a success.
We’re grateful to Vibrant Events for helping us put these practices into action, and to everyone who joined us in making Amplify Astoria a celebration of both community and stewardship. Thank you also to Sustainable Business Leaders and Teton Resilience Network for a grant to fund these zero waste efforts.
And we’re not stopping here. We’ll continue refining our waste-reduction practices, strengthening vendor and volunteer coordination, and looking for new ways to minimize our environmental impact as Amplify Astoria grows.
Because at Astoria Park Conservancy, caring for this special place means caring for the people, wildlife, and natural resources that make it what it is.
Good vibes. Less waste. Endless ripples.
Here’s to making our next gathering even more sustainable!
