Exemplary Waste Management at Sydney Marathon 2024

Event Overview

People encouraging runners at Sydney Marathon 2024

The Sydney Marathon 2024, held on Sunday, 15 September, transformed Sydney's iconic landscape into a celebration of athletic achievement. With 25,000 participants, the event featured various race categories, including a full marathon, half marathon, and shorter community-focused runs, alongside spectator activities and recovery zones.

The event stretched across iconic Sydney locations, including North Sydney Oval, the Sydney Opera House Foreshore, and the Royal Botanical Gardens, offering breathtaking views and an immersive urban running experience. With thousands of attendees, volunteers, and event staff, it posed unique challenges for waste management across diverse operational zones, requiring meticulous planning and execution to maintain a clean environment and sustainability.

Clean Vibes delivered comprehensive waste management services throughout the event setup, race day, and post-event cleanup, ensuring sustainable practices across all operational areas.

At a Glance

• 25,000 participants
• 10 tonnes of waste managed
• 81% waste diverted from landfill
• 43,869 containers collected through our CDS, raising $4,386.90 for TriMob, a 100% First Nations-led not-for-profit organisation.
• Comprehensive waste management across course, start/finish lines, and public zones

Operational Highlights

Course Management

• Strategic placement of bulk bags and frames at drink stations
• Swift response team ensuring immediate setup and adjustments
• Efficient collaboration between cleaners and volunteers for real-time waste management
• Comprehensive post-event restoration of all sites

Start and Finish Zones

• Implementation of 3m skips for enhanced waste management efficiency
• Coordinated waste collection system at North Sydney Oval
• Specialised handling of discarded clothing through charity partnerships
• Strategic bin placement optimising waste sorting at high-traffic areas

Public Interaction Areas

• Dedicated teams managing the Opera House Foreshore and Royal Botanical Gardens
• Adaptive waste management strategies in open-access areas
• Real-time monitoring and rapid response protocols

Waste Management Achievements

Total Waste Processed:

• General Waste: 2.49 tonnes
• Recycled Materials: 7.51 tonnes

Breakdown of Recycled Materials:

• Paper/Cardboard: 4.07 tonnes
• Timber: 2.55 tonnes
• Container Deposit Scheme (CDS): 0.66 tonnes
• Corflute: 0.10 tonnes
• Fence scrim: 0.02 tonnes
• Soft plastics: 0.05 tonnes
• Bread and milk crates: 0.06 tonnes

Sustainability Infrastructure & Initiatives

Clean Vibes' commitment to sustainability extends far beyond event day operations. Through a recent EPA grant, we've enhanced our Silverwater warehouse, NSW with state-of-the-art recycling infrastructure, including a shredder and baler system. This investment has revolutionised our post-event material processing capabilities, particularly for traditionally challenging items like fence scrim that previously ended up in landfill.

Our comprehensive resource recovery system now handles a wide range of materials including:

• Fence scrim (shredded and recycled)
• Corflute signage
• Soft plastics
• Timber pallets
• Milk and bread crates
• Eligible containers (plastic and glass bottles, cardboard juice and milk boxes, and aluminium cans)

A standout achievement from the Sydney Marathon was our Return & Earn initiative. Through careful collection and processing at our warehouse facility, we recovered 43,869 containers, generating $4,386.90 which was donated to Pont3's charity of choice, TriMob.

This demonstrates how our integrated approach to waste management creates both environmental and social benefits.

Clean vibes set up at the Royal Botanical Garden, Sydney

Operational Challenges & Innovative Solutions

Strategic Public Space Management

Sydney Marathon 2024 finish line at Opera House Foreshore

In open public spaces like the Opera House Foreshore, we faced a unique challenge with members of the public removing container deposit scheme (CDS) items from bins. We developed a comprehensive solution that included:

• Implementing enhanced monitoring systems with real-time communication between ground teams
• Strategic placement of 3m skips at key locations to improve waste collection efficiency
• Repositioning bins in high-traffic areas while maintaining site aesthetics
• Establishing efficient bin servicing schedules to prevent overflow This integrated approach allowed us to maintain control over waste sorting while accommodating high pedestrian traffic.

Community - Focused Clothing Initiative

Clothes hanging on fence and grass

The start line at North Sydney Oval presented an unexpected challenge, with runners discarding an extraordinary volume of warm-up clothing. We transformed this challenge into a community opportunity through:

• Developing partnerships with local charities, including the Salvation Army, for immediate clothing collection.
• Implementing a coordinated collection system with dedicated staff and volunteers from Pont3.
• Providing bale bags within starting pens for clothing collection (though few runners used these and discarded clothing on the ground instead).
• Creating designated collection points for easy charity access.

Despite some challenges with clothing placement, a 3-tonne truck transported approximately 15,000 garments to the Salvation Army—an incredible achievement! Better signage and communication will be in place next year to encourage runners to use the provided collection points and streamline the process further. These measures not only kept the area clear but ensured discarded clothing found new purpose in the community.

Drink Station Operations

Drinking station at Sydney Marathon 2024

Early race morning revealed timing misalignments at several drink stations, with setup elements not in place before runners began arriving. Our adaptive response included:

• Deploying rapid response mobile teams for immediate infrastructure setup
• Implementing real-time communication systems between ground teams
• Strategic placement of waste collection points along the course
• Efficient resource allocation to high-traffic areas This agile approach ensured all drink stations were fully operational with minimal impact on runner experience.

Through these solutions, we maintained exceptional service levels while addressing complex operational challenges, demonstrating our commitment to innovative waste management practices.

Future Recommendations

Enhanced Staffing Strategy

Building on our 2024 experience, we've identified key areas where additional personnel would significantly improve our service delivery. Centennial Park requires a minimum of four dedicated staff members - two stationed at drink stops and two mobile team members - to ensure swift litter collection and maintain the park's pristine condition. Similarly, the high-traffic areas of Mrs. Macquaries Chair and Art Gallery Road would benefit from increased staffing to maintain cleanliness throughout the event, particularly during peak runner periods.

Operational Refinements

Our successful partnership with charity organisations for clothing collection showed tremendous potential, and we recommend expanding these relationships for future events. Strategic placement of additional skips proved highly effective this year, and we suggest implementing more of these at key locations to enhance waste management efficiency. We also identified opportunities to strengthen coordination with event safety officers, ensuring smoother operations across all zones while maintaining the highest safety standards.

Advanced Resource Recovery

Looking ahead, we see significant potential to increase our already impressive 81% waste diversion rate. By redirecting sweeper trucks to Clean Vibes' warehouse, we can implement more thorough sorting processes and maximise resource recovery. We propose expanding our recycling initiatives and enhancing our bin monitoring systems to further improve waste segregation at source. These improvements would help us push the boundaries of sustainable event management while setting new industry standards.

Clean Vibes truck parked in Royal Botanical Garden Sydney

Conclusion

The Sydney Marathon 2024 represents a significant achievement in sustainable event management, with an impressive 81% waste diversion rate and the successful handling of complex operational challenges. As pioneers in event sustainability, Clean Vibes continues to invest in innovative solutions, from our EPA-granted recycling infrastructure to our Return & Earn program, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in event waste management.

We’re proud to have partnered with the Sydney Marathon again this year, ensuring cleanliness and sustainability across one of the city’s most celebrated events. The Sydney Marathon’s recent elevation to become the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major is a transformative milestone. This new status places Sydney alongside iconic marathon cities like New York, London, Tokyo, Boston, Chicago, and Berlin, drawing global attention and significantly increasing international and interstate participation.

As Sydney prepares to host its first event as an Abbott World Marathon Major in 2025, we’re excited to continue our collaboration, supporting this world-class event with sustainable event management solutions. Clean Vibes remains committed to environmental excellence, helping the Sydney Marathon maintain its global prestige while driving local community benefits.

For more information on our sustainable event management services, get in touch and our team will come back to you shortly.