The Pterodactyl is the third sprint triathlon in the RF Events T-Rex series. As the course and event area is the same for all of them, the Zero Waste setup and servicing has become pretty routine. The biggest challenge remains getting there during rush hour traffic on Wednesday afternoons.
As usual, the main Zero Waste station was between the registration and volunteer tents, with a small second station in the post-race party area. All Waste boxes were put at the two transition area entrances/exits and swapped out when needed.
Attendance has returned to near pre-pandemic levels but overall waste remains significantly lower, mainly from fewer post-race food options and less material used for packaging the finisher medals.
Just two glitches to deal with. One is the ongoing shortage of volunteers, which is across the board, not just the Green Team. Using central stations instead of dispersed tents has helped, and my interns and other available staffers have helped me stay on top of things during the post-race rushes.
The other is the scramble at takedown. The July and August triathlons don’t wrap up until it’s nearly dark, and then there’s a dash to get everything taken down and packed up before it’s too dark to work, and the skeeters come out in force. While this is happening, last-minute items come in from all over the race area. It all means some extra sorting and processing the next day. So I’m looking for ways to begin takedown earlier without compromising service.
I do need to give a shout-out to the other race staffers and volunteers who help out by stacking cardboard in the food area, and to the folks who clean up transition and bring all the waste to my station. Your contribution is much appreciated!
Happy Planet Running 