Despite the Lions missing the Super Bowl (again), the RF Events Super 5K at Novi High School featured a lot of blue, and even a Dan Campbell impersonator! So spirits were high for a little run through sloppy streets, with pizza after. And the Green Team was there, as usual, to intercept anything that would normally be thrown in the trash.
Proper warmup is essential!
As it was a cold day, all the post-race activity took place inside. The only waste generated outside was drinks from the Travelin’ Tom’s coffee truck (which people brought in) and the finish line and water stop waste, which the crew brought to my main station inside. Many thanks for that!
The staffed Zero Waste station was by the entrance, where most of the traffic was. All Waste boxes were set up at the rear exit and between those two stations on tables. I gave the staff in the cafeteria a rolling cart for pizza boxes. I put a single All Waste box on top of a trash can outside. (And believe it or not, some people moved the box aside to put trash in the can.)
Post-race food was pizza, wings, and bread from Little Caesars, served on compostable plates. We also composted the pizza boxes. Other sources of waste were cardboard from registration, coffee and aid station cups, and some miscellaneous items – race bibs, hand warmers, small plastics, Gu and snack wrappers – which went to TerraCycle. The only landfill was tape, greasy disposable gloves, and some waxy paper.
I was solo at first, with my two staffers having to cancel, but I got two volunteers just as things heated up post-race. Many thanks to Jeff #2 and Danielle (honorary Jeff #3) for pitching right in and keeping us on top of things. It helped there were no pint glasses this year, which saved effort, waste volume, and the hassle of cleaning up broken glass (see reports from previous years).
That’s about it. Everything went well. Now if only the Lions can get to the Super Bowl…
Happy Planet Running 