Report by HPR event captain Sara Haleblian
A nice day and a great turnout for the RF Events Liberty Run in Canton, with lots of red, white, and blue in evidence. The 700 participating athletes had the choice to run a 5K, 10K, or one mile. The event took place at Heritage Park, adjacent to the annual Liberty Festival.
The event was captained by Sara (me) and other HPR interns Iki and Jenny. There were also two awesome volunteers – Hasina and Caleb. We set up one station at the start/finish line. We also placed boxes near the station where snacks were being handed out. The snacks included snack mix, bananas, cookies, and water bottles.
Throughout the event, HPR staff and volunteers walked around the event and finish line and collected any litter. The majority of the waste found left behind was plastic water bottles and snack bags.
The largest percentage of the waste was cardboard (half the recycling total of about 76 percent), while landfill made up the smallest percentage at 0.6%, with just a half pound by weight. The total amount of waste produced at this event continues to drop, a great trend. Below is the chart, with another for waste per 100 runners, which overall follows the same trend.
Overall, the event was a success! Great volunteers, low landfill output, and an enjoyable event for all!
Happy Planet Running 