Is there a better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than a family run in a beautiful park? The over four hundred people who showed up on Belle Isle Saturday morning didn’t think so. Up to three generations of moms and daughters participate in this race every year, which supports the American Cancer Society efforts to fight breast cancer. And we took care of the cleanup so the moms didn’t have to!
We set up a staffed Zero Waste Station near the finish line among the vendor tents, and placed All Waste boxes near the finish line and the food and beverage areas. In addition to cardboard and waxed cups we collected food waste including pancakes with blueberry sauce, egg wraps, bananas, cookies, as well as compostable cups, plates, and utensils. And there were special “Mom-osas” for the moms after the race.
Total compostable and recyclable waste was about in line with last year. Landfill was up a few pounds due to additional contaminated material, but still only about 7 lbs., less than six percent of the total.
One challenge was the cocktail cups. They were plastic with a metal foil rim. which made for an attractive appearance, but the mixed materials meant they had to go to a TerraCycle Zero Waste Box instead of standard recycling. Other TerraCycle specialty recycling included the orange juice cartons, small plastics, and disposable gloves.
Jeff was at a life celebration for his mother-in-law, so the team was Sue Hares, her daughter Debbie, and two onsite volunteers. Great job, everyone!
Happy Planet Running 