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Run Scream Run 2019 Sustainability Report

A scary race in an apple orchard, with a costume contest and cider and donuts for the survivors. That’s Run Scream Run, a 5K or 10K race that takes runners through an orchard, nearby woods, and through a haunted village featuring mummies and chainsaw-wielding maniacs.

And what if the cups, leftover food, and cardboard had to be buried in a landfill? Now that’s scary! Fortunately, the Zero Waste team was there to make sure that didn’t happen. How little of the event’s waste ended up in a “grave?” See below to find out!
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A Flippin’ Good Time! Scrumpy Skedaddle Sustainability Report

Fall has officially arrived, and it’s peak season at the cider mills. Combine a race with terrific apple cider, pancakes, and live music, and you have a recipe for a very popular event. And so it has proved for the Scrumpy Skedaddle at Almar Orchards. When even the race director (right of stroller) gets into the act with her new baby, you know it’s gotta be good!

Going compostable has reduced overall waste and simplified things for the Zero Waste team, but there’s still plenty of work for them to do. And the very lives of the orchard’s pigs depended on our diligent collection of the leftover food (just ask them). Did we leave the event clean and pigs stuffed? See below!

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A Long, Dirty Day: Dances with Dirt Hell Sustainability Report

A wet, dirty run through the wilderness. Not your idea of how to spend a fall Saturday? How about pizza, beer, and live music afterward? Plus you can wear exotic costumes and give your team a raunchy name. Welcome to Dances with Dirt, Hell edition!

This very popular event creates a lot of waste, most of which gets tossed during the exodus from the park just as it’s getting dark. Oh, and there are nine full-service aid stations, too. The Zero Waste team thus shares in the day’s suffering, and without the fancy costumes and raunchy team name. Did they still push through it without getting buried in leftover pizza? Read on to find out!

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Ugly Dog Tri Sustainability Report

Okay, so this race is which of the following?

a) A gravel road triathlon with an ugly dog contest included;
b) A race where athletes have to run with their ugly dogs;
c) A event sponsored by a distillery with an interesting name.
d) All of the above.

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Strong and Sustainable: Women Run the D Zero Waste Report

The women came to Belle Isle to celebrate their strength and run in the beautiful park. A little bit of inclement weather didn’t dampen their enthusiasm! And the Green Team was there to make sure we left the park cleaner than we found it, with as little as possible going to landfill. After the heat and yellow jacket invasion of last year, did we have the fortitude to get it done? Bee-lieve it!

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Sustainability Rocks! Run Woodstock 2019 Report

A weekend of peace, love, music, and running, Good vibes and good weather made for a groovy time, as 2,000 runners and campers got their hippie on. Lemon James belted out the Hendrix-style national anthem as usual, and the trails hosted race distances from 5K up to 100 miles.

A rocking weekend also meant a busy one for those behind the scenes, including the Zero Waste team, which worked long and hard to keep the campground clean and the landfill dumpster as empty as possible. Did we rock it out, or go down in flames? See below!

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A Pleasant Surprise! 2019 T-Rex Triathlon Sustainability Report

What do you do when you carefully plan Zero Waste for an event – and everything works out according to plan? Shake your head in disbelief, thank the good Lord, and go home on time!

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In the Deep End: Swim to the Moon 2019 Sustainability Report

The 10th annual Swim to the Moon was, for the athletes, and the charitable camp the race supported, a really good day. It went swimmingly, one might say.

Behind the scenes, things were a bit less serene. A full race field combined with a shortage of volunteers made for a long morning for everyone, including the solo member of the Green Team. In came the waves of waste. Did we get swamped, or climb on top and ride them out? All is revealed below!

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Wine, Dine, and Run: Running Between the Vines 2019 Sustainability Report

What’s better than an early morning run that ends in a vineyard? Getting to have wine afterwards, of course – with live jazz and food thrown in. And you get a shirt, and a race-branded wine goblet to enjoy the vintages of your choice!

With all that pampering comes hundreds of pounds of cardboard boxes, banana peels, water bottles, cups, and other stuff that, for some reason, the runners would rather not take with them. So it’s up to the Zero Waste team to make sure as much of that as possible is returned to productive use instead of the landfill.

With a large turnout and a small team, were we up to the challenge? Find out below.

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