Hear Them Roar! Detroit Women’s Half Marathon Sustainability Report

What happens when you take 1,000 women, give them coffee and chocolate, and blast the Katy Perry music? A half marathon breaks out! Would the Zero Waste team pick up enough of that energy to stay on top of the trash? Read on to find out!

Peace, Love, and Zero Waste: Run Woodstock Sustainability Report

Billed as, “a weekend of peace, love, music, and running,” Run Woodstock is the largest RF Events race of the year. It also generates the most waste of the year, with enough work to keep the Zero Waste team busy from setup on Thursday through takedown on Sunday. In 2016 we achieved 88% landfill diversionContinue reading “Peace, Love, and Zero Waste: Run Woodstock Sustainability Report”

No Sour Grapes! Running Between the Vines Achieves 99 Percent Diversion

Attempting Zero Waste at a race that also involves wining and dining 2,000 people? No problem! A beautiful morning for a challenging set of races, and despite being up to our epaulets in cardboard, the Zero Waste team achieved a high for the year in waste diversion. Read on to see how we did it!

“Best race EVER!” Swim to the Moon Sustainability Report

“This is the best race EVER!” a woman excitedly told me at the Zero Waste station. “You guys thought of everything! And recycling, too!” Realistically, the Zero Waste program at Swim to the Moon played only a small part of a very well-run event. Most of her thanks belongs to the first-rate staff of EpicContinue reading ““Best race EVER!” Swim to the Moon Sustainability Report”

Sustainability Report: Huron River Day

I’m pleased to pass along this sustainability report from last week’s Huron River Day in Ann Arbor. I was there as an informal volunteer, “talking trash” with the fine folks at Zero Waste Washtenaw who were managing the sustainability activities. A large crowd came to Gallup Park to kayak, play games, eat, and enjoy a perfectContinue reading “Sustainability Report: Huron River Day”

ROAR! Triceratops Tri achieves 95% Diversion

A famous long-extinct species was spotted everywhere at last week’s Triceratops Triathlon. But you know what’s hardly seen these days at an RF Events race? Garbage! Sending piles of event waste to a landfill is on its way to sharing the fate of the dinosaurs, although I doubt any future triathlons will be named afterContinue reading “ROAR! Triceratops Tri achieves 95% Diversion”

Freedom from Waste: Liberty Festival achieves 97% Diversion

Oh say, can you see. . .any trash? Not at this race! Sustainability Report: Liberty Festival Races 2017 Date: June 17, 2017 Event company: RF Events, Ann Arbor MI Location: Heritage Park, Canton MI # Attendees: 1,200 runners Zero Waste Team volunteers: 2 Race Overview The races are part of a weekend-long Liberty Festival heldContinue reading “Freedom from Waste: Liberty Festival achieves 97% Diversion”

Flirting with Zero! Flirt with Dirt achieves 99% Diversion

ONE BROKEN PINT GLASS. One discarded race bib. A few strands of masking tape. A few odds and ends. That was it for trash. Sustainability Report: Flirt with Dirt 2017 Date: June 3, 2017 Event company: RF Events, Ann Arbor MI Location: Lakeshore Park, Novi MI # Attendees: 500 runners Zero Waste Team volunteers: 3Continue reading “Flirting with Zero! Flirt with Dirt achieves 99% Diversion”

Hightail to Ale: Zero Waste in the Rain

Sustainability Report: Hightail to Ale 5K Date: May 5, 2017 Event company: RF Events, Ann Arbor MI Location: Atwater Brewery, Detroit MI # Attendees: 2,900 runners Zero Waste Team volunteers: 4, plus basketball team members Hightail to Ale is one of the “Thirsty 3” series that celebrates great beer, wine, and cider in southern Michigan.Continue reading “Hightail to Ale: Zero Waste in the Rain”