It’s turkey time again, and runners are getting an early start on burning off the calories. Hundreds of runners and their families showed up on a chilly morning to run a 5K or 10K, (or even both) and enjoy some pumpkin spice pancakes. And this year’s event was “greener” than ever, with a reduction in overall waste generated and a shift toward more compostable materials. See the details below!
Continue reading “Epic Races A2 Turkey Trot Sustainability Report”
What’s better than hot chocolate after a November morning race with a steep climb in it? Hot chocolate with marshmallows and candy canes, of course! And so several hundred people cheerfully ran or walked up and down the Mt. Brighton ski hill.
The challenge for the Zero Waste team is handling a lot of waste in a short window, as the resort opens for general business later in the morning. Could we continue the great results of over 98 percent landfill diversion at this event? Read on to find out!
Continue reading “Hot Cocoa Classic 2019 Sustainability 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!
Continue reading “Strong and Sustainable: Women Run the D Zero Waste 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.
Continue reading “Wine, Dine, and Run: Running Between the Vines 2019 Sustainability Report”
“How are things going, Jeff?” someone asked me during this year’s Firecracker 5K.
“Really well,” I replied. “In fact, it’s going so well I’m worried!”
I was only half joking. I’ve worked too many events that seem to be going well, only to be hit with some hidden unpleasant surprise (for instance, volunteers filling up the Starbucks recycling bins with food waste). But all went smoothly, even though we had to clear out quickly for the 4th of July downtown parade. Read on for how we dealt with it!
Continue reading “Waste-free, Trouble Free: Ann Arbor Firecracker 5K Sustainability Report”
A great start to this year’s T-Rex Triathlon series. Despite a few hiccups the Zero Waste team kept on top of things and achieved nearly 98 percent landfill diversion!
Continue reading “Dino-mite! 2019 Triceratops Triathlon Sustainability Report”
A beautiful summer evening, live music, food, running – and beer. Does that sound to you like a formula for a popular event? You would be right! And that makes for a very busy few hours for the Zero Waste team. Could we avoid the near calamities of the past two years, and manage whatever new surprises awaited? Find out below!
Continue reading “Uber Ober: Oberun Ypsilanti 2019 Sustainability Report”
After we wrapped up the waste collection at the Canton Liberty Run, I brought the tiny bag of landfill waste to show the RF Events staff. It was less than one percent of the total waste we collected. They were impressed as usual – except for one who seemed a bit disappointed. “It isn’t a baggie,” he said.
A similar event the week before DID result in all the trash fitting into a sandwich baggie. Now they want that kind of result every time. Tough group! Read about both events below.
Continue reading “High Standards: Flirt with Dirt and Canton Liberty Run Sustainability Reports”
It was a beautiful morning, and runners were out in force for the annual 13.1-mile jaunt along the Huron River from Dexter to Ann Arbor. This was great news for the Ann Arbor Track Club and local businesses.
But could the Zero Waste team stay of top of the festivities and repeat last year’s 98 percent landfill diversion? Not without a few bumps in the road – like almost having nowhere to put a thousand pounds of banana peels and pizza boxes. How did we manage it? Find out below?
Continue reading “A Long, But Happy Day: 2019 Dexter-Ann Arbor Run Sustainability Report”
