Tag Archives: Zero Waste

Ober the Top! Sustainability Wins at the Oberun 5K

The adage was proven again! Heavily market a 5K and you’ll get a decent turnout; whisper “5K and beer” and they’ll beat down the door, especially if the beer is Oberon. This race sold out weeks before the actual event. With a warm evening forecast, and with post-race food including pizza, the beer cans promisedContinue reading “Ober the Top! Sustainability Wins at the Oberun 5K”

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”

Plastic Recycling Gets A Boost, and More

Some really good things have been happening recently with plastic recycling. And a few of them relate directly to the plastic we consume and discard at running events. Even at the Zero Waste events I work at and/or run in, plastic remains highly used, from water bottles and jugs to coffee and beer cups, disposableContinue reading “Plastic Recycling Gets A Boost, and More”

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”

Don’t Just Toss Those Old Race Clothes!

Look, I get it. I’ve run plenty of wet, sloppy trail races. You expect a mess, so you bring along an old pair of shoes you intend to “retire” immediately after the race. You cross the finish line, change into clean and dry clothes, have a celebratory banana and beer, and then into the trashContinue reading “Don’t Just Toss Those Old Race Clothes!”

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”