The Big Green is happy to announce the waste totals for 2013!  The waste was separated into three different categories or streams; Compost, Recycle and Trash, better known as CRT.  Five CRT collection stations were placed strategically throughout the festival grounds.  77% of the waste generated was composted or recycled with only 23% of the waste going to the landfill. Nearly 800 attendees who visited throughout the day generated 0.002 ounces or 2 thousandths of an ounce of trash per person. The weights of the waste streams are as follows;  49 lbs of compostable material, 36 lbs of recyclables and 25 lbs of trash. Our team increased our recycling and reduced our trash by 7% in one year!

The success of capturing the valuable compostable and recyclable material was due largely to the continuous supervision and education provided by volunteers that were stationed at each CRT station and by the customized signs created by the Wisconsin DNR. The CRT volunteers informed festival goers of what waste materials went in each collection bin.  CRT volunteers were vigilant about removing items that were improperly disposed of and placing the material in its proper collection bin. Participation by festival attendees was high, with only small amounts of litter found outside the waste containers.

Fox Valley Technical College will shred the compostable material and add it to their existing compost pile. The recyclables were delivered to the Outagamie County Recycling Facility and the trash was taken to the Outagamie County Landfill.  

Compost consisted of: 

• Non oily food containers/wrappers
• Napkins
• Corn based plastic cups, straws and lids
• Corn based plastic spoons and forks
• Uneaten buns, pizza crust, corn on the cob and fruit cores
• Some paper

Recycling consisted of:

• Aluminum cans
• #1 and #2 plastic bottles and jugs
• Paper
• Cardboard
• Raffle tickets

Trash consisted of:

• Uneaten food containing meat, cheese and oils
• Oily food containers
• Non compostable/recyclable food and beverage containers carried into the event by the public
• Disposable diapers
• Non recyclable plastics
• Potato chip bags
• Food prep items from vendors 
• Cigarette butts