Indiana State Fair Recycling and Composting Final Report November 2013

Transcription

1 Indiana State Fair Recycling and Composting Final Report November 2013 Over the course of the three fairs we worked this summer, as well as KAB staff s previous experience in North Carolina and academic research on recycling, composting, signage, bin type, and other related topics, we have created a list of lessons learned and best practices for use by the fair in implementing their recycling and compost programs in subsequent years. We will review infrastructure purchased and used, personnel, communication to various audiences, composting, the waste audit and waste reduction results. In addition, KAB recruited an academic partner from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) to assist with observational and survey research on recycling and compost behavior. A report on this research can be found in the corresponding presentation and PDF. Summary A. Twin each recycling bin with a trash can B. Place bins in barns and sitting areas C. Make sure all bins have good signage D. Utilize flags as a way of drawing attention to low-profile bins E. Make sure someone is in charge of recycling and the recycling crew F. Educate, Educate, Educate all audiences (internal and external) G. Rewards good recyclers H. Phase in a comprehensive composting program I. Incentivize vendors to use recyclable and compostable serviceware

2 INFRASTRUCTURE/BIN a. Bin Placement i. Pairing trash cans 1. One of the most important lessons learned in terms of infrastructure is to ensure that all recycling bins are closely paired with a trash can (and that there are enough trash cans to do so). Observational research suggests that unpaired recycling bins will begin to be used as trash cans. Based on the academic research, we believe that having both bins in one spot works toward the goal of increasing convenience, which is the main barrier to recycling. Therefore, it is important to consider how many trash cans are available before the purchase of recycling bins. b. Suggested locations for bins at a fair i. Vendor booths 1. Vendors generate a large amount of material, particularly during set up and tear down, making them a prime opportunity for collection. However, their stall was often too small for their own recycling bin, so they needed to have a public bin close enough, a communal area nearby marked off for vendors, or be allowed to pile material behind their stalls to be picked up on recycling rounds, as was done successfully prior to the start of the fair. 2. There was also a lot of plastic film (shrink-wrap and bags) generated by vendors. This cannot be collected with traditional material but we recommend that the Fair speak with the local recycling office about how to collect it for recycling. ii. Barns 1. One place at the fair that was determined to need recycling bins that did not currently have them were the barn areas. There appeared to be a significant amount of recyclable waste being generated by the animal owners who had brought in their own food and drinks in bottles and cans, unlike some drinks being sold by many vendors in nonrecyclable plastic coated paper cups (though several vendors still sold cans & bottles). 2. The focus on recyclables in the barn came from observing the condition of manure/animal bedding dumpsters. Cattle owners are supposed to use the manure dumpster to deposit used hay and manure exclusively. However, the owners also deposit their recyclables and trash into the manure dumpster, turning this potentially usable fertilizer material into trash. This contamination demonstrates that there is a need for the separate collection of recyclables (as well as trash) within the barns. It is possible that fair-goers walking through the barns are also leaving their trash in these dumpsters, but since the cattle owners spend the vast majority of their day in the barn and bring in cans and bottles (as shown in the photo below) it is likely that they should be the primary target of clean up efforts. 2

3 3. The cattle owners stay on the fairgrounds all day, and are potentially more likely to listen to the fair s desires than fairgoers, as they are closer to staff than customers. For example, the cattle owners are provided an informational letter on rules prior to the fair, which is a perfect opportunity for communication about recycling. In addition, due to their similar purpose at the fair and ability to easily observe what people are doing in 3

4 other stalls, if some individuals started recycling, it could set a new social norm for the group, particularly if members begin to encourage each other. Therefore, the cattle barn (and other barns) may be a low hanging fruit for the fair to increase recycling. 4. Report on observational work: On the second day of the fair at 9am, KAB set up trash and recycling bins paired on one side, depending on the setup of the aisle (in order to not block access to the machinery that picks up manure dumpsters or to the middle of the stalls where owners walk to reach their cattle). 5. Throughout the day, KAB checked on the recycling bins, photographing the results. Overall, the recycling collected in the bins was fairly contamination free, and material began appearing in both the trash and recycling bin after two hours, which was the first time the bins were checked. However, there continued to be contamination in the manure dumpsters. This is likely for several reasons. First, the trash and recycling bins were much smaller than the manure dumpster, and may not be noticed by people who were not looking for them. Second, the habit of throwing material in the manure dumpster was already established, as the cattle owners had already been in the barn for a day without any bins present. Third, those in the barn had not been previously made aware of the bins, as they were quickly deployed by KAB, and did not know to look for them. For example, while KAB was checking bins, a cattle owner asked why they were so interested in bins. After hearing their explanation of seeking to increase recycling, she reported that she had not even noticed the bins until she saw KAB, and reported that she would spread the word to other owners to start using the bins. She also informed the team of the previously mentioned letter that goes out to cattle owners before the fair, and said that it would be a good communication method for the recycling information. 6. Next year the Fair might use some of the large Corex plastic bins in the barns. 4

5 iii. Stages 1. Based on our observations, one type of area at the fair that could use more recycling bins was stands or bleachers where people sit to watch a show. Many people at such sites arrive with a drink in hand, finish it during the show, and then need somewhere to dispose of the product. In contrast, it was more difficult to predict where people on the move would finish their drinks, making it harder to place bins intended for them. However, these stands or bleachers provide an opportunity to take advantage of areas where people congregate with recyclable material. Based on our count, there were spaces by grandstands for up to 40 recycling bins that could be paired with trash cans, thus greatly increasing the potential for recyclable materials to be collected. Moreover, there were multiple stage areas located in the kiddie area (such as the diving board) and throughout the fair that could potentially use recycling bins on the path people take leaving the stages. 2. From the observed content of the trash cans and the materials sold by vendors in the grandstands (as well as the observed recycling containers in use), the large grandstand area appears to be a prime spot for additional recycling bins. Two bottle-shaped bins located just outside the grandstand area were about 25% full on day two of the fair, though we do not know if that was the amount of recycling from both days 1 and 2 or if the bins had been emptied at some intermediate point. The material in these bins was likely a mix from both the grandstand and a large lotto event which was happening in front of the grandstand, one of the bottle-shaped bins was beyond the range of where people were congregating for the lotto, meaning that at least some of the recyclable material can be attributed to grandstand patrons. 3. The fair may also be able to collect more recyclables from big events by providing signage or bins that more explicitly emphasize that paper products can be recycled. For example, more could be collected from the area near the lotto booth if they paired a recycling bin and signage for used tickets with the booth where lotto tickets are sold and the tables where people scratch their tickets. Many people were simply disposing of their used tickets in the nearest trash receptacles (or littering them) and may not have even been aware that the tickets could be recycled. Recycling bins at the fair for the most part did not emphasize that paper could be recycled in them, presumably because one would expect most of the recyclable material generated at the fair to be cans and bottles. However, in the few areas where a large amount of paper is generated, a bin specifically for whatever the paper material is (e.g., used lotto tickets) could be useful for collecting that material. At the very least, these areas could be outfitted with bins that are marked for mixed recycling rather than for just cans and bottles. 4. When thinking about stages it is also important to place a recycling bin back stage. It is likely that the performers consume large amounts of liquids in cans and bottles, as KAB staff observed a large number of plastic and metal bottles in trash bins behind the stage area at the Indiana state fair, and subsequently moved a bin to that area. iv. Sitting areas 1. Another spot for recycling bins are areas where people sit to eat and drink. Similar to the stage areas, people in these zones are stationary for a period of time while they finish their beverage, and then require a place to dispose of it as they leave. 2. The bottle-shaped bins are useful in areas like this (i.e. the grandstand). They are also well suited for indoor areas as their wrap tends to pop-off if not duct taped. v. Campgrounds/Parking lots 5

6 1. Much more could be done to capture material from the campgrounds. Next year fair staff might use some of the small green recycling bins to collect material in the campgrounds and parking lots. vi. Exhibition Area 1. While drinks are not allowed in the indoor exhibition hall, we found it important to still place bins in the hall, particularly in the doorways. People following the rules with drinks would be likely to finish them outside, and then need a place to dispose of them as they enter the hall. 2. Similar to the outside vendors, these vendors need to be educated about the new recycling program. In the future, it may be valuable to partner with the various environmental and recycling groups that work within the exhibition hall to build on the recycling program. 3. This group also had a large amount of cardboard and plastic film for recycling. Placing some of the vendor roll carts in this building may capture some of that material if the bins have adequate signage and were placed in time for move-in and move-out. vii. Port-o-johns/Bathrooms 1. Another suggested location for recycling bins is by the port-o-johns and/or bathrooms. Before entering the bathroom area, people often want to get rid of their drinks so they do not have to carry them into the bathroom with them. At fairs, while monitoring the fullness of bins, ones near bathrooms often received a great deal of traffic. viii. Rides 1. As the Midway often does not sell drinks, this area is not a priority if there are not enough bins to supply the other areas. However, if there are enough bins, near the bins is another area to consider. Most Mid-way Operators require fair-goers to dispose of their food and drink before getting on a ride. Placing a paired recycling bin and trash can at each midway ride, right by the cue line is best. c. Bin attributes to consider for fair recycling i. Lid types 1. In terms of lid types, one issue faced by an event is that the lids typically used for public recycling bins (e.g., hole for bottles/cans, slit for paper) were not compatible with vendor material, as the larger recyclable containers used by vendors did not fit through the lid. This issue led to the purchase of roll carts for vendor usage. However, it must be emphasized that not all vendors will have space to keep these bins separate from the public, and therefore they must have signage appropriate for public usage. Furthermore, there is an increased issue of convenience when using these bins, as the lids need to be lifted for material to be deposited in them. ii. Color 1. While the research conducted by KAB and George Washington University suggests that the most recognizable color for recycling bins by far is blue, consistency is also important. Since Indiana s recycling bins prior to the grant were green, we purchased new additional green bins. However, one way to potentially get around the confusion a green bin might cause (if blue is so strongly associated with recycling) is the continued use of the bottle-shaped bins, which use their shape to indicate recycling rather than their color. 2. The other thing to note regarding color is that the permanent plastic trash cans utilized by the fair are blue. Since this infrastructure was already in place we continued to use green to represent recycling. However, sometimes these trash cans are wrapped with a 6

7 plastic film indicating the fair s annual theme or a sponsor s name. This is helpful in removing the blue color that might confuse recyclers. iii. Weight 1. The large Corex plastic public space recycling bins are attention getting, lightweight, collapsible and hold a lot of material, however, during the first few days of the fair when they were not that full they were prone to blow over with a gust of wind. So one 5 pound sandbag was placed in the bottom of each bin. This worked fine since the capacity of the bin is over 400 gallons very few needed to be emptied during the fair. The fair estimates that at least 95% of the bins will be used again next year. d. Signage i. Prompt Best Practices for making a sign 1. Be specific about the desired behavior. 2. Repeat prompts as often as possible. 3. Place prompts close to the desired behavior and in ways that they cannot be missed or ignored. 4. Target behavior which is convenient to perform. 5. Use wording that is not intrusive or demanding. 6. Emphasize what individuals will be missing out on or losing by not performing the desired behavior. 7. Convey prompts through a trustworthy source. 8. Tailor the message to the target audience. 9. Start with an easy-to-do behavior. 10. Engage the mind. 11. Utilize motives for why your audience might decide to perform a behavior. 12. Encourage positive behaviors. 13. Based on the previously mentioned research with George Washington University, the most understandable language to indicate a bin accepts all recyclable material was 7

8 Mixed Recyclables (instead of Single Stream or Commingled ), so this language was employed on the signage in order to increase understandability. ii. Flags 1. One of the issues the fair had with their previous bins was that they felt the bins blended into the background and were not noticeable. This is obviously an issue as people trying to recycle may not have been able to find the bins, and people who would recycle if prompted were not getting prompted to do so. 2. Based on the above best practices, one idea to improve the level of prompting provided by the small, green, trashcan-like recycling bins the fair had prior to the grant was the use of large flags displaying the phrase Recycle Here to serve as attention-getters. These flags are specific to the behavior, provide a second iteration of the prompt (after any prompts on the bins themselves), are close to where the behavior occurs, and are not intrusive. 3. In total, we employed 5 flags. One was placed in front of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) building, as there was not currently a bin there, and it seemed a natural placement for a recycling bin. The other four flags were placed in the kiddie area and paired with four green recycling bins. Before this deployment, there were very few recycling bins available in this area, and upon inspection, the trash had recyclables in it. Within the kiddie area, there were multiple places where people would sit with drinks while watching a show, finish their drinks during the show, and then get up and need to get rid of their cans or bottles. In this area, there were also many young children, who have been identified multiple times as major supporters of recycling by residents of the community. Moreover, research suggests that kids are more likely than adults to enforce the norms they have been taught, so if kids were made aware that recycling was supposed to be happening, we believed they would likely enforce it. 8

9 PERSONNEL (need someone taking responsibility for program) a. Sustainability coordinator i. KAB partially filled this role in 2013 via the grant program. Staff spent at least 10 hours a week between April and July planning for the recycling program and conducting PR tasks (130 hours total). This doesn t include the time spent purchasing bins (which would not necessarily be needed each year). Three KAB staff members then spent three days on-site at the fair working hour days. Another 50 hours has been spent calculating results, evaluating lessons learned and writing a report. ii. First, the fair could hire a sustainability coordinator (full or part time) who focuses on different environmental attributes each year and builds a system for use the following years. For example, this coordinator would use the information in this report and on the KAB website to run, grow, and improve the recycling program next year, and then if that goes well, perhaps start looking at other environmental elements such as runoff or water usage. They may also iii. coordinate the volunteer systems described below. Some of these tasks could possibly be added to the County liaison job description that works with the fair. The most important times to be at the fair conducting this oversight is morning and night. b. Americorp i. Alternatively, the Indiana State Fair could hire an Americorp member or graduate student to oversee a team of volunteers (e.g., Americorp members, high school students, or university students) that assists with running the program. This would likely be less effective than a sustainability coordinator, since they would presumably be less experienced, less able to make changes, and less likely to be a part of the program the following year. However, it would pose a significantly lower expense and could be a good way to test out having a coordinator without the full commitment of a staff member. c. Fair board i. Similar to either the sustainability coordinator or the Americorp member, a member of the fair board could take on the recycling and/or composting, or the larger concept of sustainability as their contribution to the board in order to ensure someone follows best practices. 9

10 WHO NEEDS COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM d. Staff i. Maintenance and custodial staff are clearly an integral piece of a recycling program, but they need proper training and engagement in order to run the program effectively. There are several recommendations for effective training. First, research suggests that skills on how to engage in a behavior are more effective when conveyed through in-person training than when conveyed through signage or pamphlets. Other ways to influence maintenance/custodial engagement would be to emphasize that the recycling program is important to their boss, why the program is critical, how vital their role is, and provide feedback on how the program is going. Research suggests that feelings of participation in purposeful activity are related to spurring conservation behavior. Furthermore, feedback is particularly useful for engaging low performers, such as those within a new program. Utilizing these aspects within a training system will help build a level of personal responsibility and pride in the program. ii. The IN State Fair uses multiple custodial groups to empty trash and recycling bins. The barns were serviced by barn boys. The insides of buildings were serviced by a contracted custodial company. Then all outside recycling bins were emptied by a recycling crew comprised of temporary minimum-wage staff hired just for the duration of the fair. iii. The IN State Fair made a concerted effort in 2013 to not only hire new dedicated staff for outside recycling collections but to train them also. The Head of Operations conducted a new employee training for both recycling crew shifts (day and night). iv. Unfortunately the barn boys and contracted custodial staff didn t get trained. Next year the fair plans to keep the recycling crew to empty outside public space bins and have them use 10 roll carts. Extra roll carts will be used in other buildings but Fair Staff will make sure that all janitorial workers, barn managers and fair board members know what the roll carts are for. 10

11 e. Fairgoers i. Fair-goers need to be aware that recycling is happening in order to know to look for a bin. This can be communicated through the fair informational pamphlet, highly visible signage such as flags, a recycling booth at the fair, and/or PR messaging through interviews and notices in local newspapers. ii. During the 2013 fair, the Indianapolis Recycling Coalition ran an education booth in the expo hall, which included information about local recycling, myths about recycling, games for kids, prizes, and an example bottle bin. The IRC also solicited volunteers to assist running the booth. The booth worked to booth educate fairgoers on recycling as well as conduct a survey about recycling and composting behavior, which is analyzed by the academic partner (who had been recruited by KAB to help analyze research being conducted at the fair, and who has written a report that has also been attached to this report). Next year it might be better at the north side of the property where more education is happening. 11

12 f. State Fair Youth Leadership Conference KAB was asked to conduct an educational recycling session for youth at the conference. The results and future recommendations are below. The activities that were conducted can be found in Appendix A. i. Students seemed engaged throughout the entire presentation. Many of them had heard of or worked with KAB s affiliates in Indiana, and therefore appreciated Keep America Beautiful s connection with the fair. They were also excited to capitalize on knowledge from previous days of the leadership conference in this session; for example, they knew about recycling paint from their work with Habitat for Humanity, and had a background on composting from cooking at Barto s. (see composting section below). ii. On average, each team received approximately 9 points in the recycling relay game, meaning that each group only sorted one or two materials incorrectly. A frequent misconception was that bottle caps must be removed before recycling, indicating that the newer policy to leave bottle caps on has not been well publicized. Another common mistake was that cloth (an old t- shirt) was recyclable. Overall, the game demonstrated that the students entered the presentation well-versed in what is and isn t recyclable in their community. iii. When reviewing the municipal solid waste background, students were familiar with most of the options for waste disposal except for composting facilities and transfer stations. They were also aware of incineration (though often not familiar with the term waste-to-energy ), as this is what happens to most of Indianapolis waste. All students who ventured guesses for what the chasing arrows symbol represents provided the most common answer: reduce, reuse, recycle. When I explained the three step loop of recycling which the symbol actually represents, they were interested in discussing the range of products that can be made from recyclable materials. The students had never heard of a Materials Recovery Facility, and were engaged in discovering how the machine separates commodities. iv. The Recycling Ambassadors activity was a good outlet for students to connect their leadership skills with their new recycling knowledge. Many had fun with the role play, and all practiced appealing to different people using the various reasons of why recycling is beneficial, which we had previously discussed. v. In most of the presentations, KAB staff had time to quickly review composting. The students had hands-on experience with this the day before, so Staff focused on what is necessary for materials to decompose in a compost pile, rather than which materials are compostable. Students were able to correctly guess the necessary elements and follow through to the vi. conclusion that organic materials cannot properly decompose in landfills. Most students did not ask questions at the end, but were excited to receive pins that identified them as recycling experts. They seemed to enjoy the presentation and activities; students left with factual knowledge about recycling, as well as further developed skills to share it. Recommendations: i. Allotting KAB staff time to this presentation fit in well with the main goal of the grant and State Fair recycling plan: to increase recycling at fairs by improving upon the current knowledge base. Sharing practical recycling knowledge with youth leaders who will likely return to the fair for years to come creates a foundation for normalizing recycling that will make bin placement at the fair all the more successful. ii. This presentation can be adapted for use next year, perhaps to be given by someone from the Indiana Recycling Coalition or another local expert. During the 2014 fair, the Indiana State Fairgrounds will be continuing the recycling program without immediate assistance from Keep 12

13 America Beautiful; therefore, the fair should capitalize on the ISFYLC as a resource for energized, knowledgeable recyclers who can assist with the program while enhancing their leadership skills. This recycling presentation should be made on the first or second day of their conference, so that the students can get accustomed to recycling correctly at all of their program activities. This way, on the day of or before opening day of the fair, students can spend a few hours providing some of the manpower that KAB will not be present to provide. Students can decal bins, check them for contamination, and interact with fairgoers around recycling bins. With the recycling theme presented to them early on in their week, the students will take on a useful and necessary role of recycling ambassadors at the Indiana State Fair. This will prepare them to be recycling leaders in their communities, benefitting the fairgrounds and its surrounding Indianan communities, during the fair and well beyond. g. Vendors, Animal Owners, and Midway Staff i. Recycling and/or composting information could be included in the pre-fair informational letters sent to all of these groups. It is important for vendors, animal owners, and midway staff all know that recycling/composting will be an option beforehand to make appropriate changes to their serviceware or materials brought in, as well as be on the look out for recycling/composting containers on the property. In addition, when these groups know that the fair cares about recycling, they will be more likely to make an effort to do so, as they want the fair to continue to let them participate and/or sell during the fair. ii. While not tested at the IN fair, KAB staff did test posting awards on the stalls of fair vendors that used environmentally friendly serviceware to encourage this behavior at the two county fairs, and believe it would be worth recommending to the Indiana Fair. First, the awards served as a small reward and recognition for vendors' hard work and/or dedication to using these environmentally friendly materials. Second, they served as a descriptive norm, as vendors who were not yet using these materials had their attention drawn to how many other vendors at the fair were using them. This norm could also encourage vendors to start a conversation about how to purchase and use these materials. Third, the award included a message about how many people in the community recycle, which served as an injunctive norm, meaning that it demonstrated that the area was highly supportive of that vendor s serviceware choice. Normative information has been shown to have a strong influence over behavior, particularly when the descriptive and injunctive norms are both used and align with each other (Kelley et al., 2012). iii. Overall, these awards were quite popular, and vendors who qualified for them but had not yet received them by the second day began to ask for their award. While we cannot yet speak to how effective they were at encouraging a change in the fair next year, we can say that they were well received by the vendors who got them. iv. These awards were used in conjunction with the implementation of a composting program as we recognized those that used compostable or biodegradable plates, napkins, etc. 13

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15 COMPOSTING RESULTS h. Report on Barto s Composting pilot Friday, August 2 nd (Day 1) i. Two lined, green vendor recycling bins (turned compost bins) were dropped off at Barto s Catering facility after lunch on the fair s first day. KAB staff discussed the compost plan with John Barto and Executive Chef Chip Huckaby, and dropped off laminated acceptable material signs provided by GreenCycle Landscape Products. As dinner prep time approached, the compost bins were brought into the kitchen and the signs were hung up. The kitchen had one long prep table, known as a block. This meant that the most convenient set up was a bin on either side, which allowed workers to collect the food scrap without needing to leave their station more than would be required to dispose of the waste in a trash can. ii. High school students from the Indiana State Fair Youth Leadership Conference were volunteering as cooks for the State Fair Director Meal. Upon their arrival, students were trained on what to compost, and they composted their prep food scrap while preparing the meal, from approximately 3pm-6pm. 20 pounds of prep food scrap was collected. 15

16 iii. At approximately 7pm, KAB staff returned as the meal was finishing up. Plates had already been cleared and scraped into the compost bins, which had been moved next to trash and recycling bins in the dining room. As they finished cleaning up, students scraped the uneaten buffet food into the compost bins. iv. KAB took the bags out of the bins and weighed them with a hook scale. The compost was uncontaminated. 45 pounds of post-consumer food waste was composted from this small dinner. i. Saturday, August 3 rd (Day 2) i. After the success of Friday s pilot, Chef Chip was excited to pilot the composting program for a second day, where the meal and its preparation were more commercial. Several meal services were run throughout the day with all prep food scrap was collected in the bins. 16

17 ii. After the meal, KAB staff returned to collect and weigh the compost. 142 pounds of preconsumer food scrap was composted from this dinner. From a post interview with Chip, this was deemed to be a fairly regular day in terms of the amount of service done, though Barto s does have heavier days where even more could be collected, and an extra bin or two would be needed. Chip reported that while he needed to supervise his crew to make sure that only compostable materials went in the bin, it was their first day with the system in place, and a learning curve was to be expected. However, from speaking with Chip and a chef on the line, KAB learned that the signs provided an appropriate amount of information that allowed workers to figure out what should and should not go in the bin if they were unsure. As everyone who works in a kitchen is fairly versed in handling food, the idea of sorting out food waste seemed to be something they could easily adapt to and run without significant issues. Even without a formal training session, the program ran smoothly, especially for the first time. Chip expressed a great deal of interest in continuing this program in his kitchen, as well as experimenting with how this could be run in a concession kitchen in the Barto s stand on the fair grounds. Chip felt confident that based on this experiment, they could easily fill one dumpster per week. j. Analysis and Recommendations i. In total, 207 pounds of compostable food waste were collected from the pre- and postconsumer waste of one meal, and the pre-consumer waste of another. ii. From Chip s perspective, the biggest issue to a complete composting program at Barto s would be finding where the food scrap could go and who would haul it. Some ideas for resolving this issue include: i. Working with State Fair staff and the greenhouse staff to start composting on-site. 1. Potential benefits: Fair staff has expressed interest in lining a three-foot strip spanning one side of the Greenhouse with a compost pile that would create a constant supply of nutrient fertilizer for the greenhouse. 2. Potential disadvantages: With a full-scale composting program, Barto s may in fact provide more material than the space would be able to handle. 3. This would also require a permit from the state department of environment. ii. Working with GreenCycle Landscape Products, the compost site that provided the signage, to bring materials to their site. 1. Potential benefits: Site is 20 minutes from the fairgrounds and accepts all compostable materials as indicated on the signage. 2. Potential disadvantages: This business does not provide hauling services. Hauling would have to be arranged through a different company, such as Ray s Trash or McCarty s. iii. Creating a vermicompost bed in 2014 to handle onsite material. 1. Potential benefits: After this year s vermicomposting display in the greenhouse, State Fair Staff has expressed interest in building out a more comprehensive vermicultutre program. 2. Potential disadvantages: 3. With a full-scale composting program, Barto s may in fact provide more material than the space would be able to handle. 4. This would also require a permit from the state department of environment. iii. Post-consumer collection examples from other fairs i. While the Indiana State Fair is not currently interested in post-consumer food scrap collection, KAB thought we would share our lessons learned from other fairs in case 17

18 iv. they desired to start it into the future, as a large amount of waste generated at a fair is compostable. ii. Our recommendations for a post-consumer compost program include: clear signage, having a staff or volunteer person take charge of the program, supporting vendors using compostable materials, and clear communication. The two recommendations unique to composting were to have a small number of volunteers circulating to clean out bins and, based on the research from George Washington University, consider employing either green or brown bins, as these colors were identified with compost. Based on running pilot compost programs at all three fair, some general recommendations were developed i. Utilize clear signage ii. Have a staff or volunteer person to take charge of the program iii. Support vendors using compostable materials iv. Use clear communication v. Have a small number of volunteers circulating to clean contamination out of bins vi. Consider employing either green or brown bins, as these colors were identified as most associated with compost in research conducted by George Washington University and Keep America Beautiful. 18

19 WASTE AUDIT KAB staff conducted a waste audit for the IN State Fair. Results are shown below. The waste audit procedures can be found in Appendix B. Pre-Sort Data Collection Sorted Trash Bags Date: August 3, 2013 Bag # 1 Bag Origin/Description Bag Weight Pre-Sort (lbs.) All bags pulled from dumpster in bullpen at 3pm. All came from same unknown area of fair Total Sorted Materials Breakdown Sorted Trash Bags Date: August 3, 2013 Material Type Category Weight % of Makeup (lbs.) Total Aluminum Recycling Catering trays Plastics #1 Recycling Water bottles Plastics #5/6 Recycling Souvenir cups, plastic cups, bottle caps Paper Recycling Programs and brochures Cardboard Recycling Paper towel roll Recycling Total Food Scraps Compost Other Organics/ Compost Soiled paper napkins and plates, wooden Biodegradables toothpicks/skewers Compost Total Landfill Trash Polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) cups, plastic utensils and straws, wax cups, poly-coated cardboard cups, tablecloths, lined paper boats Trash Total Note: Totals do not equal lbs. and 100% due to plastic trash bags weights and discarded liquid. 19

20 These photographs show the completed sort of 4 trash bags pulled from the same area. Plastic Film Plastic Silverware Wax Cups Tablecloth Lined Cardboard Cups Paper Biodegradable Styrofoam Lined Paper Boats Plastics #1 Plastics Food Scraps Aluminum 20

21 After completing the sort of the initial four trash bags, one larger trash bag was pulled from the bullpen, representing a different unknown location at the fair. The bag was opened to for a visual demonstration of what a bag from another area, near a different vendor, might look like. Waste Audit Analysis and Recommendations 1. Contents of the audited bags which were all pulled from the same dumpster at the same time made it clear that all were from the same area around a food vendor. Food eaten in this area included chicken and sausage slices on wooden toothpicks and skewers, served in lined paper boats with paper napkins % of the waste in the trash bags could have been recycled; this includes aluminum catering trays that likely came from inside the vendor booth, as well as plastic bottles and cups. The low level of recyclables in the trash means that fairgoers were correctly disposing of bottles and cans in recycling receptacles. However, this also may be attributable to the fact that vendors in the area were not selling products in recyclable containers. For example, recyclable water bottles and aluminum cans were significantly less present at the fair than non-recyclable lined cardboard beverage cups with lids and straws. 3. The makeup of recyclables in the trash bags also points to the fact that existing re cycling bins and signage, which say Cans & Bottles, may leave the public unaware that plastic cups can also be recycled. Keep America Beautiful came to the fair prepared with printed signs that read Plastic Cups Also Acceptable, to be taped on recycling bins where there 21

22 seemed to be many plastic cups in nearby trash cans. This practice should be continued until a more lasting solution is developed: for example, vendors could put a plastic cup in their window with signage stating that it is recyclable in the bins, or decals could be added to existing bins in areas where lots of plastic cups are distributed. 4. Just over a third of the waste in these bags could have been composted. Food scraps, used napkins, and toothpicks made up this waste. These biodegradable materials can be dense and therefore heavy. According to these findings, diverting these materials from the trash stream through a composting program would reduce the weight of landfill trash that needs to be hauled by one third. 5. Landfill trash made up 38% of the audited waste. Wax-lined, poly-lined, and polystyrene foam cups (all non-recyclable) were distributed by nearby vendors and thus highly present in the trash. Also, the photograph demonstrates the presence of lined paper boats in this waste sample: the paper boats alone weighed 6.19 pounds, making up 64% of the landfill trash by weight, and 24% of the total sample. This underscores the obvious fact that the waste stream from any given area will be made up of whatever materials are given out by nearby vendors. If, for example, these were unlined paper boats and there was a composting system set up at the fair, another 25% of the waste would be diverted from the hauling and landfilling process. 6. This waste audit demonstrates that in public areas of the fair where vendors are present, the products that they distribute will determine the makeup of the waste stream. The photograph showing the trash bag pulled after the four audited bags shows a different makeup of trash, dependent on a different vendor. The plastic plates present cannot be recycled or composted, and so much of this material is made up of landfill trash. 7. If vendors were to serve products in recyclable materials, the current recycling program would be augmented, significantly increasing recyclables collected and decreasing trash weights and hauling costs. The presence of food and other biodegradables in the waste audit also demonstrates the potential for composting at the fair. Not only would a composting program divert food waste from the landfill, but it would allow vendors to switch their products to compostable options (such as paper plates and unlined boats), further lessening the amount of trash they produce. 22

23 WASTE REDUCTION RESULTS IN State Fair Attendance* 853, ,000 Material Scale Trash Dumpsters tons Trash Toters from parking lots TOTAL TRASH Recycling-C&D/Metal (copper wire, aluminum tons gutters, rebar, etc.) Recycling-Cardboard from vendors tons Recycling-Cans & Bottles from public space tons bins** Recycling - single-stream material from offices tons and campgrounds Composting pilot from caterer*** tons Fats/Oils/Grease Unknown Unknown tons TOTAL RECYCLING tons WASTE REDUCTION RATE 4% 6% PER CAPITA RECYCLING RATE POUNDS/person PER CAPITA DISPOSAL RATE POUNDS/person *Not only was attendance up but concession revenue was up by 1 million **The hauler reported NO contamination in the can and bottle recycling. The can and bottle recycling was calculated using VTW - 3, 20 yarders were filled at.75 tons each. All other data is actual weights. ***The large popcorn ball was diverted from the garbage because it was eaten by some cattle north of the fairgrounds property. 23

24 Appendix A Recycling and Composting Presentation for the Indiana State Fair Youth Leadership Conference August 3, 2013 Alison Kirsch BACKGROUND: Leadership Skill Sessions: 4 half-hour presentations to groups of ~15 high school students o Youth who have completed grades 9-12 are invited to attend this conference that provides exciting opportunities to learn about and experience leadership. Schedule: o 11:00am-11:30am Group 1 o 11:30am-12:00pm Group 2 o 12:00pm-12:45pm Lunch o 12:45pm-1:15pm Group 3 o 1:15pm-1:45pm Group 4 OUTLINE: 3 min Introduction Who I am KAB background Explain grant for the fair 7 min Recycling Relay Before we start, let s see what you know. Split into 2 teams at one end of room. On opposite end, set up signs or bins labeled Trash, Recycling, and Compost each team should have a station with the three signs. In a container between the two stations, place slips of paper with the names of various materials. 1. Egg shells 17. Pizza box 2. Milk jug 18. Post-it note 3. Plastic fork 19. Solo cup 4. Bottle cap 20. Paint 5. Disposable coffee cup 21. Tea bag 6. Corrugated cardboard 7. Butter tub 8. Plastic bag 9. Aluminum foil 10. Used paper napkin 11. Peach pit 12. Windex bottle 13. Glass jar 14. Magazine 15. Old t-shirt 16. Yard debris 24

25 Due to the last minute nature of the presentation, I used paper signs and wrote the materials on slips of paper. Real bins of each type and real samples of materials could also be used. Team member must run to table, pick a slip of paper, place it in the right bin, and run back to tag next team member. The game continues until all materials have been sorted. After, talk through each placement and correct/explain it, keeping track of each team s points. Winning team gets pens. 5 min Solid Waste Background Municipal Solid Waste In 2009, Americans produced about 250 million tons of municipal solid waste, or about 4.4 pounds per person per day. Okay, so a lot of waste is produced. What are the different ways to handle it? Landfill: engineered area where waste is placed into the land, usually with liner systems and other safeguards to prevent groundwater pollution. o South Side landfill is the only Subtitle D, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill in Indianapolis, at 2561 Kentucky Ave. Transfer station: MSW is unloaded from collection vehicles and briefly held while it is reloaded onto larger, long-distance transport vehicles for shipment to landfills or other treatment/disposal facilities. o Marion County Citizens' Transfer Station is located at 2324 S. Belmont Ave. Waste-to-energy: conversion of non-recyclable waste materials into usable heat, electricity, or fuel. o This less common method is used at Covanta Energy s Energy-from-Waste facility at 2320 South Harding Street. Composting: collecting organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, and storing it under conditions designed to help it break down naturally. This resulting compost can then be used as a natural fertilizer. This is being done at large scale facilities in Canada and some places in California. (We ll come back to this). Recycling: recovery of useful material from the trash to make new products, reducing the amount of new raw materials needed. o There are 717 drop-off locations and 16 recycling facilities within 15 miles of the Indiana State Fairgrounds! 25

26 7 min Recycling 101 Why should we recycle? Saves natural resources Prevents air and water pollution Saves energy Provides raw materials for industry Creates jobs o A 2011 study found that increasing the national recycling rate from 35% to 75% by 2030 would create nearly 2.3 million jobs! Keeps habitats intact Saves landfill space What does the chasing arrows symbol represent? 1. Collect Recyclables 2. Process & Manufacture the Material 3. Buy Recycled Products If any of the loops don t work, the cycle shuts down! Comingled/single stream vs. source separated Fair bins are single stream all recyclable materials can be collected together How do all these materials get separated and processed? Processed at Material Recovery Facility Your commingled recyclables are separated out using some mechanical and some human methods. Imagine a big pile of recyclables placed onto a long conveyor belt. The first conveyor belt is sticky and on an incline. What would happen to a newspaper on this conveyor belt? It would stick to it and continue to climb up the hill. What would happen to a round object on this conveyor belt like a steel or aluminum can or a plastic or glass bottle? These items would roll backward. Thus we have separated out our paper material from our containers. 26

27 What would be a mechanical way to separate out a steel can? A magnet. Will a magnet attract an aluminum can? No. So the recycling industry has created another high-tech component to separate out an aluminum can. It s called an Eddy Current. It s like a magnet, but instead of being attracted to it, it repels the aluminum away. Imagine you have a colored shampoo bottle and a clear water bottle going down the conveyor belt at the MRF. How could those two things be separated out mechanically? What is different about them? One is colored and one is clear. The MRF shoots light from a powerful laser through the plastic. If the light goes through the plastic, like it would with a water bottle, a puff of air pushes the bottle off the conveyor belt. At the end of their route, all commodities have been thoroughly separated and are prepared for sale to manufacturers. Now they can be turned into products for purchase: plastic bottles, fleece jackets, paper tissue, plastic hangers, bicycles, and more. What are other products you purchase that are made from recycled materials? 7 min Recycling Ambassadors I ve been working at the recycling booth and seeing kids know more about recycling than their parents. We are the first generation to really grow up with recycling, so we have to make sure that it becomes the norm! It can be tricky to help someone recycle without insulting or annoying them. Let s practice! Find a partner. One person plays themselves: Indiana State Fair Youth Leader and avid recycler. The other can create their own role: little kid that doesn t know what recycling is, business owner that doesn t care about anything but profits, crotchety old lady trying to throw out a bottle the way she always has. You re not trying to tell them everything you know about recycling you re just trying to get them to recycle whatever is in their hand, remember to do it next time, and understand why it s important. You ll get about two minutes, and then you ll switch roles. Afterwards: anyone want to share their pitch? Who s brave (and wants a great prize) and dares to challenge me? I ll be a trash-goer, and you have to get me to recycle. Give them a t-shirt. 3 min Composting You all learned how to compost at the dinner last night, so we won t spend too much time on what materials are compostable. Let s review how compost works. What are the five elements needed for compost? 1. Compostable materials: food scraps, yard trimmings, etc. 2. Light 3. Air 4. Water 5. Microorganisms Do organic materials degrade in a landfill? 27

28 No landfills are designed to make an environment like a tomb no light, no air, no water (so no microorganisms). That s why it s so important to compost and keep those nutrients in use! Any other recycling questions I can try to answer? Q. Is it true that anything with the chasing arrows on it means it s recyclable in my community? A. Most likely not. The recycling symbol is a reminder to recycle, not a promise that the material is recyclable. It s important to ask your community recycling coordinator what is acceptable in your town. Q. Should I leave the caps on or take them off of my water bottle before putting it in the recycling bin? A. Leave them on. Historically, MRF s didn t want them as they could be an occupational hazard. But now many newer MRF s have machines to puncture bottles prior to compaction so the air is taken out of a bottle, removing the occupational hazard. The lids are often a #5 polypropylene and currently have a good global market demand. Q. Does the material in a landfill degrade? A. Somewhat, but not really. The organic material within a landfill will degrade and generate methane, a greenhouse gas which in some landfills can be captured and used as a green energy source. However, light, air and water are needed for organic material to degrade fully. Landfill operators attempt to remove these things, essentially creating a tomb-like structure. It s very hard for a non-organic product like metal or plastic to degrade in a landfill. Q. How clean do items need to be before being recycled? A. Empty, but not clean. No need to remove labels, staples, stickers, etc. Congrats, you are now a recycling and composting expert! As a youth leader, you can apply this knowledge at the fair, at homes, and in your communities. I hope you learned something and had fun! Hand out Ask Me About Recycling pins. 28