The North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival had almost no trash by implementing extensive composting and recycling programs. The 10,000 person event generated only 3 bags of trash but 144 bags of composted organics. Other events in Franklin County, Massachusetts have also achieved high diversion rates through programs run by the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District, such as providing loaned equipment and volunteer support. These programs have saved on disposal costs and supported local composting businesses.

1. Amy Donovan
Program Director
Franklin County Solid Waste Management District, Greenfield, MA
Toward Zero Waste Events
MassRecycle R3 Conference
March 31, 2015

2. Commercial/municipal compost (“organics”)
accepts ALL food waste, paper waste.
Martin’s Farm in Greenfield accepts from
municipal drop off programs, schools,
markets, events, restaurants.
Compost is happening in western Mass!

5. North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival:
A Zero Waste Leader!
• 10,000 attendees
• Only 3 bags of trash!
• 144 bags organics! That’s:
• 2.01 tons, or
• 15.85 cubic yards
• Composted at Clear View
Composting, Orange MA
• 25 bags recyclables
• No bottled water sold:
free water in dispensers,
compostable cups
• Sells Greenwave utensils to
vendors; encourages wooden
utensils. Requires compostables.
• Volunteers stand at waste stations
• Trash only available at porta-potties
• garlicandarts.org/about/green-and-clean

6. • Loaned free to events within
District (only)
• Rented to non- District FC events
• Springfield MRF: recycle bins
• Signs: Big Daddy’s Signs
• Custom design:
www.slideshare/AmyDonovan
• Tall sign stakes:
corrugatedplastics.net
• Collapsible, lightweight bins by
Numatech West fit in any vehicle:
Lindac@numatechwest.com
• “Comp-Lete” compostable bags by
Fortune Plastics (Mansfield Paper)
• Always group bins together

7. Other bin sources
• Waste haulers
(toters?)
• Toters are hard to
decontaminate or
empty.
• Attendees don’t want
to touch lids.
• Borrow bins: colleges,
schools, towns, SWDs,
other events

8. Franklin County Solid
Waste District: 22 towns
 Franklin County Fair (25,000)
 Green River Festival (15,000)
 FC PumpkinFest (8,000)
 Heath Fair (5,000)
 Wormtown Music Festival
 Charlemont Reggae Fest
 Bridge of Flowers 10K
 Conway Festival of the Hills
 Mutton and Mead
 Franklin County Home Show
 Turners Falls Block Party
 Old Deerfield Craft Festival
 “The Judge” Cast/Crew meals
 Franklin County Winter Fare
 Northfield Transition Town Picnic
 Old Home Days: New Salem,
Bernardston, Rowe, Wendell
 Sunderland Fall Festival
 Scarecrow in the Park
 Western Mass High School Cross
Country Running Championships
 Franklin Land Trust Bike Race
 ChiliFest
 Free Harvest Supper
 Iron Bridge Dinner (Shelburne Falls)
 Private events (grad., anniv. parties)
 Source to Sea Cleanup
30+ annual events borrow our materials:
Green = events that compost (20)

9. Franklin County Fair:
55% (or 70 cu yd) of the Fair’s waste is now diverted from
landfill!
50% savings: disposal costs
• 22 waste stations, 50 additional recycle bins
• 1.75 T composted, 16 cu yd recycling, 8 cu yd ($240)
returnables, 36 cu yd cardboard (Fair Staff)
• MassDEP SMRP grant funded the stations in 2011
• 25,000 attendees
• 4 day fair
• Falls under waste ban
(more than 1 t/week)
•Managed by FCSWMD
• Stations are heavy:
wind

10. • Greenfield DPW provides fifteen
95 gal. toters for recyclables
storage; picks up (+25 huge bags)
• DPW also provides OCC dumpster
• Donations: tent, golf cart, lights
• Vols. deliver and p/u 5 gal pails
for vendor food/paper waste
• Hose and drain essential
• Waste oil > rendering company
• Agricultural wastes > farm
• Vendors: maps, pre-fair letter
Recycling Tent, Equipment, Donations

11. • 75 volunteers, mostly HS students
-Key Club, NHS. Comm Svc.
• 4 hour shifts with 30 min break
• Free admission, T shirt
• Provide training, supervision,
gloves, water, supplies
• They walk around with carts and
collect.
• They love trash grabbers!
• Unger’s “Nifty Nabber,” $25

12. Recyclables
10 yard organics dumpster:
donated by Triple T Trucking,
1.75 T goes to Martin’s Farm
Checking
compost for
plastic, foil etc.
Sorting recycling

14. Maintaining/washing bins
Trail Court Community
Service crews:
• wash bins
• help set up for FC Fair
Metal stations stored
at Fairgrounds

15. Green River Festival
Balloon and Music Festival
15,000 + attendees
National acts
58% diversion rate
50 recycle bins, 25 compost bins
Compost dumpster

16.  29 full bags of food
and paper waste (2+ c.y.)
 Brings compostables
to McCusker’s Market +
Martin’s Farm
 Brings recyclables to
town transfer station

17. Conway Festival of The Hills
• Annual one day event: October
• 26 bags of organics to Deerfield school dumpster
• 12 bags of recyclables
• Water station with paper cups, composted cups
• Encourages reusable water bottles

18. Safety First!
 First Aid area, cell phone #’s posted, one adult stays @
Recycling Tent
 Gloves! Trash grabbers.
 Handwashing and sanitizing hands: every time gloves come off!
 Do not stick hands inside a container to press down on or dig
through waste.
 Carefully remove contamination from bins w/grabbers.
 Volunteers with wasp or bee allergies:
 Use fans in sorting area to discourage bees from sorting area

19. Toward Zero Waste Events
Amy Donovan
Program Director, Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Member, Springfield MRF Advisory Board
50 Miles Street, Greenfield, MA 01301
(413) 772-2438, amy@franklincountywastedistrict.org
Springfield MRF Advisory Board's 2014 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Guide,
online at: www.tinyurl.com/RRR2014
Recycling Works MA: www.recyclingworksma.com
• Find a composter, estimate food waste, call for assistance, so much more!
MassDEP’s Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) grants