How Much Trash Is Created By The Folk Festival

If you had to plan next years American Folk Festival, you'd probably think first about what acts you'd like to bring in to perform, and then you'd probably think about a schedule, and then vendors.

But how long would it take for you to think of some of the minor details - like trash, and recycling.

Wayne Harvey thought of it, and wanted to find out how much waste and garbage is created by this three day event.

" When we started this festival back in 2002, there were a lot of things that weren't immediately on our radar, and trash was one of them. Fortunately we worked with some very efficient and very knowledgeable professionals including the folks at the National and the folks at the city and they helped us set up those systems so we've been able to benefit from that."

The city places more than 200 garbage cans around the Folk Festival site along the waterfront, and despite the amount of traffic and usage, the site stays clean.

" We're always very pleased with how the public treats the festival site and part of that is that they really appreciate the cleanliness and the beauty of the waterfront and they want to help us keep it that way. The other part of it is that we've got these trash cans set up in very convenient locations throughout the site so you're never very far from being able to do your part and make sure that the trash goes in the trash can."

So exactly how much waste is created by the tens of thousands of people that visit each year?

" With over one hundred thousand visits to the festival each year, yes there's a great deal of trash generated by festival goers, by the vendors, and that's added up to over ten tons every year."

In some years the number has been closer to twelve to fourteen tons of trash hauled away, but this year that could be lower because of a change in the recycling plan.

" We're working with Pine Tree Waste Systems this year who are not only hauling off the trash from site this year but they're also bringing in their single sort recycling set up which means that all of the recycling materials, Cardboard, Newspapers, Bottles and Cans, Glass all of that can get thrown into one container, they take it away and sort it, it's a very efficient system."

And they're hoping this new system keeps the site clean and makes the festival even more friendly to the environment.