Setting records at Bloomsday not just about running

Spokane’s Bloomsday 2012 has set a new personal best in terms of recycling, composting and waste reduction. While official figures have not yet been released, event coordinators report recycling exceeded that of past years. “Each year, we do our best at Bloomsday to reduce and appropriately dispose of all the items used for the race,” said Steven Jones, a member of the Lilac Bloomsday Association who oversees the association’s green initiatives. “This year was the best ever in that regard.” In addition to using appropriate paper and inks in printed materials, this was the first year that Bloomsday utilized a Virtual Race Bag for participants to access online rather than passing out paper coupons and flyers at the Bloomsday check-in. The event recycling team was led by Suzanne Tresko, Spokane Regional Solid Waste System recycling coordinator, and Russ Nobbs, owner of Rings & Things bead and jewelry findings store, and a recent inductee into the Washington State Recycling Association Hall of Fame. A team of volunteers, many from Spokane’s Master Composters/Recyclers, set up recycling stations, monitored collection receptacles, and assisted event goers with sorting their cans, bottles, food scraps and plates into the appropriate containers. The Bloomsday Corporate Cup area came very close to its zero waste goal this year, according to Nobbs. Zero waste requires every food service item and beverage container to be either easily recyclable or compostable. Event coordinators control what can be used by vendors in the Bloomsday Corporate Cup, such as compostable plates and cups. “The proof is in the trash,” Nobbs explained. “Each trash can in the Corporate Cup area was nearly empty, while we collected roughly 10 bags of compostable food and about 300 gallon containers of paper, seven bags of mixed water bottles and cans, and five bags of beer cans.” Washington State law requires a recycling program at all permitted gatherings and sports facilities in communities where recycling services are available to businesses. This means all official events within Spokane County must have marked recycling receptacles for collection of aluminum, glass or plastic bottles that are sold or provided at the event. Spokane’s event recycling program includes a lending library made possible by the Hoopfest Association, the Lilac Bloomsday Association, and Spokane Regional Solid Waste System with partial funding provided by a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology. The lending library includes ClearStream containers for use in collecting the required beverage containers, as well as for the optional, separate collection of food scraps. The containers may be borrowed by individuals, businesses and organizations for use at events in Spokane County.