Nebraska State Fair Qualifies as a Zero Waste Event
Congratulations to the Nebraska State Fair for qualifying as a zero waste event for the second consecutive year with WasteCap Nebraska’s goZero program.
State fair officials reported a 91.1% diversion rate, diverting 39.6% more plastics and 117% more cardboard than the previous year. The Zero Waste International Alliance defines zero waste as having a 90 % diversion rate.
The State Fair Cares program encourages guests to utilize recycling receptacles placed throughout the grounds. Last year, recycling saved the state fair an estimated $38,000 in landfill fees. The state fair’s sustainability efforts diverted more than 2.4 million pounds of waste from landfills. At the eleven day event, state fair officials reported these numbers diverted from landfills:
- 3.02 tons of plastic – An increase of .86 tons from 2014
- 47.87 tons of cardboard – An increase of 4.25 tons from 2014
- 900 gallons of used fryer oil
- 671 tons of animal waste and bedding
- 1428 pounds of aluminum cans