When Recycling On the Go participates in events, we try to bring an educational component with our waste diversion. Diversion means going somewhere other than to the Dump or Landfill. In our case, to a recycling center or commercial composting facility. When we offer recycling containers next to trash cans at events, we can collect 25-50% of the event waste for recycling (glass, paper, cardboard, aluminum and plastic bottles and cans). The way to accomplish the best diversion is to add organics collection by setting up a demonstration and educational table, which is often under one of our tents. We then want event attendees to bring their waste to the table. Attendees look for trash cans but we remove near-by trash cans so they have no other choice than to come to us! Pretty sneaky!

Recycling in the “no-shame-zone” takes one-on-one engagement.

Our staff and volunteers are here with positive support to help attendees divert waste from the landfill.When an attendee approaches a waste station, they see 3 tubs labeled “Trash”, “Recyclables,” and “Compostables.” A friendly staff member or volunteer behind the table helps them sort out which materials to put in which tub. Most often the attendee is surprised by how much of their waste does NOT have to go to the landfill. By creating this opportunity to engage with people about what they are throwing away, our hope is that they will take this new knowledge home with them to increase recycling rates and decrease contamination. We use the same recycling guidelines at events that attendees have in the St. Louis region at home. Mixed paper, cardboard, glass bottles, metal cans, plastic containers. No plastic bags, no Styrofoam or #6 PS (Polystyrene plastic)!

Staff and volunteers are provided with gloves and have larger containers to dump the tabletop bins into when they begin to fill up. Those materials are then hauled by Total Organics Recycling (for food waste) to a St. Louis Composting facility or by Waste Connections (for trash and recycling). This is our greatest opportunity to teach event attendees about waste disposal when they are away from home!

Through this method, some events achieve 98% waste reduction and with your help, we can keep, on average, 69% of the waste from going directly to local landfills at every full service staffed event! We help you be greener!