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Eco-Cycle's Zero Waste Farmers' Market
Where: Boulder, CO
When: Ongoing
Summary
The Boulder Farmers Market is a Zero Waste market patronized by 15,000 customers each operating day. Everything sold at the market is either compostable or recyclable and instead of waste bins the market uses "Zero Waste Stations" consisting of two bins, one for compostable items and another for recyclables. Eco-Cycle, a non-profit recycling and Zero Waste service provider, manages the waste stream. Under the contract with Eco-Cycle, vendors are required to use bioplastics. Under a special arrangement with the distributor, Eco-Cycle purchases the bioplastics at wholesale prices and then resells them to the vendors, thus ensuring that the prices are similar to those paid for the petro-plastic items used previously. Eco-Products (www.ecoproducts.com) agreed to initially sell the compostable ware to Eco-Cycle at wholesale prices in an effort to support the program. This is the last year of a four-year gradual phase-out of this subsidy as the products become more available and the food vendors recognize the value of the program to them.
Signs at the market inform patrons that everything they purchase for consumption is compostable or recyclable and that they should "pack out any trash" they may have brought from outside the market. There are no waste bins at the market for non-compostable or non-recyclable waste. The Zero Waste concept is described in newsletters and press releases, and on Saturdays Eco-Cycle staff are available to answer questions. Eco-Cycle emphasizes normalizing food waste composting in the public's eyes. They educate vendors and customers on the value of saving landfill space, avoiding landfill groundwater pollution and methane generation, and creating a valuable local resource.
The Zero Waste initiative is working. Eco-Cycle delivers the compostable material to A-1 Organics, a privately owned and operated composting operation. During the first year, the Boulder Farmers Market diverted 5,800 pounds of compostable material. By the end of September of its second year, it had diverted 13,520 pounds.
Contact Person
Dan Matsch
Eco-Cycle
P.O. Box 19006
Boulder, CO 80308
Phone: 303-444-6640 (Ext. 116)
dan@ecocycle.org
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