Area Festivals Yield Big Recycling Numbers

Last week was a big one for festivals in Centre County — and for local recycling efforts.

Volunteers, staff and attendees at the major festivals in State College, Boalsburg and Philipsburg helped keep thousands of pounds of waste out of the landfill, according to the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority. In fact, more than 3,500 pounds of organics and recyclable material were collected during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, People’s Choice Festival and Heritage Days. 

Recycling at Arts Festival in State College yielded 540 pounds of plastic bottles, 120 pounds of aluminum cans, 620 pounds of mixed recyclables, 40 pounds of miscellaneous plastic, 500 pounds of corrugated cardboard and 560 pounds of organic material.

At People’s Choice in Boalsburg, 240 pounds of plastic bottles 640 pounds of corrugated cardboard were recycled. And Philipsburg’s Heritage Days saw 80 pounds of plastic bottles and 60 pounds of corrugated cardboard.

In addition to work by CCRRA staff, the authority credit efforts by State College Borough and Fest Zero — a team of Penn State alumni, students and local citizens dedicated to keeping as much Arts Fest waste as possible from landfills — with making local festivals more environmentally friendly each year. 

‘We are pleased to report that the amount of trash collected at the festivals this year decreased from last, showing that recycling and waste reduction is working,’ a CCRRA release said.

The work to keep festival waste out of the landfill will continue in August at Grange Fair, where attendees are encouraged to use recycling bins throughout the grounds in Centre Hall.