Recycle on the Go Success Story
National Cherry Blossom Festival Recycling Project
In 2006, for the first time ever, the National Park Service and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency implemented a pilot recycling program at the annual National Cherry
Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. The successful program collected more than 20,000
bottles and cans in its three weekends of operation and educated visitors from around the
globe. The National Cherry Blossom Festival serves as a template for future recycling
programs at special events in national parks.
Facts-at-a-G/ance
This is the first time the
National Cherry Blossom
Festival offered recycling.
• Awareness of the event
reached international
audiences.
• 130 volunteers supported
the recycling program.
• Recyclables were
collected over three
consecutive weekends.
'What better way to
celebrate the beauty of
our natural environment
than by doing our part to
preserve it:
EPA Administrator
Stephen L. Johnson
Program Overview
The National Park Service (NPS) and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) collaborated to conduct a pilot
recycling project at the National Cherry
Blossom Festival from March 25 through
April 9, 2006, around the Tidal Basin in
Washington, D.C. The main goals were
to minimize waste by recycling beverage
containers and cardboard, control
waste so it would not interfere with the
enjoyment of the festival, and promote
recycling in national parks.
Photo courtesy of U.S. EPA
Large banners made recycling bins easy to find throughout
the festival.
Nuts and Bolts
The two agencies operated three recycling stations on the three weekends of the festival;
the stations were set up in high-traffic areas near refreshment concessions. Several
labeled cardboard bins were provided at each station. Collection focused on the primary
recyclable items discarded—glass, aluminum, and plastic
beverage containers. A banner was hung on each recycling
station, and signs promoting the recycling event were
posted at each station.
The 130 volunteers, who worked in shifts, were responsible
for directing festival attendees to place empty beverage
containers in the bins. The volunteers also helped
with litter control, sorted any containers that had been
improperly recycled, and removed full bags of recyclables
and trash. Corrugated cardboard was recycled directly by
the concessionaires.
Photo courtesy of U.S. EPA
Volunteers directed the crowds of
festival attendees to recycle during
the three weekends of the National
Cherry Blossom Festival.
During the course of the event, 1,540 pounds of aluminum, plastic, glass, and cardboard
were collected and recycled. About 90 percent of the containers were PET plastic, about
9 percent were aluminum, and the remaining 1 percent was glass.
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Challenges and Solutions
* 1,540 pounds of recyclable
cardboard and beverage
containers were collected.
• More than 20,000 beverage
containers were recycled:
• About 90 percent of
the containers were
PET plastic.
• About 9 percent of
the containers were
aluminum.
• The remaining 1 percent
of the containers
were glass.
&ER&
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste (5306P)
EPA530-F.06.022
December 2006
www.epa.gov/recycleonthego
• Challenge: Many foreign visitors could not understand the English signs
about recycling.
Solution: Use pictures as well as words on all signs.
• Challenge: The lightweight cardboard bins were knocked over by the wind.
Solution: Weigh or anchor the bins down or use a more durable bin type.
• Challenge: Some vendors and concessionaires sold products with excessive
or unrecyclable packaging.
Solution: Work with vendors and concessionaires to avoid excessively packaged
products and to select products and packaging conducive to the
recycling program.
• Challenge: Bins overflowed during peak traffic times.
Solution: Increase the number of volunteers to empty bins during peak times.
Reasons for Success
• NFS and EPA acquired the bins, set up recycling sta-
tions, coordinated volunteers, provided signs, hauled
waste and recyclables, and supplied press materials.
• Volunteers monitored the recycling stations, educated
the public, and picked up litter.
Future Forecast
The pilot program serves as a template for future recycling
at the National Cherry Blossom Festival, as well as for other
special events. As people attend more events with recycling,
they will begin to expect recycling wherever they go.
Signs explained recycling collection
with pictures as well as words to help
foreign visitors who did not speak
English participate in the festival's
recycling program.
£ Recycled/Recyclable - Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer,
Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper
Recycle
I onfhe~&0
EPA is partnering with
other federal agencies,
states, municipalities, and
organizations to promote
recycling away from home.
www.epa.gov/recycleonthego
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