ANN ARBOR – The second annual Ann Arbor Trash Talk Tour returns to town on Sunday and is a free, all ages event that aims to educate participants about what happens to the things we throw away.
It is presented by local nonprofit Live Zero Waste and is organized by Recycle Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Zero Waste Coalition, the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan Office of Campus Sustainability.
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Event organizers hope that people will be inspired to divert more waste from landfills and start adopting a zero-waste lifestyle.
The self-guided tour is designed for people to join for as long or as little time as they want. Registration is encouraged in order to receive event details and some of the stops have a mandatory signup due to capacity restrictions.
For more information and to register, visit www.trashtalktour.org.
Schedule and locations
- 8:30 a.m. - Michigan Stadium. Get an inside look into U-M’s zero waste practices at the Big House.
- 10 a.m.-noon - Recycle Ann Arbor. Get a behind-the-scenes tour of the city’s recycling facility. Sign up is required due to capacity limitations. Children under the age of 10 are not permitted due to safety reasons.
- 10:30 a.m. - Common Cycle. Alternatively, join the group for a bike tour before heading to Recycle Ann Arbor for a facility tour. Sign up for this option is also required.
- 1:45 p.m.-4 p.m. - Common Cycle. This bicycle tour will end at Kiwanis to get a glimpse into the thrift economy. Sign up for this event is mandatory as well.
From noon to 4 p.m., officials from Ann Arbor Public Schools, the city, county government as well as local nonprofits and retailers will be posted at stops along the self-paced tour to demonstrate their waste reduction efforts.
“We are super excited to be bringing back the Trash Talk Tour this year,” executive director of Live Zero Waste and the lead organizer of this year’s event Samuel McMullen said in a statement. “I’m inspired by the participation we have from our community and the commitment from volunteers to make this day happen.
“We hope every participant walks away with newfound knowledge about why or how to lessen their impact on the planet through lifestyle changes, big or small. We’re so lucky to have such robust zero waste infrastructure in Ann Arbor and it’s great to have a chance to celebrate that and see how it all works.”
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