Volunteers overseeing RibFest recycling, composting
Aug. 5—MANKATO — About 25 RibFest volunteers are helping solve two problems for organizers of the four-day event that draws thousands to Riverfront Park for live music, barbecued ribs and other summer food favorites.
This year the organizers are experiencing a shortage of workers for duties such as picking up trash on festival grounds. And as was the case at previous rib/music festivals, there will be mountains of napkins, plastics and leftover food scraps to deal with each day.
"We wanted to reach out to a local group that has the expertise that would be willing to help us with the large amounts trash," said Claudia Hicks, hospital manager for Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
The Mankato Zero Waste and Blue Earth Project volunteers will be on hand throughout the festival to help sort recyclables from trash. Sunday afternoon they also will monitor a new composting effort near rib vendors' stands.
Many of the people employed at Riverfront Park during concerts at Vetter Amphitheater are the same crews who work at civic center events. Having volunteers on trash duty will "definitely help our staff," Hicks said.
"Just like everyone else this year, we've had a hard time finding help to fill spots," she said.
The volunteers will not act as "trash police," said Mankato Zero Waste's Betty Winkworth.
"We are calling ourselves Recycling Ambassadors. We will be walking around picking up stuff and putting it where it belongs. We want to recycle as many things as possible and to keep things from blowing into the river."
Winkworth said at other events where her organization has had a presence, she's invariably been approached by people wondering where the right container is for a specific recyclable item.
"People really do want to do the right thing," she said.
Winkworth and other volunteers are marking trash receptacles in the park to indicate which ones are specifically for recyclables.
"We want them to be easy to see. It will be dark at RibFest."
On Sunday afternoon Winkworth and her companions plan to be stationed near the ribbers as a new option is tested for composting food scraps at the festival.
Some of the vendors will be trying out a new option for dishing up the food they sell to customers, said Winkworth, adding that she was pleased about their choice of compostable "clam shell" containers.
Hicks said the organizers want the volunteers to know they are appreciated. Each one will receive a complimentary pass for RibFest.
"We want them to have a chance to take it easy and listen to some music."
RibFest started Thursday and runs through Sunday at Riverfront Park, 309 W. Rock St.
