On Saturday, August 20, seven local organizations representing both Moscow and Pullman joined forces to conduct the first ever waste audit of the Moscow Farmers Market. Ryan Lazo, WSU Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) Community Partnerships Coordinator, explained, “One of the missions of the farmers market is to be more sustainable, and this is the first step.” Ultimately, the goal of this project is to help make the Market a zero waste event.
Twenty-five student volunteers from both Washington State University and the University of Idaho assisted with the audit through their annual Week of Welcome Day of Service and Serving Your New Community (SYNC) events. Volunteers collected and sorted 280 pounds of materials from the 25 trash containers present at the market. The audit found that 67.9% of materials were recyclable or compostable, 13.6% were liquids, and only 18.5% was true garbage. Beth Conley, WSU CCE Project Leader, described the project as eye-opening. “This experience was great for the volunteers because now they see how important recycling and composting is. The volumes add up quickly.”
Based on these results, the City of Moscow can now determine the next steps in getting the Moscow Farmer’s Market to be a zero waste or green event. The audit was just the first step in determining future actions. While these changes will take time, Lazo explained, “We can’t make any difference without doing this first.”
This project was possible through a partnership between Moscow Recycling, Latah Sanitation Inc., the City of Moscow Arts Department, AmeriCorps, Washington State University Center for Civic Engagement, University of Idaho Center for Volunteerism and Social Action, and the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute.
