Ferris wheels and funnel cakes, but no recycling

I made the four-hour drive to the mountains last weekend for the 2010 Mountain State Fair in Asheville, N.C.

The smell of fried funnel cakes, sweat and livestock filled the cool evening air.  As I sat down on a bench to people watch and finish off the last of my hand-squeezed lemonade, I noticed the only place for my plastic lemonade cup to make its final resting place was in the trash.  Each trashcan, which were all within fifteen feet of each other, was overflowing with plastic soda bottles and aluminum cans.

A total of 185, 323 people entered the fair's gates this year and enjoyed all it had to offer.  They drove from far and wide to ride ferris wheels and eat fried twinkies.  When examining the impact of those short two weeks of fun, the reality of the environmental impact becomes apparent.

Not a recycling bin in sight! (2010 NC Mountain State Fair)

People should enjoy the fair.  It only happens once a year, but this should also be an opportunity for the public to be educated in easy ways to be environmentally conscious.  Recycling bins or bags seems like a simple fix to reduce the toll taken on the environment during fair time.  If bins were placed next to trash cans, people could easily throw away their leftover cotton candy and recycle their Pepsi soda can.

A "green guide" to the fair, similar to what the Minnesota State Fair created, could also emphasize using public transportation to save gas, time, headaches and carbon emissions.  The Oregon State Fair even began collecting used fair-food grease to create bio diesel fuel.  It's large gatherings, like fairs, that provide the opportunity to educate the public.