The Festival Food Waste Solution
Innovative Food-Waste Recovery at Festivals: a Living-Lab Approach to Sustainable Waste Management
The huge festival food-waste problem turns out to be sustainability’s lowest-hanging fruit — and it can make our parks greener and more fertile!
In a world where sustainability and responsible resource use are ever more important, innovative recovery of food leftovers at major events offers an exciting opportunity to cut waste and shrink the footprint. This work presents a living-lab approach trialed at Tampa’s Oktoberfest, leveraging US/German technology to grind food scraps efficiently and return them to the cycle.
Project leadership team
- Dr. T.H. Culhane, Tasnim Diana — Patel College of Global Sustainability, Fulbright Scholars
- Nick Ewing — ArtisTree Gardens, Tampa
- Miguel Maysonet — President, GLOBE USF
Methodology: Two different-power In-Sink-Erators were used to grind festival food waste. Grey/rinse water conserved resources, and the ground material was integrated into biogas and composting systems. Various de-watering techniques were tested to reduce weight and volume.
Results: Grinding accelerated decomposition, cut odors, and improved downstream composting efficiency. Staff participation and a shared vision boosted motivation and enthusiasm.
Discussion: The approach is environmentally sound and socially inspiring. Future improvements could include larger equipment, more efficient de-watering, and deeper community engagement.
Two Decades of Discovery: the Journey of the “Compost Companion”
For over twenty years we’ve experimented with kitchen waste grinders as a “Compost Companion” — a simple, clean way to turn organics into valuable compost material without bad smells. Observations from Germany, Portugal, Botswana, Nigeria, New York, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, and Brazil show the technique both removes pests and avoids wildlife conflict.
- Multiplier effects: spread knowledge across communities; improve lives worldwide. We’ve seen it!
Childhood disgust → environmental commitment
As a kid in New York my job was “taking out the trash.” The wet, stinky bag tearing; the incinerator smoke; reeking freight trains hauling waste to landfills… That disgust still drives me to end this needless blight — for everyone, for good.
- Cross-cultural understanding: working together at festivals fosters empathy, creativity, and learning.
- Scientific & technical excellence: biogas, solar, and ecological integration turn waste into resources.
- Social & environmental change: not just reducing waste — inspiring entire communities.
Create soil where it’s needed most
Conclusion: sustainable festival waste management is both possible and effective. With improvements, the approach can scale and deliver economic and environmental benefits.
Creating soil on tree drainage and a patch of sand.
Food festivals as levers for change
Food festivals offer a unique chance to spotlight the simple “waste → energy & fertilizer” solution. Grinding and valorizing leftovers cuts hauling/disposal costs and creates valuable fertilizer for urban greens. Impact grows when vendors dedicate a slice of revenue to green oases.
A solution to human–wildlife conflict
In Botswana, after a baboon raid, we showed that simple techniques can reduce risks to both people and animals. We plan similar experiments in bear country — creating healthy soil and habitat, turning visitors and festivals into resources, not burdens.
I pass the torch of our family mission — a sustainable, livable world — to my children, so they can help build a future where there’s only one place for stinky trash: the past.
“Ut Prosim” — the inner call to serve
Turning “our trash and others’ trash” into resources reveals simple solutions. Sharing these techniques builds a caring community — and a vocation born of tangible results: eliminating food waste.
| Insinkerator | Oktoberfest | Feed the Dragon |
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