Bottle recycling at the Durham Fair was launched in 2006 by members of the Boy Scout Troop 27 and Coginchaug Regional High School Environmental Organization. They place approximately 130 blue recycling barrels throughout the fairgrounds. The group collects on average 32,000 bottles and cans, which help support its activities. Another 5,000 to 8,000 bottles are collected for general recycling, which helps recyclable products from going into the waste stream.
There are about 40 scouts, students, and adult leaders who participate in the recycling project each year. Two of of the project’s best years were 2014 and 2017, when people collected around 45,000 bottles and cans for redemption and recycling. The Durham Fair composting project started in 2013 with a grant from Coginchaug Valley Education Foundation, the fair said.
A total of 31.21 tons of food waste (62,420 lbs) has been diverted from the waste stream since the project started. In 2021, nearly all food vendors (78) participated in the composting project and 33 volunteers helped distribute buckets and collect the waste for a total of 88 volunteer hours. In all, 3.45 tons (6,900 lbs) of food waste was collected this year.