Sonoma County Farm Trails is committed to maximizing resource conservation and minimizing waste in our community. We strive to make the Gravenstein Apple Fair not only the sweetest of fairs, but also the “greenest little fair in Sonoma County.” To meet zero waste goals, we continue our work with leading local sustainability experts to further reduce the carbon footprint of the Gravenstein Apple Fair.
Our Achievements in Conservation
- 95+% Zero Waste since 2018
- Earned the 2026 California Resource Recovery Association’s Outstanding Practices in Venue and Event Resource Recovery Award.
- Awarded the first-ever Green Resolution from Zero Waste Sonoma for “outstanding commitment and leadership in waste reduction and environmental stewardship in our county.”
- Received the 2024 and 2026 Sonoma County Stars of the Industry Award for Environmental Stewardship / Sustainable Practices
- Finalist for the 2024 VisitCA Poppy Award for Destination Stewardship and Sustainability
2025 Zero Waste: By the Numbers
Here’s a quick snapshot of the key metrics for 16,000 attendees:
- 20 cubic yards of recycling
- 12 cubic yards of compost
- 4.5 cubic yards of food discards to a local pig farmer
- 500 pounds of quality leftover food to food pantries
- Only a mere 2 cubic yards – the size of a standard pickup truck bed – to the landfill
In addition, we emphasized reducing waste to begin with by mandating reusable silverware and glassware, and providing water refill stations instead of single-use plastic water bottles. We could not have achieved this without the commitment of our Zero Waste Team, including leads Shelley Brown and Alan Siegle, and the dozens of volunteers who staffed the Zero Waste Stations helping fairgoers sort their discards. We’re also grateful to our sponsor-partners, including Hydrologic, Sonoma Compost, WorldCentric, Recology Sonoma Marin, Food Runners, Green Star Farm, Quetzal Ecology, and Zero Waste Sonoma.
Garbage in; Garbage out—Controlling the Waste Stream
- We use 100% compostable food service ware onsite, as well as reusable glasses and silverware
- Condiments are offered in reusable large containers, rather than in packets.
- We set limitations on generating unnecessary garbage at the event.
- Water sold in plastic bottles is prohibited. We instead provide free filtered water and guests are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles.
- Sonoma Food Runners picks up good-quality leftovers directly from food vendors and distributes them to area food banks and shelters.
- Zero Waste Stations are set up throughout the fair, staffed by dedicated volunteers who help guests sort their discards into appropriate containers—pig food, silverware, compostables, recyclables and garbage.
- Local pig farmers pick up a trailer-full of discarded food at the end of the fair.
- Truly compostable items accepted by our waste-hauler are non-coated, non-PLA, and allowed in compost to be used by organic farmers. If it looks like plastic, it’s trash.
Reducing Emissions
We are also actively working to lower our carbon footprint. That includes encouraging attendees to carpool, take public transit, walk, or bike (and parking at the free on-site Biking Area sponsored and staffed by Sports Basement), and also by using solar power for stages (thanks to SolSolutions).
