Recycling is a growing trend at the Jackson County Fair.

The waste left from the fair’s 100,000 estimated visitors is collected in recyclable totes by Jackson County Recycling District director Debbie Hackman, who collects recyclables early each morning during the fair.

Hackman said the 2018 Jackson County Fair was different than other years. The district does not weigh what is collected, so there is no number to quantify how much is recycled.

“We can tell by the volume that we had a big increase this year,” she said, adding the fair has collected recyclables for the last eight years.

There also is more because vendors have largely transitioned to offering plastic bottles instead of paper cups.

The weight might not even matter as plastic bottles are getting thinner, Hackman said.

Sixty bins are placed throughout the fairgrounds for visitors to dispose of containers. Half of those bins are provided by the city of Seymour.

The city helps set up the bins, provides a trailer to hold bottles and cans and hauled the week’s waste to the recycling facility in Medora the Monday after the fair.

It’s not just bottles and cans collected that are recycled, either.

Rumpke provided large boxes for cardboard to be collected by vendors and food stands to recycle what they use.

Compost bins also are placed throughout the fairgrounds for table scraps but are rarely used, for which Hackman has a theory.

“I like to believe that there is no waste because the fair food is so good,” she said.

Hackman said she felt a sense of pride when she took the recyclables from the fairgrounds the Monday after the fair ended.

“It is very rewarding to see the huge volume of recycling we collected at the fair,” she said, adding she noticed a decline in trash, too. “In the past, we would get balloons, food and other trash. The lack of trash was very noticeable.”

Hackman said the Dumpster Drummers were hired to entertain and educate visitors the Tuesday night of the fair to help promote recycling. The group played instruments made from recyclables and talked to the public about recycling. They also performed on the antique building stage, she said.

Much of the recycling efforts are driven by the children who attend the fair, Hackman said.

“Kids are the best recyclers,” she said.

The efforts this year also show how much residents care about the community, she said.

“It also shows the out-of-county visitors the pride we take in our county,” Hackman said.