The Trash Talk Tour is an annual event in Ann Arbor that celebrates zero waste and the circular economy while educating and inspiring the community. This free, family-friendly event allows people to see what happens to trash, recyclables, and compost after you throw them “away” through tours of Ann Arbor’s recycling and compost facilities. This is a first step towards putting on “trash goggles” for many members of our community: once we realize exactly what happens to everything we throw out, we understand why it is so important to reduce our waste.

The bike tour portion of the event offers the chance to explore Ann Arbor’s circular economy at locations around town like By the Pound, Maker Works and Common Cycle. The bike tour also includes behind-the-scenes tours of the Stadium and Recycle Ann Arbor, which are always fan favorites. In previous follow-up surveys, participants have exclaimed at the quantity of waste produced by the stadium—helping them to realize the importance of Michigan Stadium’s 90% landfill diversion goal—and loved asking questions to the knowledgeable employees of the Recycle Ann Arbor Materials Recovery Facility.

The day ends with a Zero Waste Fall Festival at Kiwanis Thrift Sale featuring live music, ugly pumping carving, donuts, cider, goats, screen printing, a zero waste scavenger hunt, games and more! This is the only Sunday of the year where Kiwanis Thrift Safe is open to the public for donations and shopping, and attendees get the chance to take an exclusive tour of Kiwanis’ operations that save thousands of items from the landfill each year.

Trash Talk Tour participants will learn more about Ann Arbor's circular economy through local businesses and organizations who are committed to reducing waste. Through educating about personal actions and promoting sustainable businesses, we are working to shift the culture around single-use consumption and waste in Ann Arbor in a way that will have lasting impacts in the community.