Missoula sustainability events diverted 17,500 pounds of compostable waste from landfills this spring and summer, thanks to a coordinated zero-waste initiative involving the Zootown Music Festival, Missoula Marathon, and weekly Farmer's Markets across the city.

The program partners local event organizers with Garden City Compost and Republic Services to provide compost bins, educate attendees, and haul organic waste to processing facilities. Over 40 events participated in 2026, making Missoula a regional leader in event sustainability.

How It Works: Zero-Waste Events in Action

The Missoula Zero-Waste Events Initiative launched in 2024 and hit its stride in 2026. Event organizers work with Garden City Compost and Republic Services to deploy three-bin sorting stations (trash, recycling, compost) at festivals, races, and markets.

What's getting composted:

• Food scraps from vendor booths and food trucks

• Compostable cups, plates, and utensils (required for all vendors)

• Paper napkins, pizza boxes, and cardboard food containers

• Yard waste from event setup/breakdown

Trained "green team" volunteers staff the bins and help attendees sort correctly. After the event, Garden City Compost hauls organic waste to their facility on Mullan Road, where it's turned into nutrient-rich soil sold back to Missoula gardeners.

Top contributors in 2026:

• Zootown Music Festival - 6,200 pounds composted

• Missoula Marathon weekend - 3,800 pounds

• Saturday Farmer's Market (season total) - 4,500 pounds

• Downtown Tonight summer series - 2,100 pounds

• Made in Montana Festival - 900 pounds

Missoula Leads Montana in Event Sustainability

Missoula is the only Montana city with a coordinated, citywide event composting program. Bozeman and Helena run smaller pilots, but none match the scale or participation rate here.

"We're not just reducing landfill waste — we're building a culture where sustainability is the default," said Emily Bentley, Zero Waste Program Coordinator for the City of Missoula. "When 15,000 people compost at a music festival, they take that habit home."

The program also creates local jobs. Garden City Compost hired two additional drivers and processors this year to handle event volumes. And the finished compost? It's sold at Ace Hardware and Gardening Kneads nursery, closing the loop and keeping nutrients in Missoula soil.

♻️ Diversion rate: 82% of waste at Zootown Music Festival was composted or recycled

🌾 Soil output: 17,500 lbs of compost yields ~8,750 lbs of finished garden soil in 6 months

🏆 Award winner: Missoula was named Montana's "Greenest Event City" by Montana Environmental Information Center