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A hearty Saturday Salute goes this week to the Nebraska State Fair and Jaime Parr, its director of sales.

As you walk around the grounds, you’ll see recycling containers that encourage fairgoers to recycle plastic bottles and aluminum cans. But the fair’s low-waste mantra goes so much further.

The State Fair began its environmental efforts by recycling used fryer oil in the 1990s. Since then, it has progressed from oil recycling to an 86 percent waste diversion in 2014.

Under Parr’s leadership, the fair has recycled more than 15 tons of plastic, cardboard and alumnium since 2014. In 2017, it collected 900 gallons of used fryer oil and 2,200 pounds of food waste compost from its vendors, as well as 633 tons of animal waste and bedding that was composted and sold to area ranchers and other residents.

The fair has a Sustainability Plan that encompasses its recycling efforts and educational programming and displays at the J-Tech Solar Sustainability Pavilion.