This time last year, Mitzi Sugar began every morning in the trash bin. The

, where she leads recycling efforts, was en route to recycle or compost nearly 90 percent of the 2,300 pounds of waste it would generate over three days. But people kept slipping some recyclables into the trash.

"Just because they didn't sort it properly doesn't mean I'm sending it to the landfill," she said.

The festival, which begins again Friday at

, is the largest organic beer festival in the world, with 61 organic beers and ciders from 40 breweries. Last year, 17,000 people attended the event, which also serves food. All that mass leaves plenty of potential for trash, so a few years ago, the festival brought Sugar onboard to reduce its waste.

Sugar, 37, speaks in an inviting, friendly air. She has a wide smile and a thicket of curly hair. She grew up in Southern California, where recycling was the norm. She calls

regularly. But she was the only person in the first day of her master recycler class who didn't compost at home (She quickly bought a worm bin).

She is a social worker by day, but this time of year the now-certified

spends about 100 hours ensuring that the mother of all organic beer festivals lives up to its sustainable creed. Her work starts in January. As vendors apply for the festival, Sugar asks about their plates and utensils. Are they compostable? Further, are they compostable here?

The North American Organic Brewers Festival

When:

Friday and Saturday, noon-9 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

Where:

Overlook Park, North Fremont Street and Interstate Avenue

Cost:

Free admission, but beer costs $6 for a reusable, compostable cornstarch cup plus tokens for each four-ounce taste.

One of the trickiest paths to navigate has been explaining to vendors that just because something says it's compostable doesn't mean it is. This year, one vendor pushed back. The approved compostable brands all melt in his food, he told Sugar. They compromised, though: He's bringing real silverware instead.

If a vendor doesn't comply, the festival doesn't invite them back, says Chris Crabb, an associate organizer for the event.

Last year, Sugar succeeded in persuading vendors to use less packaging. The cardboard box that enclosed a Violetta burger? Gone. Ketchup packages? Replaced by pumps. This year, she has figured a way to recycle the plastic caps that top kegs. Last year, those went to the trash.

At the actual event, she coordinates 70 volunteers who help visitors put their trash in the appropriate bins. They'll make sure waste makes it to the right receptacles -- which will keep Sugar out of the trash bin this year.

They're aiming for more than 90 percent recovery. But why stop at this festival? Crabb, the organizer, was so impressed with Sugar's pre-event planning that she took the practices to other beer festivals she helps organize.

"People feel good about it when they come up to the trash and they're not throwing anything away," Sugar said.

"Then," Crabb added, "you give them a couple of beers and they feel really good about it."

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