Crews Begin Clean-Up Process At Tulsa State Fair

The Tulsa State Fair closes on Sunday and crews are transforming the fairgrounds for Tulsa's next show-stopping event.

A good chunk of the trash being thrown away at the fair this year is being recycled -- more than 11 tons of bottles, cardboard boxes and cans are being separated from the piles of garbage.

For every person going to the fair, there's a lot of garbage that is tossed away.

Where you put all that trash becomes a large undertaking from the grounds crews working day and night. "We try to be as environmentally responsible as possible," grounds supervisor Wayne Driggers said.

This is Drigger's 31st Tulsa State Fair.

He oversees all the operations on the fairgrounds, including finding a place for all the cups, bottles, wrappers and boxes thrown out by vendors and fairgoers.

"See, right there where we're trying to save those boxes... that's a big deal to me," Driggers said.

For the past six years, Driggers said, more things are being recycled than thrown away.

Last year, crews recycled 15,000 pounds of cardboard, 5,000 pounds of glass and 2,500 pounds of plastic at the fair.

Fairgoers say they can see the difference.

"They've got a bunch of people working out here," Allen Moore said. "We don't see any trash; it's really clean."

In the barn, crews are already cleaning up from the livestock auctions and rodeos.

"We'll go right in from the fair right into that show and it's a pretty big turnaround," Driggers said.

Before the gates even close at the Tulsa State Fair, crews are already preparing for the World Arabian Horse Show.

"These guys do a great job, I'm telling ya," Driggers said. "They're tired going in, but they step up and we get the job done."