Zero Waste Guidelines

The Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo festival strives to be a "zero-waste event" by reducing the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserving and recovering all resources, and does not burn or bury waste. A zero-waste event reduces all discharges to land, water or air that may be a threat to the planet and its inhabitants.

We're encouraging our partners, vendors, and participants to help by following the

Zero Waste Quick Guide

  1. Use reusable tableware whenever possible.

  2. If reusable tableware is not possible, use products that are created from renewable resources rather than products made from fossil fuels and virgin fiber.

  3. Compost or recycle all of your waste; use separate clearly-marked containers to help guests and/or attendants efficiently separate items.

  4. Make the event carbon neutral and offset CO2 emissions by supporting initiatives that reduce greenhouse gases.

  5. Encourage guests to walk, ride their bike, carpool or take mass transit to your event, and provide information with your electronic invitations to make these alternatives accessible.

Events Impact the Environment

Let's face it. Events, although usually joyous, generate waste, overuse natural resources, and produce emissions. Extra transportation miles are clocked by attendee's travel and deliveries. To supply enough tableware and save efforts in post-event clean-up, disposable items, made from paper and plastic are commonly used. Other packaging containers like glass and plastic bottles, plastic bags, cardboard, and aluminum and steel cans all add to increased waste, especially if recycling receptacles are not provided.

We are encouraging our food vendors to use the following products:

A zero-waste event should include disposable products that can either be recycled or composted. Choose disposables created from rapidly renewing resources like corn, sugarcane or potatoes, rather than using petroleum-based plastic or paper products made from trees.

Cups - PLA corn-based alternative to plastic: As opposed to "regular" plastics that are made from petroleum, these products are made from an annually renewable resource -corn. Cold cups are entirely made from PLA whereas hot cups are paper lined with PLA. PLA will fully compost in 45-60 days.

Plates - Bagasse, sugarcane-based alternative to tree paper: Sugarcane takes only one year to reach maturity, as opposed to trees which can take up to 30 years. The raw stalk pulp is used after the "cane sugar" is extracted, thereby reusing an already "used" resource. Previously, the excess crushed stalks were burned or discarded. Sugarcane will also compost in as little as 45 days.

Cutlery - vegetable starch-based alternative to high-heat plastic: To make this cutlery, vegetable starch is fermented, natural stabilizing products are added and the final product is molded. It's made from renewable resources and, you guessed it, will compost in 45-60 days.

Napkins/Paper towels - 100% recycled: 900 million trees are turned into paper and pulp every year. Using recycled paper products uses 60% less energy than virgin paper, and each ton saves 17 trees!

Bags - compostable also: Trash liners and collection bags are available in compostable material. Made from corn, they compost just like PLA.

 

Find all of your compostable products at www.BiodegradableStore.com or

Helpful links and materials are available at

www.ecoproducts.com/how2/zerowasteinfo.htm

With thorough planning and forethought, a zero-waste event is possible, and the resulting clear conscience is a nice bonus!

 

Find a Local Composting Facility

Finding a local composting facility can be difficult. The best place to start is with the local trash hauler or recycling facility to find out if they offer a composting pick-up service or a drop-off site, or can recommend a company that does.

You can find a list of composting facilities at:

Additionally local farms may be interested in adding food waste and compostable products to their compost pile. Food scraps from preparation provide a great source of nutrients. The key is to get with a local farm or composter before you prepare the food. Once the food is cooked, it is no longer compostable and becomes waste.

The average 2-day event for 250 people - including ground travel and hotel room power - would emit approximately 44,000 pounds of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

With DrivingGreen.com the entire amount can be offset for $260.00! For round-trip air travel add approximately $16.00 per person.

- DrivingGreen.com

 

© Copyright 2007 Eco-Products, Inc.