Expo
Green Plan
In an effort
to produce an Earth Day Expo in integrity with its green mission, we have
made arrangements for the event to be carbon-neutral through offsets and are
making arrangements to significantly reduce the trash produced through food
service and exhibits at the expo. This includes several coordinated steps:
Food Service &
Samples
Carbon
Credit Environmental Services (CCES), the company that produced the first
carbon-neutral Lion’s game, has generously donated biodegradable
serving-ware and utensils. Whole Foods is donating 4 oz. drink sample
cups. UHEAC will provide additional materials.
We will
have three collection signed bins at each at monitored recycling station.
After use,
all compostable items, along with food scraps, will be kept separated. Since food scraps are biodegradable, all of this
will be composted, not trashed. We are shooting for the trash bins to be
nearly empty!
All expo food
and sample providers should let us know what disposables they will be
using. We will provide compostable serving items to exhibitors at
check-in and at the door prize area during the expo. Use these
compostable/biodegradable serving items as much as possible (cups,
napkins, plates, etc.) and avoid using materials that will be trashed.
Please let recipients know that these materials are compostable and
should be discarded in a compostable bin.
We will
be composting all these materials ourselves and producing some of the earth
generated from this "waste" at next year’s expo (with all due fanfare!).
Non-food
Exhibits
We have tried to
avoid producing excessive paperwork in the administration of the expo and
have used recycled paper when printing.
We are asking
for similar reductions of materials use and trash from non-food exhibitors,
as well.
It is easy to
generate a lot of trash at these event including unused literature and used
boxes and packaging. Please do not bring excessive materials to the expo and
take all unused materials, used packaging and empty boxes back with you. Do
not leave trash at the booth as we will be charged for this.
Carbon Neutral
Event
The expo is a carbon-neutral event, thanks to
donation by CCES of
carbon credits (see
press release). These funds will be invested in local renewable energy /
carbon-positive projects.
We can't
eliminate all the trash this year but we can make a good effort. Please help
us walk the talk of Earth Day by using and promoting compostable/biodegradable products
and keeping materials use and trash production to a minimum. Your assistance
is appreciated and newsworthy.
