Greening Our Festival

With the goal of a zero waste event, Charlotte Clean and Green strives to divert as much waste as possible from the landfill. By using a comprehensive resource recovery plan, we will reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink, offset and compost to minimize the festival’s footprint.

Reduce

Paper…utilize electronic communication with all exhibitors and sponsors
Handouts…limit the amount during classroom sessions and direct students to online resources
Plastic bottles…prohibit the sale of bottled water on site
Unwanted materials…disallow styrofoam, non-recyclable plastic and balloons

Reuse

Signage…designed to be reused each year and printed on sustainable materials using plant-based inks
Materials…check out the kid’s craft area to see creative ways to repurpose things

Recycle

Plastic…look for numbers 1-5 and 7 in the small recycle symbol Zero Waste
Educators…they’ll give you the scoop on what goes where

Rethink

Suitable…exhibitors and vendors are screened to ensure only those with strong sustainability commitments participate
Communication…instead of handouts or giveaways that may end up in the trash, exhibitors are encouraged to use creative, alternative ways to share information about their products
Marketing…focusing on web-based efforts, grass roots outreach and social media

Power and electricity

Power Wagon…a “renewable power generation system on wheels” and back for another year as our primary festival power source
NC GreenPower…carbon credits purchased to offset any additional electricity used at the event