Greening Bumbershoot

Recycle

Once the first step to being “green”, recycling now falls near the end of the eco-chain, but remains a vital part of our Festival plans. After we’ve reduced what we can, reused what we can, we then look at what we can recycle, ultimately keeping the materials free from landfills and turning them into future products (this process can also reduce the need to create new materials for future products). At Bumbershoot, we take recycling serious!

So, what precisely gets recycled?

To start, we make sure there’s recycle bins throughout the grounds, to help you make waste-wise choices when it comes time to stash your trash
Around the grounds Bumbershoot food vendors recycle their used grease (turning it into biodiesel!)
All vendors take part in a pre-consumer composting program recycling food scraps into compost
Additionally, Bumbershoot offers compost stations around the grounds for eco-friendly fans wanting to further reduce waste.
In 2009, Festival patrons could find Budweiser recycling bins are available in each beer garden. Patrons are encouraged to recycle their beer cup instead of throwing it in the garbage—it’s just the right thing to do.

Want more details? Follow the links above for more information and Eco Extras along the way!

Eco-Extra: Seattleites recycle about 48% of their waste, but still dispose about 440,000 tons of solid waste annually. Where does it all go? This waste is sent by rail to privately held landfills in Eastern Oregon.