a soulful celebration of sustainable living

2008 Muddy Boot Organic Festival Aims for Minimal Waste with Waste-Prevention Plan

Organizers Encourage Attendees to Reduce Waste by Bringing Own Cups; Promote Arrival by Foot, Bike, Mass Transit

PORTLAND, Ore. – July 14, 2008 – www.muddyboot.org – Organizers of the third annual Muddy Boot Organic Festival, taking place in Southeast Portland Sept. 5-7, today announced they are implementing a plan for waste prevention at the event, aiming to keep as much waste as possible from making its way to a landfill.

The waste-prevention plan includes the use of reusable and durable beer cups, a recycling component and public composting. Items that will be recycled are aluminum cans, mixed paper, glass, plastic water bottles and miscellaneous plastics. The following items will be composted at the festival:

• Food scraps
• Food-soiled paper, including cups, plates, towels, napkins, popcorn bags, pizza plates and boxes
• City of Portland-approved compostable cups, cutlery and containers
• Coffee grounds

“The purpose of the festival is to promote sustainable living practices within our homes, organizations and our local community,” said Julie Gefroh, director, Muddy Boot Festival. “As such, we really felt compelled to put a plan in place that reduces the environmental impacts of the festival itself. Public events can generate a lot of waste, and this kind of program requires careful planning. We are working with our festival participants to help keep contaminants out of the compost containers. With their dedication and commitment to sustainability, we believe we can minimize our waste.”

Festival coordinators are also urging attendees to support recycling and waste-reduction efforts at the festival and to use environmentally friendly means to get to and from the festival. Food and beverage vendors participating in the festival will use compostable cups, plates and utensils or, when possible, durable, reusable utensils, glasses and beer steins. Organic beer will be available for purchase in a 12 oz. compostable cup for $5 and in a souvenir 14 oz. reusable plastic stein for $6. These reusable steins are a common site at beer festivals around the state, but unlike other festivals where a new mug must be purchased each year, Muddy Boot Organic Festival organizers will encourage attendees to bring their mugs back the following year. The goal of using this type of souvenir mug is to lengthen the lifespan of a festival cup. The average lifespan of a disposable or compostable festival cup is a few short hours. These mugs can be brought home, washed and used over and over again. At the end of their life, these products can be recycled through the Master Recycler Plastics Round-Up. For details go to: http://www.masterrecycler.org/plastic-recycling.php.

Festival-goers are also encouraged to arrive at the festival by foot, bicycle or mass transit. Additional bike racks will be available at the festival. To attend the festival by bus, the TriMet 4-Division bus stops just outside of the festival grounds (for TriMet trip-planning tips, go to www.trimet.org).

In addition, the event is powered by PGE renewable energy. Festival sponsor PGE is purchasing green tags to offset all energy used at the festival.

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For more information, contact:

• Cindy McKendry, Muddy Boot PR Volunteer – phone: (503) 231-7274, e-mail: c.mckendry@comcast.net
• Muddy Boot Organic Festival – Web: www.muddyboot.org, e-mail: info@muddyboot.org, phone: 503-231-4955