When it comes to recycling, the Common Ground Festival sure cleans up!
The City of Lansing's Office of Waste Reduction Services is reporting that 40% of the total waste generated at the 7-day Common Ground Music Festival was diverted from the landfill and recycled.
“For an event of this size to divert 40% of the waste from landfill is truly outstanding,” said Steve Chalker from the City of Lansing’s Waste Reduction Services Department. “It illustrates the festival’s commitment to a recycling program.”
Working with Cub Scouts Pack 121 and many volunteers, City of Lansing staff were able to collect 8.5 tons of corrugated cardboard and #1 PET bottles over the seven days while only 21.25 tons of refuse was disposed. With a total attendance of 86,034 people, each person generated about 0.7 pounds of material daily.
In addition to the tremendous effort put forth by the Scouts, their parents, and volunteers, much of this success can be credited to the producers of the event, Lansing Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority (LEPFA) and Meridian Entertainment Group. By contract with the Common Ground Festival, vendors are required to use minimal packaging and cannot use polystyrene containers or plates when serving food and beverages.
For more detailed information about the Common Ground Festival, log on to the official web-site www.commongroundfest.com or call the festival office at 517-267-1502.