Recycling Efforts at the Starlight BowlWHAT’S IN THE WORKS
Public Works Newsletter: August 2012
Since 2005 the Starlight Bowl has been collecting bottles, cans and cardboard. Beginning with the 2011 season, Recycle Center staff took waste reduction to a new level by adding the option for guests to compost food scraps and paper products at three Zero Waste stations around the venue.
Staff attends all events, which attract between 1,500 and 4,200 guests, and greet visitors to inform them about how to separate their trash to easily recycle bottles and cans as well as compost any organic material. In addition, guest are encouraged to bring reusable utensils, plates and containers to the next event to reduce the waste generated in the first place. Stage announcements reinforce the message and advertisements were placed in the local newspaper and event brochure. The Starlight Bowl website offers information about how to pack a zero waste picnic and stresses that ―a zero waste picnic is simply more elegant.
At the end of each concert waste audits are performed to see how successful the evenings efforts had been. In 2011 the results were promising with over 40% of the waste either recycled or composted. This was up from only 20% in previous years when only recycling existed. This year, the rate has jumped to 60% thanks, in part, to an increased number of zero waste stations, the familiarity of the program by return patrons, and by the efforts of the Starlight Bowl staff and vendors.
