Oak Ridge, Tenn. – (May 13, 2008) – As the first step of a two-year transition to become a “green” event, the Oak Ridge Secret City Festival has invited the East Tennessee Earth Day Coalition (ETEDC) to join as waste coordinators. The ETEDC will establish recycle centers, just as they did at this year’s community Earth Day Festival.
The Secret City Festival will take place June 20 – 21 at AK Bissell Park. Festival attendees will sort their waste into recyclable materials, compostable waste, and none-of-the-above (materials that must be landfilled). Festival waste will be weighed to allow for an accounting of the various waste streams, with the intent of minimizing the amount of material that must be sent to the landfill. By recycling and composting as much waste as possible, the resources are available for reuse, which is a much more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to waste management.
Recycle centers will be set up across the festival site, and four will be staffed with volunteers who will help educate and assist the public with waste separation. This approach proved very successful at the Earth Day festival, where more than 75 percent of the festival waste was composted or recycled. Secret City Festival planners hope that over the next two years, the Secret City Festival will make similar strides towards sustainability.
The ETEDC also plans to introduce the concept of Green Awards to recognize those food vendors who are taking steps towards sustainability – doing things such as using recyclable or compostable food service materials or using sustainably grown foods, such as organic, local, or hormone-free. Going green takes planning and some additional financial investment, and the ETEDC hopes to identify and reward those vendors who have taken that initiative.
Over the next two years, these steps and others will be implemented so the Secret City Festival will be not only one of the premier festivals in the southeast, but also one of the greenest.
“We realize this is not a quick process or one we can do on our own,” said Festival Coordinator Jane Gibson. “But we feel like, as a community festival, this is one of the big ways we can really help impact Oak Ridge in a positive way and continue to make the Secret City Festival a ‘Shining Example’ to other communities.”
The Lavender Festival will also go green this year, offering an earth-friendly environment. Rather than selling bottled water, filtered water in crocks will be available. Festival participants may bring their own cup or purchase a 16-ounce biodegradable and compostable cup. Lemonade and herbal teas will be available for purchase. Recycle bins will be available for compostable items, glass and other trash. Farmers from the Farmers Market will take compostable items to their farms.
The 6th Annual Secret City Festival is presented by the City of Oak Ridge, the Oak Ridge Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Arts Council of Oak Ridge. This year’s festival sponsors are B&W Y-12 and the City of Oak Ridge, and the media sponsors are The Oak Ridger, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, WBIR-TV, Comcast, and BBB Communications. For more information, visit www.SecretCityFestival.com or call the information line at 425-3610.
Immediate Release: May 13, 2008