Make recycling a priority at events.

Today is SuperBowl Sunday. I am in Kansas City where our Chiefs are getting ready to play in the big game. There are celebrations everywhere happening right now. I am watching the celebrations in Miami and all the pre-game shows on TV right now. GO CHIEFS!!!!!

I have been to Miami once and loved the trip. It was 16 years ago before I was as environmentally conscious as I am now. So, I do not remember what recycling systems were in place at that time.

I have been to Florida for the last four years for our family vacation. We have visited Disney,™Universal Studios,™ the Orlando area, and last year we visited Destin. We have loved them all- so much so that we would love to move there one day.

I was very impressed with Disney™ and the recycling they had in place at their parks. On all our visits to Florida, we have rented out condos in resorts to stay in. Not one of them had recycling programs. I called the owners of the first place we stayed in to ask about where their recycling was. When they told me they had no program in place, I was shocked and irritated too.

When people go on vacation and stay in condos or homes that have kitchens, they typically will go to the store and pick up a bunch of supplies to keep in the kitchen for their stay- especially water bottles, drinks, snacks, etc. That is what we always do, and we see lots of other families doing the same shopping. That is something that they need to focus on, and if we ever move there, I will be helping them focus on that!

I think it is also important to let venues and businesses know how important recycling is at their events. When you have a large amount of people gathering that will all be using plastic items or glass bottles, there should be a place to dispose of them that is environmentally responsible. I am hoping that the stadium and venues used to celebrate the SuperBowl have these recycling stations in place. Of course, it is the consumer’s responsibility to use them!

Recycling is important at school events as well. When I was part of the Green Team at my daughter’s elementary school, I made sure there were bins set out to collect all the recycling, compost, Terracycle,™ etc. at the events being held. Recycling should be at school sporting events too. Every bit of recycling helps keep unnecessary trash out of the landfills.

When planning your next event, try to factor in how you can implement recycling at your event. Make sure to have good signage as well, so people will be able to decipher where things go. Good Luck and Happy Recycling!