'Eco Educators' Keep 70,000 'Green' at Wicker Park Fest

More than 70,000 people may have jammed out to bands at Wicker Park Fest, but they according to Bright Beat, it was all done with an eco-friendly twist.

The organization, which specializes in large-scale sustainability strategies, hit the festival in full force, reporting they helped attendees to recycle more than 16,000 plastic cups at the event.

By staffing “Eco Educators” at 50 cup-recycling containers, organizers say they helped keep the most ubiquitous item found at a festival out of the landfill.

“Many people are unsure of which plastic products are recyclable, such as the cups at Wicker Park Fest,” said Stephanie Katsaros, Principal of Bright Beat. “Plastics with a #6 (symbol) are rigid polystyrene or foam, and can be recycled. By implementing a program to help people to recycle this product at a huge festival like this one, we are reducing waste in our landfills and educating the public about recycling, composting and the benefits of resource conservation.”

The beer, wine and sangria cups were sent to Plastic Recycling Inc. in Indianapolis, Bright Beat reports. That’s’ where they’ll be recycled into new products like picture frames and industrial spools.

And it was all made possible by Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area No. 33, a special taxing district that helps keep the neighborhoods clean and updated. The Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce manages the fund.

But more than keeping Wicker Park clean and litter-free, Katsaros says it’s about educating residents about what can be recycled.

“By diverting items from our landfills, we are helping our environment, reducing pollution and conserving resources,” continued Katsaros. “While we continue to educate people on recycling, our primary focus is still to lead event producers in greener production practices to ensure that every material that is recyclable is recycled.”