Spokane, WA—Now in its second year, Bloomsday’s “Getting Greener” efforts will include an attempt to earn ReSport Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport. In addition, Bloomsday has joined Hoopfest and the City of Spokane in purchasing hundreds of ClearStream recycling containers that will be available not only for Bloomsday and Hoopfest but for other Spokane events looking to increase their recycling efforts.
Bloomsday began its Getting Greener initiative in 2009 by looking for ways to reduce the waste and consumption involved in staging a community running celebration for over 50,000 people. Among the successes in 2009, Bloomsday composted over a ton of water cups, collected over 1500 pounds of cardboard, helped STA increase shuttle service ridership by 10%, increased online registration from 70 to 75%, encouraged recycling of plastic “goodie bags,” and offered souvenir apparel made from recycled polyester and plastic bottles.
Along with expanding those and other efforts, this year Bloomsday will also seek certification from the Council for Responsible Sport, an organization that provides an independent, comprehensive certification for sustainable athletic events. Among the credits Bloomsday will be targeting in an attempt to earn certification are the following:
- Recycling of cardboard
- Recycling of glass
- Recycling of plastic water bottles
- Recycling of aluminum cans and metal
- Recycling of paper
- Food waste composted or donated to local food charity
- Less than 2 lbs/participant of landfill waste
- Less than 1 lb/participant of landfill waste
- Ten percent reduction (per participant) in landfill waste from previous year
- Race site accessible by public or mass transportation, or event facilitates carpooling
- One food item 3rd-party certified (Fair Trade, organic, Food Alliance)
- All materials printed by event use recycled paper and non-toxic ink
- One major piece of essential equipment rented, borrowed, or shared
- All new equipment made from recycled or surplus materials
- Event enhances or supports a local public-use asset (bike trail, community center, etc)
- Organizing committee includes representation from local community
- Mechanism for participants, spectators, and volunteers to take part in sustainable practices
- Time or money invested in local non-profit charity
- Increase public awareness of a local environmental issue (air pollution, etc)
- Efforts to increase participation by female, at-risk, persons with disabilities, or minority segments of the population
- Direct involvement by youth
- Efforts to educate public of event’s health benefits
- Mechanism for participants to provide feedback on sustainability efforts (survey, email, etc)
- Documented, measurable feature that enhances sustainability of event
Along with seeking ReSport Certification, Bloomsay has been working this past year with Hoopfest organizers and the City of Spokane in develping a “lending library” of ClearStream recycling containers that can be used by other community events. The receptacles are specially designed to collect recyclable glass, plastic and metal. Under the plan, Bloomsday, Hoopfest and the City have combined to purchase 400 of the containers. The containers will be used by Bloomsday and Hoopfest this year. Details of the process of lending to other organizations are currently being developed.
Additional information on Bloomsday’s Getting Greener initiative can be found at www.bloomsdayrun.org/getting-greener.
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