We've taken the month of August off from Green Drinks to concentrate on our very exciting project, Red Right Recycle. Read more below.
Bringing Greening to the Boat Shows
We are well on our way to increasing recycling at the US Boat Shows this October -- both power and sail. Through a wonderful partnership with the Boat Shows' management and grants from the BoatUS Foundation and BGE, you'll see even more eco-bins throughout both shows. And, behind the scenes, we are working to help keep other materials, such as exhibitor carpeting, out of the landfill. Stay tuned!
As many of you know, we, Elvia Thompson and Lynne Forsman of Annapolis Green, have been channeling our passion for teh environment over the past six years, bringing the community together to take action and make our area more sustainable, Earth friendly, and clean. We've done this online, via these newsletters, our website and social media; on the air, via our weekly radio program, Living Green in Annapolis; and in person, via our very popular monthly Green Drinks events.
We've been successful, promoting and celebrating the good works going on in our area and building a grassroots community movement for sustainability.
Still, there are plenty of areas that need attention. The one that caught our imagination several years ago is Greening of special events and festivals that occur in our Annapolis area. There are many special events, races, regattas, and festivals throughout the year. If every one of these adopted Green efforts we would make a huge difference to our environment.
So, we began to work with the largest and best known annual events, the venerable Annapolis Sailboat and Powerboat Shows. Although we began working with show management a couple of years ago, we launched our pilot program, "Red, Right, Recycle" last year. A word play on the maritime mnemonic "red, right, returning," our program's goal is to capture as much recycling as possible. Last year we deployed 25 eco-stations (sets of trash/recycling containers) and a lot of recycling was kept out of the landfill as a result.
This year we're stepping things up, thanks to two $10,000 grants from the BoatUS Foundation and BGE and a great partnership with the Boat Shows. Our goal is to deploy 50 eco-stations throughout the shows resulting the capture of at least 80% of recyclables!
We're also working to recycle exhibitor booth carpeting. More than four dumpsters are typically filled with discarded carpeting at the end of the shows, so this will really make a difference.
Our grant monies also will be used to develop a toolkit planners of waterside events anywhere can use to carry out Greening efforts.
Why does this matter?
Very visibly increasing recycling at the shows will demonstrate to local residents and visitors that we the Annapolis community shares a common concern for the environment and the Bay and that our capital city leads the way in sustainability and responsibility.
As Boat Shows general manager Paul Jacobs said, "
Our business depends upon the health of the Chesapeake, and we are happy to do our share." We all need to do our share. When you see our eco-stations at the Boat Shows, pitch in with your plastic and metal containers!
Want to volunteer to help?
Just drop us a line. 
Our Facebook group page has become quite the site for news and commentary. 
