Nationally recognized nonprofit entertains thousands, reduces landfill waste to historic low in 2016.
The 3rd Rock the Green Sustainability Festival set a new record with its 2016 festival by diverting 90 percent of the event’s waste from landfills, which translates to 1.55 ounces per guest, and brings it closer to its ultimate goal of a zero waste music festival.
The total volume of consumables collected was 11 percent lower than its last installment, translating to 0.96 pounds per attendee (90 percent of which was diverted from landfill) compared to 1.08 pounds per attendee in 2012.
“At Rock the Green, less is most certainly more,” said Lindsay Stevens Gardner, founder and executive director, Rock the Green. “Thanks to our leadership team and many community partners, we’ve been able to incorporate insights gleaned from past years and increasingly reduce our environmental footprint.”
Rock the Green, named one of the greenest music festivals in the nation, continually stresses the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. That ethos, coupled with the organization’s mission to educate and empower the community to take actionable steps to live sustainably, have proven to draw attendees, world-class bands and sponsors intending to elevate their sustainability profile among target audiences. In addition to the returning sponsors, the festival realized a 50-percent increase in corporate sponsors in 2016 and welcomed new partners, including Rexnord, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Anthologie, Harley-Davidson, WE Energies, Nissan, UPS, Groot and Educators Credit Union.
“Milwaukee is becoming a world-class eco-city, and Rock the Green’s relentless commitment to demonstrating practical solutions that work for everyone in ways that are both creative and entertaining is a big part of that,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. “The groundswell of support for Rock the Green from the public and private sectors is further indication that Milwaukee is emerging as a national leader in a variety of sustainability areas,” Barrett said.
This year’s festival relocated to Reed Street Yards in Walker’s Point and featured headliner Lord Huron, along with Robert Delong, Best Coast, The Heavy, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, and Trapper Schoepp on the main stage.
The 6th Annual Rock the Green Earth Day Celebration will be held April 21, 2017.
About Rock the Green
Rock the Green (RTG) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and empowering the community to take actionable steps to live sustainably. RTG accomplishes its mission through engagement and entertainment. RTG educates the community through interactive one-to-one experiences that spotlight community organizations and innovators in sustainability. RTG presents an annual, award-winning sustainability festival that showcases world-class music, zero waste efforts and locally grown foods. Typical festivals will see upwards of one pound of waste per attendee.
