Tampa, FL February 9, 2010 - Parade attendees were obviously thinking “green” at this year’s Gasparilla Pirate Fest and Children’s Gasparilla Parade. The program yielded the highest tonnage of recyclables collected yet, with a total of almost 16 tons. Four hundred white recycling containers were placed all along the parade route for responsible disposal of plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Cardboard generated by vendors and Krewes was also collected and recycled.
The City’s Department of Solid Waste & Environmental Program Management (SW & EPM), in partnership with Anheuser-Busch Recycling, implemented the “Get Hooked on Recycling” program at the Gasparilla Pirate Fest four years ago, providing the opportunity for pirates, vendors, sponsors and parade attendees to “go green” during the Gasparilla Parade. Staff has seen a steady increase in recycling participation over the years, as well as a visible change in citizens’ behavior as far as recycling at the parade.
In addition to the annual Gasparilla Parades, Tampa is home to several major public special events and venues including the Tampa Convention Center, Raymond James Stadium and the St. Pete. Times Forum. These special events and venues generate huge quantities of waste and SW & EPM, through a Department of Environmental Protection Innovative Recycling Grant, has developed a statewide Best Management Practices (BMP) Special Event Waste Reduction Guide. The Guide is available to interested parties and includes case studies from the City illustrating successful waste reduction programs, one of which is the Gasparilla Recycling Program.
The City of Tampa’s Recycling Program also includes collection services and support for residential curbside, apartment complexes, commercial business, and yard waste generation. Outreach and education programs target schools and community organizations and provide information on waste reduction and recycling. For more information, please call (813) 348-1111, or visit the Department’s website at www.tampagov.net/solidwaste.
The above notice is archived content and may contain information that is no longer valid. This includes URL's that were valid when originally published, but may now link to sites or pages that no longer exist.
