You talked. We listened. Wheatland is working hard to bring new improvements to our recycling and waste management programs at the festival. “Keep Wheatland Clean & Green” is a combined effort between our Recycling and Trash Consciousness coordinators, committee members, and festival-goers. Our goal is to better serve and respect the land that has given us so much, and to make you feel great about taking care of the Wheatland you know and love.
2014 Recycled Materials:
750 pounds of plastic bottles (just under 20,000 bottles)
745 pounds of glass
55 pounds of plastic film
200 pounds of steel cans
1520 pounds of cardboard
Boy Scouts: ~30,000 returnables
THANK YOU WHEATLANDERS for recycling more than ever before! Thank you also for the constructive feedback which we are using to make next year even better.
Pre-festival preparation is key! Also, making an effort to be conscientious while at the festival goes a long way, and we are hoping to make that easier for you by providing more trash barrels and an expanded recycling program.
Know Before You Go
- Before your arrival, repackage food into reusable containers to eliminate waste on the festival site
- Bring reusable bags instead of plastic bags for your food and belongings
- Bring re-usable cups, plates, napkins, water bottles, containers, etc. This will cut down on the amount of trash you produce at the festival.
- Bring a washtub for dirty dishes
- Bring water jugs to store drinking and wash water. Use reusable water bottles (Keep Wheatland Clean & Green water bottles available at volunteer orientations and the 2014 festival! -aluminum, BPA Free)
- Bring extra trash bags and plan a spot in your campsite for sorted trash and recycling (if you run out of trash bags, check your campsite’s Worker Safety Stations for extras)
- Smokers – please dispose of your butts thoughtfully. Try bringing a Pocket Ashtray or an empty Altoid tin and dispose of them properly. Cigarette butts are #1 on the “litter-list” at Wheatland, and are painstaking for our volunteers to clean up.
- Bring environmentally friendly bath / hygiene products
Cut Out the Trash
- Do your part to help clean up any litter that you see during the festival. Be a model for others.
- Littering and leaving trash behind is a sad sight to see, especially in a place to which so many people have a strong, life-long connection. Please, respect the land and the people around you, don’t litter. Just because this used to be a farm doesn’t mean we have to make it a pigsty 😉
- Re-use is the name of the game! Use reusable plates, utensils, cups, water bottles, napkins etc.
- Secure your campsite belongings well to reduce windblown trash and litter. Keep a tidy camp!
- Separate your trash into categories for recycling and landfill. Please assist us by using the recycling and garbage bins correctly and keeping your site litter free.
- After the festival, pack everything you brought with you. Leave the area as nice as – or better than – you found it.
Wildlife & the Land
- Human food is unhealthy for all wildlife and feeding them starts bad habits. Please pack up any leftover food from the weekend or find a compost bucket, located in the Food Vendor area.
- Keep their home clean by picking up any trash/debris.
Work with Others
- Establish a clean and green camping community! Collaborate with other nearby campers to share your resources and to work to Leave No Trace in a fun and festive manner!
You will be hearing a lot about “Keep Wheatland Clean & Green” leading up to and at the festival, and we want you to be proud participants! Your mind and voice can make a difference. We would love to hear your responses to the following questions in order to help us create recycling and waste management procedures that will most benefit you, our festival-goers. Additional ideas are welcome!
- How can we make recycling easier at the festival?
- How can we make trash disposal easier at the festival?
- Where would you like to see more trash cans?
- Where would you like to see recycling containers?
Please send your thoughts to: wmo.office@wheatlandmusic.org
Thank You!