Seniorfest Participants Pledge to Reduce Waste!

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SeniorFest is a free one-day festival coordinated by the Milwaukee Recreation Division featuring an extensive exhibit hall, live music, entertaining performances, workshops, demonstrations, bingo and an awards presentation. It is held in the Wisconsin State Fair Park and was attended by 6,000 senior adults in 1999.

• Waste reduction efforts at Seniorfest focused on raising awareness for ways that festival-goers could reduce waste in their households.

• The Be Smart Shopping Display was exhibited, demonstrating the cost savings benefits of choosing products with less packaging. The display was accompanied by an array of printed materials for participants to take. Popular informational materials at the event were Waste Reduction Tips for Renters and The Green Pages.

• The costumed character, "The Can on the Street" attracted attention to the display and asked participants to get involved in waste reduction. The costume is made from a full size garbage can with the lid worn as a hat. A sign on the costume read, "Be Smart. Think a little about waste reduction. It can mean a lot."
  

• Participants were asked to take a pledge to adopt a new waste reduction strategy. Pledge forms printed on scratch paper listed options such as buying products in less packaging, asking to be removed from unwanted mail lists and using rechargeable batteries. Once completed, a pledge form could be exchanged for a piece of candy as a token of thanks for efforts to reduce waste. Over 400 people pledged to adopt new waste reduction strategies in their everyday activities.

• The festival-goers weren't the only ones who learned about waste reduction. Wisconsin State Fair Park officials and festival vendors were given "Cash Not Trash" event planners' waste reduction tool kits provided by the Wisconsin Be SMART Coalition.  The toolkits will help Park coordinators and vendors implement waste reduction strategies such as reducing food packaging and selecting beverage dispensers that can refill cups without health risks.

For more information about festival waste reduction, call the Be Smart Information Hot Line at 1-866-91-SMART.