10KLF: Going green in the land of sky-blue waters

Ginny Black, and Organics Recycling Specialist for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, was on site at the 10,000 Lakes Festival. When I caught up with her, she was elbows-deep in a recycling bin, making sure the right recyclables were in the correct holder. She politely declined shaking my hand upon introduction, for obvious reasons.

WE Fest and 10KLF (as produced by Face) is in it's final year of a 2-year, $75,00 grant from the MPCA. The efforts are specific to composting and plastic/paper/cans recycling. Baker explained nearly everything in the VIP hospitality tent, which supplies meals to hundreds of campers, is recyclable or bio-degradable. The plates are paper, the "silverware" a compostable corn-based PLA plastic - even the Summit beer cups are PLA.

On inquiry Baker noted a few exceptions: the chip & nut bags are not recyclable, and the sanitary hand wipes come in a foil-based package. She went on to say recommendations on alternatives are in the works, and that the organizers are trying to work with the other vendors to make the entire event more green.

Baker's dedication to that is obvious, since she's willing to dig through music festival garbage bins to sort and recycle. (Seriously... consider that for a moment.) We leaned forward to shake hands at the end of our conversation and both stopped at the last moment, laughing. Ginny Black is hands-on, and I expect to find more people just like her here.