Discovery Green, Citizens’ Environmental Coalition and Houston Public Works are proud to announce that this year’s Green Mountain Energy Earth Day achieved it’s Zero Waste goal.
More than 30,000 people attended Green Mountain Energy Earth Day at Discovery Green on April 20, 2024. They generated more than 3,800 pounds of garbage. Nearly 2,200 pounds of waste was composted, and 1,300 pounds of trash went to recycling. Less than 9 percent of the day’s trash ended up in a landfill according to Zero Waste Houston which issued the certification. Zero Waste is a concept defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as diverting at least 90 percent of waste from the landfill.
“Part of Discovery Green Conservancy’s mission is to serve as a village green for our city and be a source of health and happiness for all. Our goal is to sustain an exceptional environment for nature and people,” said president Kathryn Lott. “We are beyond thrilled to have achieved Zero Waste certification.”
Reducing waste requires planning ahead – which visitors did by bringing their own utensils and water bottles. Reducing waste requires care and attention – which visitors did by bringing their waste to the Zero Waste stations. Finally, reducing waste means caring for the environment we all share together.
Volunteers from University of Houston – Downtown spent many messy hours collecting and sorting the day’s trash. Compost, consisting of visitors’ leftover food scraps, combined with fluids of varied origins and pooled in large buckets at the Zero Waste stations around Discovery Green. It was then weighed and the data carefully recorded to certify the Zero Waste achievement.
President of Citizens’ Environmental Coalition’s Board of Directors, Steve Stelzer noted achieving Zero Waste at an event the size of Green Mountain Energy Earth Day is unheard of in Houston. People will recycle at home when it’s easy, but at large events people are pressed for time, there’s confusion over the different bins and when mistakes are made people feel discouraged. The key to success was the UHD volunteers along with the contractor Zero Waste Houston hand sorting waste in kiosks around the park.
“Discovery Green Conservancy stepped up and made a commitment to weigh, measure and record everything. They should be congratulated to have done this at this scale,” Stelzer said. “The Conservancy said they were going to do it and they did. It’s an amazing accomplishment.”
Green Mountain Energy Earth Day by the numbers:
- 31,000 visitors in attendance
- 60 + exhibitors
- 100 + volunteers
- 12 artists
- 9 chalk artists
- Donkeeboy and Donkeemom
- Mark Bradford
- 25 Mark Bradford artworks made of scrap presented in partnership with Houston First
- 4 short films shown
- 3,836.7 pounds of waste collected during Green Mountain Energy Earth Day
Trash stats:
725 pounds of compost diverted from the landfill avoids 5,710 pounds of Carbon Dioxide from entering our atmosphere which is equal to:
- 6,624 miles driven by the average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle.
- 291 gallons of gasoline consumed.
- 511 homes’ electricity use for one year.
- 2,854 pounds of coal burned.
- 119 propane cylinders used for home barbecues.
- 170,984 number of smartphones charged.
Sequestered carbon equivalent:
- 42.8 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.
- 3 acres of U.S. forests in one year.
Green Mountain Energy Earth Day was produced in partnership with Citizens’ Environmental Coalition and featured Houston Public Works’ popular Water Works Festival. Zero Waste certification was issued by Zero Waste Houston.
Green Mountain Energy Earth Day sponsors include: Green Mountain Energy (title sponsor), Electrochemical Safety Research Institute, Port Houston, SKANSKA, University of Houston – Downtown and Zero Waste Houston.
Green Mountain Energy Earth Day sponsors include: Green Mountain Energy (title sponsor), Electrochemical Safety Research Institute, Port Houston, SKANSKA, University of Houston – Downtown and Zero Waste Houston.
