Above you see a photo of my oldest daughter at the Taste of Chicago ‘09. An event which draws millions of attendees and presents Chicago with an opportunity for a lot of positive financial revenue – a desperately needed commodity right now in our difficult economy.
Note the look on my girls’ face. It is not happy. Behind her is row after row of trash and recyclables lined up in some twisted scene – an art display gone desperately wrong.
After researching the Taste of Chicago’s newest and most exciting announcements, I have learned that more than 450 tons of garbage is expected to be produced at this year's Taste of Chicago alone. Staggering.
That’s a LOT of garbage. To encourage recycling, Taste of Chicago organizers will have 65 dual recycle and trash bins available across the Grant Park grounds. Yet from what I see in the photo above, that is simply NOT enough. My daughter said she saw very few recycling areas for the 3.5 million attending the Taste this year.
According to Allied Waste, the new bins have one 30-gallon opening for trash and another 30-gallon opening for recyclables. Yet if they are not conveniently located, what is the use of providing them?
This mess is the fault of the consumers who should be holding their cups, plastic, and cans until they can find a recycling bin to dispose of their trash and recycling properly. However, if 3.5 million people are expected to attend this event, is it truly realistic to expect only 65 recycling bins to do the trick?
People, please stop being pigs and dispose of your trash properly. Not only does it make the city – your community – look like an embarrassing mess, it also presents a health hazard. STOP IT! Take responsibility and do the right thing – take care of your trash and recycling the right way.
Make a difference NOW! Make a difference TODAY! It is YOU who are responsible!
Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com
Shocking! This would only add to my crowd claustrophobia if I were to ever GO to the Taste.
My only other thought: To say that some people are pigs is an insult to the pig. Pigs are master recyclers. Perhaps we should say, 'stop being such a stupid human by striving to be better'?
Posted by: Julia | July 13, 2009 at 06:55 PM
Part or the problem is that ordinary, and even the most educated citizens, often don't know what can be recycled and how to go about doing it.
Posted by: Rafi | July 08, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Given the amount of garbage, the waste company is not doing its job. People should (but don't) go out of their way to dispose of their garbage in a large venued event like Taste of Chicago. It is the job of the waste contractor to make it work.
Posted by: DrChuck | June 29, 2009 at 08:00 PM
wow, that's pretty horrible looking... and the look on your daughters face says it all. I showed this to a friend of mine and she said "Wow, that girl looks pissed!"
Posted by: Chris Pugh | June 29, 2009 at 07:35 PM
Good one Shawna! That is very sad. People obviously just don't care enough to do anything about it. That needs to change. We'll keep fighting, our little army of few. But we'll prevail...eventually (if it doesn't kill us first!)
Posted by: Joe Lamp'l | June 29, 2009 at 04:49 PM
Great post, Shawna. So many festivals create waste, I don't doubt the Taste is up there at the top. Where is the emphasis on recycling and participants using compostable and recycled/recyclable materials? How did the organizers/festival staff not notice this collection of junk?
Posted by: Christine | June 29, 2009 at 03:58 PM