BENNINGTON – The Southwest Vermont Chamber of Commerce announced that its latest Garlic Town USA Festival, held on Saturday, August 31st, will convert more than 80% of the total waste generated during the event into various forms of composting, recycling and recycling. I am proud of the fact that I was able to successfully repurpose it through Waste reduction efforts undertaken during 2024.
Garlic Town is held annually over Labor Day weekend and has been designated Vermont’s signature event for 2024-2025 by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Tourism. Garlic Town is a beloved gathering of people who celebrate garlic and agriculture, drawing visitors from near and far to downtown Bennington. The 2024 festival attracted more than 6,500 ticket holders for the one-day event.
Event producers have worked with Casella Waste Systems for several years to track statistics, and after extensive manual separation of all food and waste is done, how many pounds of event waste is saved from being dumped in a landfill or incinerated? We are reporting whether it can be repurposed. Volunteer to operate multiple garbage station tents within the festival venue.
“We are so proud of our team of stinky volunteers and supporters who have worked tirelessly to produce such great recycling and compost numbers this year to keep our beautiful region clean and green. ” said event manager Michaela Ruiz. Chairman of the Southwest Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Garlictown.
“While our garlic events have always featured unique composting and recycling systems that impress many vendors and attendees, we always strive to inform, educate, and improve each year. We appreciate the opportunity to be a leading example in the region to highlight how other organizations and festivals can reduce their overall carbon footprint and think about the impact this has on everyone’s future. ”
Additional numbers from this event include the successful extraction of an estimated 3,000 pounds of compostable material, compared to 1,800 pounds each in the previous year. The amount of returnable aluminum cans collected also increased by 58%. Overall, the efforts made during the 2024 event resulted in a 33% reduction in landfill waste compared to the previous year.
“We were fortunate to have the volunteer force we needed to make this possible, but it is certainly not easy and requires a strong team who are not afraid to work hard.” Garlic Town Waste Cathy Solien, newly appointed team captain, commented: “We’re always looking for new, friendly members to join our Stinky Green team, so consider signing up to help out next year. And bring a friend! Please!”
Event organizers would also like to give special thanks to long-time festival local volunteer Marsh Hudson-Knapp for his dedicated efforts and wealth of sustainability knowledge provided throughout the planning process. I would like to express it.
The Southwest Vermont Chamber of Commerce team plans to further advance Garlictown’s sustainability efforts and continue working toward its goal of becoming completely zero waste within the next three years. This includes collaborating with local organizations such as the Bennington County Solid Waste Alliance (BCSWA) on advanced event practices, increasing the resources available to other producers in the area, and donating their time. This includes building a larger network of volunteers. Assisting with local events.
For more information about Garlic Town USA, please visit www.garlictownusa.com.
