Going Green
 Walking the Talk
As part of our commitment to sustainability and to demonstrate a path towards a sustainable future, Our Greener Side Celebration strives to lead by example by incorporating environmentally responsible decision-making into all aspects of our operation.
Many green solutions will be implemented to help deliver an eco-friendly, carbon-neutral event. The success of these efforts will depend in part on your participation and cooperation.
Therefore, we have highlighted some simple actions you can take when coming to the event and while you are with us, and we invite you to do your part to ensure we are truly celebrating our greener side.
Read on to learn more about how, together, we can make a difference! Check back often as we add more ways to green the event.
Going carbon neutral
We are going carbon neutral and this will be achieved through the purchase of certified carbon offsets to counterbalance the carbon emissions produced from the event. We even went one step further and estimated the collective distance that exhibitors and attendees will incur travelling to and from the event and will purchase offsets to mitigate the impact of said travel.
What you can do: Stop by the Planet Energy booth and learn more about carbon offsetting.
Greening our energy
Solar trailers will be brought in to power the main stage and select activities and green energy will be used to supply electricity to the rest of the event.
What you can do: Spend some time in our Green Energy theme area and learn how you can make green energy a part of your life.
Saying no to bottled water
No bottled water will be available or sold at Our Greener Side Celebration. The York Region water trailer, aptly named Tap'd In Mobile, will be on-site instead, keeping you refreshed and hydrated with local well water.
What you can do: Remember to bring your reusable water bottle to the event.
Putting waste in their proper place
There will be a comprehensive system for collecting and managing waste generated during the event, including receptacles for recycling and organics. Mobile "waste education teams" will be available to assist you with the process and to help prevent cross-contamination between the three waste streams.
What you can do: Look before you throw. If you are not sure what goes where, there will be signage at the bins to help you.
Wearing our beliefs on our backs
We have choosen to outfit our volunteer team with 100% organic cotton t-shirts, made ethically in North America.
What you can do: Compliment a volunteer on their t-shirt! And if you have an article of clothing at home that is made from an eco-friendly material, why not wear it to the event and join us in wearing our beliefs on our backs!
Practicing the R's
Signage requires resources and energy to make. When it comes to signage at the event, we have mastered the art of reducing and reusing.
- Reduce. Every sign you will see is there for a reason. We made every effort to do away with unnecssary signage thereby reducing the number of new signs that needed to be made.
- Reuse. In addition to reusing as many of last year's signs as possible, we reused the backings of outdated signs to create new ones for this year. What's extra special is that many of these new signs have been made to work like dry erase boards, allowing them to be reused year after year.
What you can do: Event brochures will be available at the information booth to help you find your way around the event and make the most out of your time with us. We have printed limited quantities and we ask that you only take one per family and to look after it so that guests arriving after you leave can reuse it.
Serving delicious local foods
Coming straight to you from a local orchard, our BBQ lunch includes an apple and a delicious serving of apple cider.
What you can do: Enjoy your local treats! And be sure to spend some time in our Local Foods and Agriculture theme area to learn how you can make local foods a part of your life.
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