Reware.com's solar-paneled Juice Bag.
Photo: Courtesy of Reware.com
The Green Festival is returning to the district for the third year this weekend, bringing 350 exhibitors and an expected 30,000 attendees to the Washington Convention Center. A mecca for eco-friendly wares, the festival, spanning 230,000 square feet, will showcase fair-trade products such as Cafe Campesino artisan-roasted coffee beens and NepalesePaper.com's handmade paper products, Tibetan flags, and Christmas ornaments from Nepal. Organic beer, wine, food, and agriculture products will also be on-site, including such gift-bag-friendly items as Choice Organic Teas, Melania wines, and Sweetriot candies. For local catering ideas, Gail's Vegetarian Catering will be sampling some of its traditional and ethnic dishes, and Sticky Fingers Bakery plans to offer up sweet and savory treats from its all-vegan menu. (The bakery does offer corporate catering.)
Aiming to be a zero-waste event, the festival is utilizing recyclable carpet and compostable serviceware (including plates and trays made from sugarcane fiber). Last year, organizers achieved a 90 percent waste recovery, meaning 90 percent of all the trade-show materials were recycled, reclaimed, or reused. A cutesy element (steal this idea!) returning this year is the bike valet, which rewards bicyclists with discounted admission.
The show, which also heads to Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle, runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $15, but bikers get in for $10.
Aiming to be a zero-waste event, the festival is utilizing recyclable carpet and compostable serviceware (including plates and trays made from sugarcane fiber). Last year, organizers achieved a 90 percent waste recovery, meaning 90 percent of all the trade-show materials were recycled, reclaimed, or reused. A cutesy element (steal this idea!) returning this year is the bike valet, which rewards bicyclists with discounted admission.
The show, which also heads to Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle, runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $15, but bikers get in for $10.
