Greening Bumbershoot
Our Commitment to Getting Greener!
For nearly four decades, Bumbershoot has strived to be a socially responsible and environmentally friendly Festival. As a uniquely urban event nestled in the Pacific Northwest, one of the nation's greenest locales, Bumbershoot maintains a reputation as a trendsetter within the festival industry.
We are pleased to continue these innovative and interactive strategies, and will announce new initiatives this summer. Together with your help, we can make Bumbershoot one of the greenest festivals ever.
Pro-Planet Production
We use bio-diesel generators to power Mainstage performances, while all other venues are powered by the already carbon neutral energy provider, Seattle City Light. Our refrigerator trucks have also switched to bio-diesel or clean power from Seattle City Light.
All the Festival's new signage is printed on VOC free materials with non-solvent inks, in a sustainable facility in Seattle. All outdated signage is donated to Alchemy Goods, a local small business which repurposes the vinyl and mesh into unique bags and wallets, and keeping it out of the landfill.
In 2007 we recycled 4.16 tons of other materials, decreasing our garbage by 3.28 tons from 2006. We continue to make recycling a top priority.
Our Festival programs and brochures are printed on FSC-certified mixed sources paper. These products are from well-managed forests, controlled sources and recycled wood or fiber.
Last year for the first time, we printed all our Bumbershoot T-shirts on 100% organic cotton or items made solely in the United States. As the variety of apparel choices meeting these green criteria expands, expect our merchandise line to grow as well.
Seattle City Light
Created by the citizens of Seattle in 1902, Seattle City Light has provided affordable, reliable, environmentally sound electric power to Seattle and neighboring suburbs since 1905. Most of the electricity sold by Seattle City Light comes from hydroelectric dams, while the rest is gathered from wind farms and natural gas- and coal-fired power.
FSC-certified
Forest Stewardship Council is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests. The FSC provides consumers with a list of certified forest products and building materials.
Eco Extra: According to a 2005 report released by the Brazilian Environmental Ministry, loggers, ranchers, and farmers in the Amazon rainforest cleared over 10,000 square miles—roughly the size of Massachusetts—of Amazon rainforest during a 12-month span.
Our Vendors
We require vendors to compost pre-consumer waste and recycle vendor grease through Standard Biodiesel. In 2007, vendors composted 2 tons of pre-consumer waste. We have also banned the use of Styrofoam.
Standard Biodiesel
This Seattle-based company specializes in recycling wasted vegetable oil and providing biodiesel and biodiesel-petroleum blends to be used in engines, generators, and furnaces.
Eco Extra: French engineer Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine as an alternative to steam and gasoline engines. His invention made its official debut on August 10, 1983 in Augsburg using peanut oil as the fuel source.
Getting There
We encourage Bumbershooters to ride bikes to the Festival and park in the Bumbershoot Bicycle Corral, or enjoy a quick ride on the Seattle Monorail from Westlake Center or the Bumbershoot-dedicated Metro shuttle from the Northgate Park & Ride. For those who must drive, don't forget a $2 optional donation to NetGreen (available when purchasing a Festival ticket at bumbershoot.org) will help offset 440 lbs. of CO2. Also, attendees who carpool will receive discounted parking rates if they park at Seattle Center lots.
One Reel is doing their part, too. The Festival purchases carbon credits to offset carbon emissions generated by transporting artists to and from Bumbershoot (130 1/2 metric tons in 2007.)
NetGreen
NetGreen offers a simple yet significant avenue for people to become a part of the global warming solution. They encourage everyone to become carbon neutral—a state of being based upon balance and responsibility.
Eco-Extra: Want to calculate your eco-footprint? If you answered yes, then check out this cool carbon-calculator created by the Earth Day Network. The results may surprise you.
Seattle Center Parking
Seattle Center offers Festival Rate Parking Discounts to those who choose to carpool to Bumbershoot: $12 for vehicles with 1 or 2 occupants, and $10 for vehicles with 3 or more occupants.
Eco-Extra: Why carpool? Not only does it cut down on carbon dioxide emissions, but it also cuts costs. According the AAA, it costs approximately 52.2 cents per mile to operate a passenger vehicle, or $7,834 per year based on an average 15,000 miles of driving.
Bumbershoot Bike Corral
Bumbershoot will feature parking for approximately 500 bicycles with a new bike-exclusive parking area sponsored by Clif Bar and CamelBak! Located on the lawn that runs along Broad Street, the area will provide organized bike racks and the opportunity to interact with fellow cyclists, as well as a Clif Bar upon entry and CamelBak water bottle when exiting.
Eco-Extra: More than half of all Americans live less than five miles from where they work, yet most still drive there!
Clif Bar
Clif Bar Inc. is committed to people's health and the environment! Every Bumbershoot patron that ventures to the Festival on bicycle will receive a free Clif Bar upon entry of the Bike Corral.
Eco-Extra: In 2003, Clif Bar switched to a 100% (50% post-consumer) recycled paperboard for all caddies (the cartons that hold the bars). Using recycled materials instead of virgin wood saves about 7,500 trees, conserves 3.3 million gallons of water and avoids the production of 660,000 pounds of greenhouse gases each year.
CamelBak
CamelBak (hands-free hydration systems) will provide a reusable CamelBak water bottle to patrons that store their bikes in the Bike Corral as they exit the Festival!
Eco-Extra: Before there were 18-wheelers and cargo planes, there were camels. Known for their incredible endurance and great strength, camels actually store fat reserves in their humps, not water.
Seattle Monorail
The Seattle Monorail is open for operation daily from 9 am to 11 pm and provides quick and easy transportation with a scenic view of the Seattle city skyline.
Eco-Extra: Built in 1964 as a way to transport visitors to the Seattle World's Fair, the Seattle Center Monorail currently shuttles over 2.5 million riders to and from the downtown district every year. The cars run off of 700 volts D.C. power obtained through contact rails on the inside of the beam; but since there are actually two tracks, shouldn't it be called the Stereo-rail?
Metro Shuttle
For those coming from the north, drive down to the Northgate Park and Ride to catch the shuttle to Seattle Center! Save time, gas, and the stress of traffic.
Eco-Extra: The King County Metro system currently operates over 1,300 vehicles, including 640 busses that run off bio-diesel gasoline. Together the fleet transports over 100 million riders each year.
Green as Art
In keeping with Bumbershoot's tradition of providing thought-provoking and original content, the Festival showcases cutting edge and interactive green installations, hands-on activities and programming. Stay tuned for more details!