This year’s Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival will take on a distinctively “greener” hue. The city’s largest annual event will include an expanded joint effort between the Pumpkin Festival Committee, Allied Waste Services and the City of Half Moon Bay to promote and encourage recycling during the popular festival, October 18-19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Main Street.

“We’re excited about this “greening” initiative and, as a leader in the community, we’re committed to making the festival as eco-friendly as possible –– it’s an important step for us,” said Melvin Mello Jr., Pumpkin Festival Boardmember. “We’re making it easier than ever and hope that festivalgoers and vendors will support our effort to conserve resources by conscientiously recycling.”

Clearly-marked, free-standing containers will be positioned throughout the festival route for festivalgoers to recycle glass/plastic/aluminum. Additionally, there will be large recycling boxes for cardboard and mixed paper as well as glass/plastic/aluminum placed in strategic areas “behind the scenes” for the event garbage/recycling “Clean Team” as well as vendors and sponsors. “It’s our goal to make sure we’re doing everything possible to maximize recycling and minimize trash,” said Mello.

“We’re delighted and pleased to expand this program with the Pumpkin Festival,” said Carrie Castro, Director of Sales & Recycling for Allied Waste Services. “The recycled items that we pull from this event will further help the city of Half Moon Bay in meeting the State’s mandated diversion efforts. This initiative fits in with our efforts to create a sustainable community, will help to promote recycling and will reduce the amount of garbage placed in landfills.”

The Pumpkin Festival garbage and recycling operation is run by volunteers from the Coastal Repertory Theater. In keeping with the festival’s tradition of involving community organizations, the theater troupe has been in charge of the massive garbage/recycling detail for fifteen years, relying on the festival as one of its biggest fund-raising activities. “It’s hard work with extensive planning and coordination, but it’s important to all of us that we present a clean, ‘green’ event,” said Tom Woosnam of the Coastal Repertory Theater. “We’re proud to be a part of such an important community effort.”

Allied Waste Services (formerly BFI) is the second largest vertically integrated solid waste management company in the industry which offers debris box, recycling and garbage services for residential and commercial customers. For additional information, please go to: http://www.alliedwastesanmateocounty.com.