Plan Lafayette Day with UL Lafayette Sustainability

As PlanLafayette marks its fifth year since being adopted in the city, events are being held each month to share updates. Since the plan’s adoption, it has become an event series where plan successes are celebrated and new initiatives are launched.

The latest topic is sustainability and green infrastructure in the community, and the UL Lafayette Office of Sustainability is hosting a series of free sessions for the public, in conjunction with Lafayette Consolidated Government.

The sessions highlight the community’s vision for sustainable approaches to development, including topics such as stormwater management, transportation and waste reduction; along with highlighting the partners working to achieve related goals.

When: Thursday, August 1, 2019

Where: LITE, 537 Cajundome Blvd, Lafayette, Louisiana

 

11 a.m. UL Lafayette Sustainability Strategic Plan

Attendees will hear an overview of the university’s mission, goals and strategic plan for the Office of Sustainability. The session will also demonstrate and how UL’s Master Plan and PlanLafayette guided the development of the Sustainability Strategic Plan.

• Register here

 

12 p.m. Lunch N Learn - Campus as a Living Lab

Solving real world problems through cross-discipline – Thanks to Bluewing Civil Consulting, attendees can enjoy a complimentary lunch with university representatives for a discussion on the Living Lab concept including goals for the initiative, stormwater and waste management on campus, and how business and government are partnering to make positive impacts in the community.

• Register here 

 

2 p.m. Building a Sustainable Transportation Network

Subject matter experts from UL’s Office of Sustainability, Lafayette Consolidated Government and the Acadiana Planning Commission discuss the goals for and problems with our local transportation network. Registrants will learn about insights gleaned from the University’s first annual student commuter survey and goals for University-related transportation, the future of public transit, accomplishments towards a more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly community and carpooling as a regional movement.

• Register here

  

3:30 p.m. Solar PART Lab Tour and Electric Vehicle Charging Station Ribbon Cutting

Attendees will hop on a bus for an up-close look at UL’s $5 million Solar PART (Photovoltaic Applied Research and Testing) Lab at the research park and then celebrated Lafayette’s first public electric vehicle charging station with a ribbon cutting.

• Register here

 
The UL Lafayette Office of Sustainability has worked hard over the past few years to develop the university as a pioneer in sustainability and zero waste measures, so these events are sure to be valuable and interesting!

All events are free, but registration is required, so be sure to register for any event you'd like to attend.

0

Earth Day 2019

Happy Earth Day, everyone! I love the spirit and attention the environment gets today - it gets me even more hyped up and heart-eye-emoji for this cause.

April has been quite the whirlwind behind the scenes, but I am excited to have checked a few items off of my bucket list.

0

Household Hazardous Waste Day

This Saturday, October 20, is Lafayette's semi-annual Household Hazardous Waste collection day. For residents of the city of Lafayette and unincorporated areas of the parish, the event serves as a way to have those household chemicals collected and disposed of properly.

Paint, paint chemicals, cleaners, pool chemicals and batteries are among the accepted items, along with a variety of electronics. For the full list of what's accepted, check out the Lafayette Consolidated Government website.

All collected paint will be reblended by Habitat for Humanity and sold at the ReStore.

A few tips if you plan to participate in this Saturday's collection:

• Have your ID available as proof of your residence within city limits or in the unincorporated areas of the parish.
• Enter the Cajun Field parking lot at Gate 3 from Congress Street. 
• The event is open from 8am-noon, but lines can get long. The earlier you arrive, the less you'll have to wait.
• If you have liquid items, make sure the containers are properly closed, as leaky containers won't be accepted.

LEARN MORE

Facebook event | List of accepted items

0

Deuxieme Vie Creative | Creative Reuse

Earlier this year, Deuxieme Vie Creative, a new creative space, opened in downtown Lafayette. Founded by Cindi Axtell, the space is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to creating environmentally sustainable behavior through educating and promoting resourceful artistry and environmental awareness in the community.

0

Photo Friday | Leaders Against Litter and Earth Hour

The spirit of Earth Month events are really kicking up already, even if there's still a full week left of March. Today was Keep Louisiana Beautiful's annual Leaders Against Litter statewide cleanup, and tomorrow marks the annual Earth Hour event at 8:30 p.m. in your local time zone.

0

La Cuisine de Maman | Styrofoam-Free

When the temperatures dip outside, that means one thing to Cajuns: it's gumbo weather.

This winter has seen its fair share of prime gumbo weather, but one of my favorite days was back in December, the day before it snowed.

I was getting together for lunch with my friend Liv, a fellow 705 member and an advocate for zero waste journeys, before she and her family moved to Colorado. I suggested meeting up at La Cuisine de Maman, the restaurant located inside Vermilionville in Lafayette.

Photo courtesy La Cuisine de Maman Facebook

The restaurant is known for its homestyle Cajun cooking and seafood buffet (which I haven't tried out yet!), but to me it's known for something else - it has transitioned away from Styrofoam to-go containers. Thanks to the Bayou Vermilion District, who operates Vermilionville, the restaurant switched to using compostable bagasse containers in late 2016.

The day we got together, it was cold and rainy outside, the perfect day for some comfort food.

I immediately opted for a bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo with a side of potato salad. Liv ordered shrimp and grits. We both ordered "water no straw" and grabbed our own stainless steel straws instead. It was fun to have a friend to talk about green lifestyles and zero waste efforts with for most of a lunch date.

Photo courtesy La Cuisine de Maman Facebook

One thing I didn't realize much about La Cuisine de Maman is how affordable it really is. My giant bowl of gumbo (which I was too hungry to take a picture of, so this is from their Facebook page) and potato salad were seven dollars total. SEVEN! I feel like most restaurants in this town now charge upwards of $12 a bowl, not including the potato salad.

Oh and how satisfying that gumbo was. I've already eaten lunch today and I'm salivating over the thought of eating this gumbo again.

Another way the restaurant cuts down on waste is by using cloth napkins.

Photo courtesy La Cuisine de Maman Facebook

If you're in Lafayette, or you're traveling through the area, take a quick detour for lunch to La Cuisine de Maman. It's just across the street from the airport, and you don't have to pay the Vermilionville admission fee in order to dine in.

Help support this locally owned restaurant with a commitment to sustainability and reducing waste! Sign up for their email list to get the daily restaurant specials each week.

And if the weather permits, pay the admission fee and check out Vermilionville.

VISIT

300 Fisher Rd Lafayette, Louisiana 70508 | Website | Facebook | Instagram

0

Photo Friday | Cleanup Before & After

Before last Saturday's Better Block Johnston Street in Lafayette, Project Front Yard hosted the Downtown Deep Clean Block Party. While most of the focus was on mulching the flower beds along Jefferson Street, a few of us concentrated on cleaning up litter. One parking lot in particular was in dire need of a cleanup.

  

The Saturday morning after Halloween week is quite the interesting time to be cleaning up litter. In addition to the usual suspects of liquor and beer bottles, straws and cigarette butts, I found a lot of fun size candy wrappers and even a pair of vampire teeth.

Because I go out about once a year, I hadn't noticed Jefferson Street Pub's clearly recent mulch and flower bed project until now. I'm a fan of red mulch, and the flowers added a beautiful pop of color to the sidewalk, brick building, and parking lot background. However, the cigarette butts aren't helping any matters here. (Five seconds later, they were in my trash bag.)

I know it's odd, but I honestly enjoy picking up litter. It feels so productive, and you can immediately see the benefits of your work. The flip side is the knowledge that your work usually won't last for 24 hours. With the amount of bars downtown, I know this parking lot didn't remain this clean come Sunday morning.

But we'll keep on keeping on fighting to keep our community clean!

0

Photo Friday | Upcoming Events in Lafayette

If you're looking for a fun way to get involved in Lafayette, November is your month! There are already a lot of sustainability-focused events on the schedule, so I'll give you a quick roundup. Click each event name to go straight to the Facebook event page.

0

Recap: Project Front Yard 2017 Awards

October is always a busy month for community events, and one of my favorite October events is the Project Front Yard awards. The fourth annual award presentation was held last week at IBERIABANK in Downtown Lafayette. (Check out my recaps of 2014, 2015 and 2016's presentations!)

This year, four awards were given out for Cleanliness, Beautification, Education and Overall Effort. Cleanliness, beautification and education are the three pillars of Project Front Yard's mission, and are what drive every initiative under Project Front Yard.

0

Photo Friday | Festivals Acadiens' Commitment to Sustainability

Festivals Acadiens is just ONE week away! The festival is held in the middle of every October at Girard Park in Lafayette (this year, October 13-15), and focuses on Acadiana's French heritage and culture. The weather is usually amazing for some music, dancing, food and shopping!

Photo courtesy Festivals Acadiens et Creoles

Above all that, what I love about Festivals Acadiens is its commitment to sustainability. The grounds always have a ton of recycling bins (Last year I wrote about the 150 ways to be green at FAetC.)

This year, Festivals Acadiens has announced its plans and strategy to become the greenest festival in the state of Louisiana by 2018.

0

Photo Friday | Updates to Lafayette's Recycling Service

I love when my community has positive recycling/environmental news to share - it's great for the city and it's great for blog content.

This week, Lafayette City-Parish Councilwoman Liz Webb Hebert made an announcement on her Facebook page that made me look like these GIFs:

0

Photo Friday: Thinking Ahead for PARK(ing) Day

PARK(ing) Day is happening across the country and around the world on Friday, September 15, and Lafayette is getting in on the fun!

PARK(ing) day is an annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into public “PARK(ing)” spaces. A handful of Downtown Lafayette metered parking spaces will be transformed into interesting, vibrant public spaces.



ReCover Acadiana is organizing the event in partnership with Lafayette Consolidated Government, the Downtown Development Authority, Downtown Lafayette Unlimited, and the Downtown Lafayette Restaurant and Bar Association.

0

Photo Friday | Going Tiny

Last week, we got to make a visit to Tee Tiny Houses in Arnaudville, Louisiana. The brand new company is Louisiana's first tiny home manufacturer, and they're hard at work on building their first model homes.

I've written about tiny homes on the blog before, and about how inevitably, tiny homes are closely linked with environmentalism. By living in a very small space, you are forced to utilize every inch. Everything must have a purpose and significance, and if you don't use something, you don't let it take up valuable space.

Many tiny homes are built and furnished with salvaged, repurposed or sustainable materials. A smaller footprint automatically means smaller utility bills. What's not to love about that!? You can even go off the grid with solar panels on the roof.
 

Phillip and I are fascinated with tiny homes, but whether we could realistically live in one is another story! Nonetheless, getting to visit a tiny home under construction in person was a pretty fascinating morning. Standing inside this home was really interesting, from seeing where the kitchen will be and how roomy the bathroom is, to learning about all of the unique storage tactics.

Tee Tiny Houses will be holding a grand opening later this year, once this model home nears completion, and I'm looking forward to following the construction process and seeing a furnished home!

What would be the one thing your tiny home would HAVE to have?

0

Photo Friday | Still Lafayette Strong

It's been one hell of a summer around here, and I'm definitely ready for some cooler weather and a change in the seasons.

I haven't been able to ride my bike as much as I would have liked lately, but I'm working on dodging the random rain showers to get out a little more. Last weekend, I enjoyed a nice little solo ride, complete with music and my super styling bike helmet.

There's so much peace I find in bike riding, even with the dangers of city traffic. For a short trip to visit hang out with my parents, it was much more enjoyable to hit play on my phone's music and hop on my bike, instead of getting in my car. You notice your surroundings more, and just feel less isolated than you do inside a vehicle.

I've been enjoying my Schwinn Candis bike for its quiet and comfortable ride. Plus, it's a happy shade of sky blue!

With all of the summer storms that pop up around town, it's been refreshing to see a bunch of rainbows this summer. Not only do they remind me of our trips to Hawaii, but they make me smile just a little bigger.

This coming Sunday marks two years since one of Lafayette's darker days, and while I was on a bike ride last weekend, I came up to a rainbow over the Grand. Still Lafayette Strong, indeed. After that day, and the flood last year, we've certainly dealt with a lot, but we still come back strong.

0

Photo Friday | Celebrating Recycling Successes

We can tend to be a little pessimistic in Acadiana about recycling services, especially with the change last year that we could no longer recycle glass. But we do have a lot to cheer about in terms of recycling progress!

Two dedicated Lafayette ladies/mothers took the initiative during the 2015/2016 school year to evaluate recycling programs and make the case for Lafayette Parish public schools to adopt recycling programs. I wrote about this campaign on the blog last summer, and contacted the school board members to express my support for teaching children about the importance of recycling. (As I always say, I learned at a young age and look where I am now.)

0

Bicycle Safety Festival Time!

Make your plans to come on out this Saturday for Lafayette's second annual Bicycle Safety Festival!

Last year, the festival was held the first Saturday in June (right before a mega-rainstorm, I remember), but this year, it's happening during National Bike Month at Parc Sans Souci in Downtown Lafayette.

From 9am to noon, there will be free bike registration, a bike safety course, helmet giveaways, bike lights, food, drinks and live music.

The festival is free to attend, and great for families, especially when you can pick up a bike helmet and register your bike for free. 

And this year, starting at noon, there will be a bike lane cleanup, although I'm not exactly sure which bike lanes will be canvassed. Lafayette's bike lanes definitely tend to be a catch-all for litter and other road debris, and Mountain Bike Lafayette is gathering volunteers willing to help pick up trash and sweep debris from the bike lanes so that they can be better enjoyed.

These events are a great way to celebrate National Bike Month and get involved in the local bicycling community. I had a great time volunteering at last year's festival, and although this year I may just be a visitor, I encourage you to stop by and learn a little about bicycle safety!

0

Photo Friday | Scenes from Festival International

Now that Festival International has kicked off, it's time to practice what I preach and suggest to y'all!

Don't forget to review my guide to sustainable Festival fashion and guide to celebrating Festival sustainably.


We made our way downtown last night by bike, enjoying the perfect evening weather. It was inspiring to see so many others doing the same.

Working on my own sustainable Festival style, I went for my new favorite Amour Vert top, made of organic cotton and modal (a sustainable material made from beech trees). My shorts are secondhand from Plato's Closet and my shoes are from TOMS. I packed a reusable water bottle, cloth napkin and metal straw, and I've got my natural bug spray ready for the rest of the weekend.

After getting a white sangria from Pamplona in a reusable cup, I requested no straw, and used my own instead, and used my cloth napkin to wipe the cup dry in order to bring home and reuse.

And of course, a reminder to please recycle correctly while you're at Festival. There are almost 300 recycling bins throughout downtown Lafayette, and these blue ones loaned from Bayou Vermilion District clearly specify which items to put in them.

Although I snapped this photo to show the recycling bins, I later noticed that already, the bag is contaminated with items that cannot be recycled, like Styrofoam bowls from a food vendor. 

Please, please, please don't throw non-recyclable items into the recycling bin! I included it in my guide on Tuesday, but here's a quick refresher for you:

RECYCLE:

• Aluminum cans
• Plastic drink cups
• Plastic drink bottles
• Dry paper
• Straws

TRASH:

• Styrofoam
• Wet paper
• Plastic utensils
• Napkins
• Anything with grease
• Food
• Any paper or cardboard contaminated with food remnants

I'm looking forward to getting back out there tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday (rain, please stay away!), eating some of the delicious food, checking out the artists and vendor booths, and of course, catching new and beloved Festival bands!

Happy Festival, y'all!

0

How to Geaux Green at Festival International

Lafayette is feeling a little more electric this week, because Festival International is just one short day away from kicking off! It's been a tough year for organizers, from trouble securing sponsors to having to cut one stage, so now it's time to come out in full force and show our support for Lafayette's keynote annual event (at least in my opinion!)

Make plans to come out, check out some bands, visit the vendor booths, eat a lot of food, and knock back a few drinks.

And when you do, be sure to do it all responsibly and sustainably. It's possible to reduce, reuse and recycle to leave a positive impact on Festival.

First, let's all thank the many workers and volunteers who clean up all of the Festival trash and recycling every year. It is not a fun or glamorous job, but it has a tremendous positive impact on our local environment, and keeps a lot of trash out of Bayou Vermilion.

Read my column in the Times of Acadiana on going green at Festival!

Packing the Essentials

If you plan on spending more than just a couple hours downtown, you're probably going to want to pack a backpack (unless you're one of those people who can spend an entire day needing only your cell phone and Chapstick, and if so, teach me your ways).

For the past few years, my husband and I have worked on perfecting our Festival backpacks, filled with anything we could need each of the days, especially during the weekend. If you plan to spend a good amount of time at Festival, the key is to pack reusable and strategic items.

• Stay hydrated with a full reusable water bottle or Camelbak.
• The usual weather essentials: sunscreen (and lots of it), sunglasses, hat, a portable fan (this year a new addition to our backpacks are cell phone-powered fans...I'm nerdily excited to use it!), and a rain jacket or poncho - leave the umbrellas at home and out of the crowds.
• Pack a compact cloth shopping bag for your Festival finds.
• Pack a to-go dining set with a fork, spoon, straw, and cloth napkin. If you can't avoid plastic utensils from food vendors, and you most likely won't be able to avoid them all weekend, just rinse and reuse them.
• Official Festival app downloaded on your phone. (Of note, there are three LUS Fiber Wifi hotspots at JD Bank Pavillon de Cuisine, Scene LUS, and Scene TV5Monde.)
• Portable backup cell phone charger.
• A small towel can come in handy during extreme sun or rainy periods and work better than paper napkins.
• Ziploc bag or waterproof case for your cell phone in case of rain.

 

Once you’ve got the perfect bag packed, you’ll need to figure out how to get downtown.

Transportation

My personal favorite method is to skip the traffic and parking by riding your bicycle downtown. You get some exercise, fresh air, emissions-free traveling, and this year you get your own lane on Congress Street right on into Festival. Don’t forget your bike lock and a key. Make sure you lock your bike away from walkways or heavily trafficked area.

If bicycling isn't your thing, your group is too large, or you live too far, go for the free official Festival International shuttle to and from Cajun Field, which runs every 15 minutes. Shuttles drop off at Lee and Jefferson, and at Garfield and Buchanan. Check the Festival website or app for shuttle hours.

Carpool with family or friends instead of driving separately.

Sustainability at Festival

When you’re at Festival, try to reduce as much waste as you can.


Cut down on paper and use the Festival app to refer to band schedules and stage information instead of grabbing a handful of paper guides that will either end up at the bottom of your backpack, spilled on or left-behind.


While most drink vendors can't fill up the reusable bottle that you packed, those souvenir Festival cups are totally recyclable! Just save your cups to reuse at home or work. In 2015, I learned that New Orleans Daiquiris was selling a reusable daiquiri cup that would allow you to get refills for a small discount (if I remember correctly). I used it for that weekend, then brought it back in 2016 and reused it all weekend. You can bet that cup is getting packed again this year!

Don't forget to use your cloth napkin and utensils. Although many food vendors use styrofoam products, you can still reduce your trash by skipping plastic utensils and paper napkins. Don't be afraid to say you don't want a utensil when ordering your food.

The Scoop on Recycling

Here’s what’s accepted in recycling bins:

• Aluminum cans
• Plastic drink cups
• Plastic drink bottles
• Dry paper
• Straws

Here’s what’s NOT accepted in Festival recycling bins:

• Styrofoam
• Wet paper
• Plastic utensils
• Napkins
• Anything with grease
• Food
• Any paper or cardboard contaminated with food remnants

Leave the glass at home. It's super dangerous for all the sandal-clad feet!

 

Shopping

When you’re shopping, carry your purchases in a cloth bag. Stop by the official merchandise tent to get a cloth bag if you don't have one, and use it for all of your shopping. For the second year, Project Front Yard and CGI will be providing cloth bags for you to use instead of plastic.

Bring back your Project Front Yard bag from last year, or pick one up this year and reuse it when you purchase Festival merch, and get 5% off your purchase.

Photo via Festival International

Support the Artists and Vendors

Many vendors sell green products, whether they use recycled or repurposed materials, source local materials or make their wares by hand. Support these vendors and show them you support sustainability! There are some truly great recycled things to find, and they are beautifully unique. I've found some of my all-time favorite jewelry at Festival International over the past few years, and I love meeting the artists who creatively repurpose and recycle.

This year, you can also purchase eco-friendly Festival aprons that are made from recycled material at the merchandise tents.

Volunteer

Help make Festival greener by volunteering for the recycling crew. Visit the Festival website to sign up for a shift.

Bayou Vermilion District's Greg Guidroz on recycling duty in 2016

Or, join the Project Front Yard trash mob on the Saturday afternoon and donate an hour of your afternoon to join others in cleaning up trash around Festival grounds. Keep up with Project Front Yard on Facebook for the most current updates on the event.

Festival International 2016 Project Front Yard Trash Mob participants, via Project Front Yard

If You Don't Do Anything Else I Suggest, Do This

No matter what, remember that the ground is not where your trash belongs! There will be approximately 300 dedicated recycling bins located all over downtown, so recycle everything that’s acceptable, and throw your other trash in one of the hundreds of trash cans.

There’s no excuse for littering.

Geaux Green and Happy Festival, y’all!


Visit Festival International:

• On the web
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

0

Follow the Recycling Rules!

Although today's post focuses on the city of Lafayette's curbside recycling contract and current contamination issues, the general idea is one that any resident around the country should pay attention to. Recycling bin contamination is not an isolated problem, I'm sure, and it's important for everyone to follow the rules to help ensure that we can keep recycling for years to come.

Lafayette adopted a new recycling contract effective last May - read my blog post on the changes to the program here. Eligible residents got new, larger bins, a new pickup date, and new rules on what's accepted and what's not - the biggest being no more glass pickup, and only plastics 1 and 2 accepted.

Whether it's from residents still not knowing what belongs in the recycling bin and what doesn't, or from residents not wanting to accept the changes in the program, the recycling program is facing higher contamination rates - unacceptable items being placed in the recycling bin and sent to the facility for sorting.

Last week, Lafayette Consolidated Government issued a press release regarding recycling contamination rates, which included the very real reminder that if a load of recycling is deemed contaminated, THE WHOLE THING GOES TO THE LANDFILL.

“When a load is rejected, then everything, including acceptable recycling material will be diverted to a landfill, contradicting our program goals of reducing the amount of material brought to the landfill,” says LCG Environmental Quality Manager Bess Foret. “We are working to correct the issue and have created educational tags to remind and inform residents what is and isn’t acceptable in their recycling cart.”

 

Yes, it's frustrating to think that our recycling efforts can be all for naught, and it's frustrating that fewer items are accepted, but it's only our fault if recycling loads are too contaminated to continue in the sorting process.

I read an article a few months back that introduced the term wishcycling - placing items in the recycling bin that aren't accepted, with the wish that they WERE, or uncertainty whether something is accepted or not. I admit I've been guilty of this, especially when throwing plastic #5 in my recycling bin. But although I feel like that kind of plastic should be accepted, it doesn't change that in this contract, it is not. So I have to throw it away.

As Earth911 says in their wishcycling article, "So, while you think you’re helping out by tossing anything and everything that could possibly, maybe, sort of be recycled into your bin, you may actually be dooming literal tons of other, properly recycled, items to the trash."

You might be asking, what specific items does Republic Services consider to contaminate recycling bin?

• Garbage (food and liquid waste, including containers with food residue such as pizza boxes)
• Yard waste
• Plastic bags (should be recycled through retail centers) 
• Large items, such as wood, plastic totes, metal, etc.
• Glass
• #3-#7 plastics, including Styrofoam
• Hoses, wires, chains, etc.
• Textiles (clothing or linen)

Now, about plastic bags. Many people use trash can liners for their in-home or in-office recycling bins, or otherwise bag recyclable materials.

The press release notes that plastic bags alone in recycling carts would not deem a cart as contaminated, but plastic grocery and shopping bags are not recycled through the curbside program. Bring all clean, plastic bags to local retail centers and grocery stores that offer high volume collection and recycling. (Read my blog post on recycling plastic bags through retail programs from this past January.)

So when it comes to dumping your recyclables in your cart before curbside pickup, empty the bag's contents into the bin. Plastic bags make it labor-intensive for employees who must manually empty the bags, plus, the bags get caught in the screeners and slow down the sorting process.

LCG suggests that if you prefer having a liner for your in-home or in-office recycling bin and don't want to empty out a plastic liner, use a cardboard box or a paper bag, which are recyclable through the program and can be naturally sorted through the system.

As a refresher, this is the postcard sent to all eligible residents last year when the new recycling bins arrived. It clearly has the list of acceptable and unacceptable items - so save this image, print it out, and keep it handy.

If you keep a small dedicated recycling bin inside your home, tape this on it as a reminder.

Make yourself familiar with the rules of recycling, and follow them. Even if it's frustrating, it's the only way we can ensure we'll keep having recycling services. Throwing glass into the recycling bin is not going to bring glass recycling back magically (although I do wish for it to come back one day!), but it is going to cause a lot of materials that ARE recyclable to be sent to the landfill instead.

Get a comprehensive review of Lafayette’s recycling program here.

0

What's Happening in Louisiana for Earth Month 2017

Although Earth Month hasn't officially started yet, I'm too excited to share with y'all the long list of events that are happening around Acadiana and Louisiana.

Click on each event to be directed to the official information source, and start making your Earth Month plans now!

Saturday, April 1

Lafayette Consolidated Government is holding their semiannual Debris Drop from 8am to noon, where city of Lafayette/unincorporated parish residents can drop off their bulky/miscellaneous/construction waste. Check the event information for the list of items that will be accepted, and those that are NOT accepted. (Don't waste your time and energy bringing something they can't accept!)

Saturday, April 1-Saturday, April 8

Earlier this week, I wrote about the Project Front Yard Festival of Service. There are eight days of different service-oriented events going on, so here is the full event list on Project Front Yard's Facebook page. Mark yourself as attending any of the events to get posts and updates!

Wednesday, April 5

My personal favorite day of the Festival of Service, #WasteFreeDay. Subscribe to the Facebook event to learn about the basics of zero-waste and join us on Wednesday with your waste-free lunch!

Thursday, April 13

Every year, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Office of Sustainability hosts Fete de la Terre to celebrate Earth Day. Groups will be set up on Hebrard Street across from Dupre Library between 11 and 2.

Saturday, April 15

This year, the first Earth Day preamble will be held in downtown Lafayette at the Wurst Biergarten. Side note, the Wurst Biergarten started as a repurposed shipping container transforming into an outdoor bar, and in one short year, it has truly become a fun, unique outdoor hangout space.

The event's goal is to provide a space for earth lovers to congregate, learn about the work being done locally, and learn how to get involved. 

From 10-11am, there will be a litter cleanup parade downtown, then from 11-3 the stalls behind the Biergarten will be filled with local environmental organizations that have both volunteer and membership opportunities.

Saturday, April 22

The Louisiana Earth Day Festival, typically held in downtown Baton Rouge, will be moved to the Baton Rouge Zoo this year, due to construction. The festival runs from 9:30am-5pm.

Saturday, April 22

Aromatic Infusions in Youngsville is hosting an Earth Day festival with all-natural snacks and treats, plastic bottle repurposing ideas, composting pointers, and lessons on essential oils.

Sunday, April 23

Back in Lafayette, Bayou Vermilion District is hosting its annual Earth Day festival at Vermilionville from 10-4, with free admission, paddling, crafts, yoga, live music, and a free clothes and book swap (bring what you don't want and take home something new-to-you!)

Additionally, Bayou Vermilion District has organized a Bike to Earth Day Poker Run from 11-1. Register in advance using the link on the Facebook event; the fee is $10 per rider.

Is there an event I've missed? Email me and let me know, and I'll update this post!

0