Menu

JamPacked

Live band at JamPacked

Waste-Free JamPacked Event a Success!

, , , , , , ,

We had a blast at the JamPacked Craft Beer and Music Festival on Brown’s Island this past weekend!  Keep Virginia Beautiful was pleased to be invited by WestRock, who presented the festival, as the charity beneficiary.  The craft beer and music festival was a win-win-win-win event:

     Win #1:  WestRock provides innovative packaging solutions with sustainability in mind, and had many of their craft beer clients on hand to show off and talk about their products;

     Win #2:  JamPacked was a model example of a waste-free large-scale event for others to use for future planning;

     Win #3:  Keep Virginia Beautiful was the charity beneficiary of the event, and we also had a chance to meet people and give away stuff to help others reduce waste;

     Win #4:  The public got to experience how a large event can be waste-free by just doing things a little differently!

There was the expectation that the because the event was waste-free, it would be clean and green, an attitude that was welcomed by the people we met there — they didn’t want to see Brown’s Island full of litter, or bags of trash going to the landfill, or the ground littered with cigarette butts and wrappers at the end of the evening.  The grass was refreshingly free of littered paper and plastic, and people were happy to use the recycling bins, cigarette butt containers, and composting bins, even with thousands of people in attendance!

Here’s some examples of the sustainable practices that we experienced at JamPacked. You can use these ideas at your next sports, school, faith community, or family event to create your own waste-free celebration:

Paperless ticketing: With most everyone having access to a cell phone, it’s easier than ever to eliminate paper tickets.  Free or low-cost platforms such as Eventbrite will walk you through the process.

Canned beverages:  Using soft drinks or adult beverages that come in aluminum cans means they can be recycled instead of sent to the landfill.

Paperboard food packaging:  Ditch the Styrofoam and plastic plates, cups, and utensils; aim for bamboo, paperboard, and other recyclable products.  In the Richmond area, N.O.P.E. (Natural Organic Process Enterprises) is a composting center.  Some restaurants accept food scraps and compostable products.

Composting food scraps:  The Green Team members worked hard at JamPacked to help people sort out their food scraps from the compostable plates and utensils.  It’s easy to compost food waste in your own backyard with the correct location for sun and water, with or without a purchased bin.

No single-use plastic bottles of water:  Say good-bye to the expense and hassle of getting cases of single-use bottled water at the store!  Refillable water bottles are attractive, sturdy, hold a greater quantity, and refillable!  You can even use refillable bottles as a giveaway (or fundraiser)  in team colors for your special event.

Pocket ashtrays: or other fire-proof containers to collect cigarette butts; the butts we collected will be sent to TerraCycle at no cost to be recycled into a park bench!

Thank you again WestRock for showing RVA the positive impact of a waste-free event, as well as the supporting sponsors, the vendors, bands, breweries, and guests who attended!

Clean grassy areas with thousands of people in attendance, but no litter
Clean, un-littered grassy areas, even with thousands of people in attendance

Band playing on stage at JamPacked
The music was jammin’ all day long!

Beer tents with customers
32 craft breweries using sustainable packaging, served thirsty guests

Tent with a tie-dyed smile
Dirty Dan’s Delectable Dyes

 

 

 

Yes! A Zero-Waste Public Event Is Possible!

, , , , ,

Sold Out Sign The first ever JamPacked Craft Brewery and Music Festival was held on Brown’s Island in Richmond this past Saturday.  It was hosted by WestRock, who is as passionate about sustainability as we are, and committed to making it a Zero-Waste event!  It required some planning before, during, and after the event to make it happen, but it’s worth it!

If you were lucky enough to be one of the 3,000 people who were able to purchase a ticket to the sold-out event, you got to see first-hand the efforts that were made to reduce the amount of waste produced at the event by encouraging people to reuse, recycle, and compost instead of being given, then throwing away, single-use containers.  But way before the first craft brew was served or the first chord was struck by the opening band, much had already been done behind the scenes to lighten the environmental impact of JamPacked.  Here are just some of the ways:

BEFORE:

  • Informational signs were made using recycled paper when possible;
  • Signs were printed with soy ink (a renewable and natural source instead of petroleum-based inks);
  • The volunteer t-shirts were made with fiber thread created from recycled plastic bottles;
  • Innovative coolers were specially created with compostable liners to keep the craft beer icy cold and refreshing for festival guests to enjoy.

DURING:

  • Crowd at FestivalFood scraps were collected to be turned into compost, a natural soil amendment that is earth friendly and plays a vital role in growing thriving and healthy organic crops;
  • Compostable utensils, plates, containers, and napkins from nope Natural Organic Process Enterprises were used to serve food, so they’ll also be composted instead of going to the landfill;
  • Aluminum beer cans were collected at the onsite recycling stations;
  • The Green Team volunteers were there to help educate guests on how use the different bins for recycling and composting;
  • Pocket ashtrays were distributed to guests to prevent cigarette butts from being littered on the ground;
  • A potable drinking water source was on site for guests to refill their water bottles.

AFTER:

  • Informational signs will be recycled with other paper and cardboard products;
  • Aluminum cans will be taken to a facility to be transformed into new aluminum;
  • Cigarette butts that were collected will be recycled;
  • Compostable utensils, plates, containers, napkins, and food scraps will be picked up by nope and composted.
Boy in safety vest
One of our Cleanup Kit winners was anxious to try out the gear!

We want to thank WestRock, the sponsors, the craft breweries, the vendors, the bands, and all the workers and volunteers who made the festival such a success.  We appreciate those who stopped by our booth to pick up some freebies, say hello, or enter to win a cleanup kit.

Our hope is that Zero-Waste events become the new normal.  With some conscientious planning, thousands of people can gather, enjoy music, food and beverages, and leave the event space in beautiful condition.  Because keeping Virginia beautiful is what we’re all about!

JamPacked Festival Logo

Can a Public Event Really be Zero-Waste?

, , , , , , , , ,

JamPacked Festival LogoAs large-scale public events return, it’s a good time to start fresh with an improved way of doing them.  Sporting events, concerts, and even well-meaning rallying events for a good cause can leave behind a sea of litter.  There must be a better way!

But is a zero-waste event possible?  We say “Yes!” and invite you to come see for yourself this Saturday on Brown’s Island in Richmond for the first ever JamPacked Craft Beer and Music Festival!

So then, what is a zero-waste event?  It’s one that aims to reduce the amount of waste produced at the event, so there’s very little that ends up going to the landfill.  It encourages people to reuse, recycle, and compost instead of throwing away single-use containers at the event.

WestRock LogoBefore we get to info about the fun event, we’re excited to tell you more about the host of the event, WestRock.  With a serious commitment to sustainability, WestRock provides innovative packaging solutions that help customers achieve their sustainability goals and win in the market.  They design and produce paper-based, environmentally friendly packaging for over 400 craft beverage companies nationwide!  For instance, WestRock’s innovative and recyclable CanCollar is a durable, paperboard-based multipack solution for cans that replaces the hard-to-recycle plastic six-pack packaging.

You can read more about WestRock on their webpages for Bettering the Planet and Supporting People and Our Communities.  And speaking of supporting their community, we are thrilled to be named as the charity of choice to be the beneficiary of the JamPacked event!

The JamPacked Craft Beer and Music Festival is set for Saturday, August 13th.  There will be over 35 craft breweries, food trucks, and 5 live bands on stage!  We still need some volunteers to help serve beer, so if you want to get in for FREE sign up for a shift!

While you’re at the event, be sure to stop by our Keep Virginia Beautiful booth on Brown’s Island!  We’ll be giving away stuff all day, including cleanup kits, pocket ashtrays, and other goodies while supplies last.

See you there!

JamPacked Festival Logo

We Need You to Help with the Brew!

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

JamPacked Festival LogoWe are honored and excited to be the beneficiary of a new RVA event called JamPacked Craft Beer and Music Festival!  Hope you’ll join us on Saturday, August 13 from 4-11 pm on Brown’s Island in Richmond.  We’ll use proceeds from the event to further our mission to engage and unite Virginians in improving our natural and scenic environment.

The name JamPacked comes from the fact that it’s being brought to you by WestRock, a company that designs and produces paper-based packaging for more than 400 craft beverage companies nationwide. JamPacked will feature some of these valued customer partners in recyclable aluminum cans so that we can minimize our landfill waste.  The Jam part of the name is for the live music that will be playing!

JamPacked is going to have environmentally conscious craft brewers, inspiring bands and concertgoers who want a better future!  WestRock is committed to creating a waste-free event utilizing only recyclable materials and create a great local experience in the Richmond market.

Did we whet your appetite yet?

We could use volunteers to help us on the day of the festival to help throughout the day.  Click HERE and HERE to see available time slots and to sign up to help out!

Beer Server: This position will interact with the general public and serve beverages on behalf of the breweries, cideries, etc. from behind a booth. Each Volunteer will serve a beverage according to a designated number of beverage tickets that are sold elsewhere on site. TIPS training or certification a plus, but not necessary. Please let us know if you are​ certified and/or have other experience serving alcohol.

Brew and Ice Sherpa: This important role will work with a team to make sure all the beer booths have plenty of iced-down beer at the appropriate locations throughout the shift. Each shift will be responsible for moving coolers, bags of ice, and cases of beer between logistics area and beer booths

Qualifications, Skills, & Requirements:
No training is needed, but you should be able to lift 20-30 lbs

All shifts are 3 hours, and you will get a break as needed. Please plan to arrive with time to check in and get to your position by the assigned time.

Other Information:

  • You will receive free entry to the event to enjoy pre or post shift
  • Beer pourers are required to attend a brief training the evening prior at Capital Ale.
  • There will be a kick-off party immediately following training for brewers, sponsors, partners, and YOU – our Volunteers!
  • Please wear comfortable attire and dress for the heat; we will have a volunteer shirt for you
  • Parking is NOT provided, but is plentiful in the area
  • Please bring a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated
  • RECRUIT A FRIEND; YOU KNOW IT’S MORE FUN TO VOLUNTEER WITH BUDS!

If you want more information, visit the official JamPacked website to see which craft brews will be there, the bands you’ll hear, and purchase tickets for those who are not volunteering!

We hope you’ll come out to support this fun, environmental, band-playing, brew-pouring, JamPacked event!