Denver PrideFest Launches New Sustainability Initiatives

Denver PrideFest aims to go green for the festival’s 50th anniversary by including 150 recycling bins on-site with the goal of reaching 50 percent waste diversion.

PrideFest will be partnering with Southwest Airlines and Pattie Gonia to support this green initiative in the form of education and recycling. Gonia is a long-time environmental activist and drag-performer who is one of the headliners for Denver PrideFest 2024.

Gonia says, “If we can start with our ethnicity, our culture, our sexuality, our values and beliefs, as the deepest roots of our climate work, and that climate work reflects truly who we are, I think we’re going to be even more motivated to chase it…I think we need more creativity. I think we need more intersectionality. I think we need more diversity celebrated in the climate movement. And so I really think that it’s on us and our privilege to really highlight and amplify the creativity of climate solutions that are being presented by some of the most diverse and affected people by climate change.”

Denver PrideFest’s ‘Leave No Trace’ policies have ensured the park was clean and spotless, but this initiative aims to pair each trash can with a recycling bin to decrease overall waste. Additionally, a green team of volunteers and staff will be offering education and awareness to attendees, as well as creating a clean stream of material that will be recycled after the event.

“Partnering with Southwest Airlines and Pattie Gonia represents a significant step forward in Denver PrideFest’s ongoing efforts to reduce waste and increase sustainability,” said Rex Fuller, CEO of The Center on Colfax. “These collaborations allow us to make a greener festival experience a reality, resulting in a positive impact in our community.”

 Additional waste reduction initiatives include:

• Water trailers on-site to fill reusable water bottles and cut down on the number of single-use plastic bottles

• Utilizing reusable cups (rcups) in the VIP area for all mixed drinks

• Moving toward serving drinks in recyclable aluminum cans

• Requiring food vendors to supply recyclable containers for their product

For more information on Denver Pridefest or to volunteer you can go to their website.

Featured image by Magda Ehlers, courtesy of Pexels.