BLUE AND GREEN

Trashing the Convention

By David Frey, 8-25-08

	A "greening" crew roams the grounds of the Democratic National Convention in Denver on Monday.

Before the delegates arrived at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, the “greening” crew was on the scene.

In a floppy straw hat, sunglasses perched on the brim, Alan King was leading a team of volunteers in green T-shirts around the grounds, from one set of cardboard bins to another.

Alongside the trash cans, there were recycling bins, even compost bins, where organic waste would be gathered and shipped to a central composting location.

“For so many years, we’ve had something called ‘trash,’” King told the crew of volunteers. “It’s actually unreclaimed resources.”

Organizers say they want to make this the most environmentally sustainable convention ever held in the country. They want to keep 85 percent of the waste out of the landfill. It’s a tall order.

“They’re taking the green thing seriously,” one worker said, confessing it was even tough to find a copy of the schedule around.

Organizers are also encouraging participants to use public transportation to get there. The only problem: they shut down the light rail stop in front of the Pepsi Center, where the convention is taking place, for security reasons.

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