GOING GREEN
Sponsored by AMG Energy
Thinking about ways we can better support our environment, the Sonoma Valley Film Festival is embarking on a three-year program to “Green-Up” our Festival.
With the guidance and support of our sponsor AMG Energy (a local provider of energy solutions) and our partners at Green Living Sonoma (a consortium of green builders and consultants), we have already achieved green certification for our Festival offices and year round business practices (reducing waste and energy consumption), and we are working toward making the Festival itself a “greener” event.
We’re not perfect… but we are trying to take important steps to help protect our wonderful planet.
Here are some ways YOU can participate:
• WALK! With all screening venues within walking distance of each other, guests can leave their cars behind and walk to the movies. MBT the anti-shoe is offering guests the opportunity to experience a whole new level of fitness through walking. Bicycles, rollerblades, public transportation, electric vehicles, and carpools are also encouraged in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the U.S., automobiles are responsible for approximately ¼ of annual CO2 produced.
• Bring a reusable water bottle. To reduce the use of thousands of single-use water bottles, the Festival has installed cooler-style water dispensers at all venues. Production of plastic bottles is inefficient, as the equivalent of 7 bottles of clean water may be necessary to produce one plastic bottle! Help us reduce the number of discarded plastic bottles in the U.S. – currently a staggering 200 billion each year.
• Stay green. Look for an environmentally-conscious hotel (most of our recommended hotel partners have “gone green”!) and bring your own green practices to any hotel. Tell the front desk that you don’t need your linens and towels changed everyday, and be sure to turn off all lights when you leave your room. Laundry for one double-occupancy guest room can use up to 30 gallons of water per day!
• Eat local and buy organic. Our epicurean partners have made great efforts to reduce waste and use organic produce and biodegradable supplies. Some Festival partners, like The Epicurean Connection, are “green-certified” businesses while others, such as Sonoma-based Planet Organics, have donated substantial amounts of organic produce so that our catering partners can utilize fresh, local ingredients. Sonoma Valley is known for wonderful organic food and wine, so there’s no lack of choice!
• Shop local and buy green. All official Festival merchandise is eco-friendly, including Festival tote bags (sponsored by LG Electronics) made from recycled post-consumer materials, and organic cotton t-shirts both for purchase and worn by our volunteers. Purchasing local goods reduces transportation emissions and provides you with unique, memorable products.
• Refuse plastics. Bring your own shopping bags and decline plastic bags when you shop. Americans use over 100 billion plastic bags annually at an energetic cost of production of 12 billion barrels of oil. In an effort to reduce plastic waste, our pre-screening wine samples will be served in glassware or (where necessary) in cups made of recycled material. Aficionados will agree that wine tastes better in glass, too!
• Learn more from our Green Team! At each Festival venue, guests will have a chance to interact with our dedicated Green Team at special MBT-sponsored Information Centers. In addition to general Festival info, attendees can view walking maps, fill up on water, recycle or compost their waste, and ask questions about our new green efforts and our plans to do even better in the future.
