Central, LA—Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) has chosen the City of Central to receive a Greener Grounds Grant to support Cooking in Central’s litter prevention and waste management practices. Mayor Wade Evans announced today that Keep Louisiana Beautiful has awarded the $5,000 grant to help create and execute a plan focused on waste reduction.
"This grant award represents an active partnership with KLB that will help our event organizers uphold their responsibility to do the right thing for the environment while we give our attendees all the fun and festivities Cooking in Central offers," Evans said.
Susan Russell, KLB’s Executive Director, explains that Greener Grounds is more than just a cleanup supplies grant, endeavoring to improve litter prevention and waste management practices at large, outdoor Louisiana events such as fairs, festivals, parades, and concerts. KLB partnered with French Quarter Festivals, Inc. to create the Greener Grounds Guidebook and Workbook to provide practical ways that event organizers can plan to manage and reduce waste, increase recycling, and prevent litter at their events.
The grant supports the implementation of the best practices outlined in the guidebook. “Louisiana is home to more than 400 festivals and events annually attended by locals and tourists who come together to celebrate the state's vibrant offerings of food, music, history, and culture. With these events often comes a completely avoidable and solvable issue: litter. While we all love to laissez les bons temps rouler, we must ensure the waste inevitably created by outdoor events does not threaten our environment. Keeping event sites clean not only enhances the attendees’ experience but also helps stop the detrimental cycle of mismanaged waste becoming litter that will clog storm drains or enter waterways - an issue that harms the state's coastline, wildlife, and water quality.”
Made possible with funding from the State of Louisiana and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, 25 Greener Grounds Grants totaling over $140,000 were awarded to eligible organizations, including Louisiana non-profits, municipalities, and parishes that organize events of at least 1,000 attendees per day. Mayor Wade Evans added that the event’s venue, “Central’s Amazing Place,” has inadequate trash and recycling receptacles for an event of Cooking in Central’s size. Every year, it is a struggle to keep the grounds clean, to get recyclables in the correct place, and to empty waste bins frequently enough. We intend to use the grant funds to buy trash receptacles, reusable recycling receptacles, garbage bags, and reusable waste station signage for the event being held March 22-23, 2024.
Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s mission is to promote personal, corporate, and community responsibility for a clean and beautiful Louisiana. Through its programs and statewide network of affiliates and partners, the organization provides the tools and resources to prevent litter, reduce waste, increase recycling, and beautify spaces. KLB is a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving a cleaner, greener Louisiana through litter reduction and beautification initiatives. For those who want to get involved, please visit keeplouisianabeautiful.org.