BY NANCY GOODMAN

Courtesy of the Idaho State Journal

    DRIGGS — Christina Thomure was a star performer at the Grand Targhee Music Festival the weekend of July 18-20. But she never stepped foot on the stage. Instead, she served the event deep behind the scenes, and sometimes even deep inside a garbage can.

    As the Director of Sustainability Operations at Grand Targhee, Thomure coordinated an initiative that allowed all food and beverage waste from the event to be recycled or composted. Throughout the weekend, a team of 40 volunteers posted themselves along rows of garbage cans, educating people on their recyclable and compostable waste. The biggest surprise for event-goers may have been to learn that all plastic-ware such as cups and forks had been made with vegetable matter and was compostable.

    "The volunteers are here to educate people on what is recyclable and compostable," said Thomure. "So far it's been very successful; this weekend there has been very little garbage left around and cleaning up has been very easy."

    This spring, Grand Targhee Ski Resort earned a Clif Bar Silver Eagle Award and was a finalist for a Golden Eagle Award for efforts to reduce its environmental impact. Grand Targhee reduced its waste by 4% from 2006 to 2007, and has a goal to reduce it to 50% of its 2002 total by 2010.

    All food and beverage vendors at the Grand Targhee Music Festival used compostable or recyclable plates, cups, and dinnerware, and 1500 souvenir cups were also sold to reduce the environmental impact of the event.

    A nonprofit organization called "Pursue Balance" was also on hand to educate event-goers on new technology and ways to reduce carbon footprints both at the event and at home. Kids were able to race toy cars powered with solar energy, and videos on environmental sustainability were shown on a TV powered by a large solar panel.

    "All this education is really beneficial," said Thomure. "It's a learning process for the entire nation, and I think Grand Targhee is doing well both in its sustainability efforts and its efforts to educate people on these issues."