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Caltopia VI is greener than ever!

Caltopia VI, recognized as the largest experiential College Lifestyle Festival in the nation, will be held on Sunday, August 24 and Monday, August 25, 2008 at the award-winning Recreational Sports Facility right here on campus! This year Caltopia is greener than ever, and we want to share our plan with you! Check out the 10 ways we plan on greening the event and let us know what you think!

Zero Waste: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

1. Reduce - Cal Rec Sports will offer paperless promotional methods to all exhibitors and sponsors via our partners, Kadoink and CampusMint.

2. Reuse - We're going paperless wherever possible, but when we can't go paperless, we are making efforts to use recycled paper and soy-based ink.

3. Recycle - Caltopia will be outfitted with a minimum of 14 recycling stations, including trash, compost, and recycling bins, throughout the event. Signage will be strategically placed near each recycling station and throughout the facility.

Sustainable Transportation

4. No Idling Rule - During load-in/out, trucks and cars will have designated parking at specified times to avoid idling and promote cleaner air.

5. Public Transportation - The link to 511.org's Trip Planner will be provided on the event website, for attendees to find the best method of public transportation to get them to the event.

Good Eats at Caltopia - The natural, organic and sustainable way!

6. Compost - All sampling stations and restaurants are encouraged to use compostable materials to distribute their product whenever possible. Compost bins will be easily accessible both for participating restaurants and attendees.

7. Biodegradable - All utensils, containers and napkins for Caltopia's Chow Down and Restaurant Row will be biodegradable.

8. Styrofoam Free - Caltopia will be a Styrofoam Free event!

Reducing Caltopia's Climate Footprint

9. Travel Climate Neutral - Cal Rec Sports encourages attendees traveling from out of town to offset their carbon emissions by purchasing Cool Tags which can offset about 300 miles of travel.

10. Support the locals - In order to support the Buy Local Berkeley campaign, we are inviting locally owned and operated businesses to be a part of Caltopia!

Big Businesses Ranked on Greenness

Part of working out and staying healthy includes buying proper athletic apparel and nutritious foods. As a consumer of athletic apparel, food and other healthy lifestyle products, do you ever wonder how green the companies you purchase from are? Well, now it's easy to find out!

Check out Climate Counts, a new ranking of eco-friendly practices in big biz. In its second annual scorecard, nonprofit Climate Counts ranked 56 companies on their measurement, reduction, and disclosure of greenhouse gases. Eighty-four percent of the companies scored higher this year than they did in 2007, but the average score was still only 40 out of a possible 100. Climate Counts distributes pocket-sized versions of its scorecard in hopes that consumers will consider the rankings when wielding purchasing power.

Want to see how the companies you purchase from rate? Visit Climate Counts.

Source: Grist.org and Climate Counts, viewed on 5/8/08

Stay Green While You Travel

These days, we try to do it all: excel at school or jobs, workout, spend time with friends and family, all while trying to stay healthy. A great way to de-stress and escape from our hectic lives is to take a vacation. So, pick a destination where you can take your recreation out doors and get some relaxation in too. While you're at it, why not find accommodations that match up with the green ideals that you live by at home? Happily, there are an increasing number of resources available to help you stay green wherever you travel.

What makes a green hotel? A good green hotel will mix many green methods. In the bathroom, for example, they can use amenities like low-flow showerheads, give you the option to not wash your towel every day, offer eco-friendly shampoos and soaps, and clean it with green cleaners every day. They can serve local and organic food in the restaurant downstairs, use furniture that doesn't contain PBDEs and other icky chemicals, and put motion sensors on the lights so the lights don't get left on all day when they don't have to be.

Want to find a green hotel? Check out the following resources:

Green Hotels Association
Green Hotel Reviews
Environmentally Friendly Hotels

Source: Planet Green, viewed May 11, 2008

The Eat Well Guide

We know its important to stay healthy no matter where you are, be it on a business trip or in your own home town. When you're away for the weekend, you can take your workout outdoors and hit a local trail or gym, but what about finding healthy food choices? Now, you can plan ahead and find wholesome, fresh and sustainable food before you leave town.

The Eat Well Guide is a handy online database of small-scale farms, restaurants, and other green food outlets throughout the U.S. Enter in your zip code and voilà, a long list of options in your area or wherever you may be headed. The site also has Water-Conscious ratings, so you can find out which neighborhood restaurants are saying no to bottled water.

To find local or nationwide options for local, sustainable and organic food, check out the Eat Well Guide.