Trash Talk and Tunes

As a sustainability volunteer with GreenLight Solutions, I recently had the opportunity to help with a very special mission: Maximize waste diversion at VIVA Phoenix! Our Green Team was ready to achieve this mission through recycling, composting, and raising awareness. 

When I arrived at VIVA Phoenix, we strategically set up recycling, composting, and trash stations throughout the venue, making it as easy as possible for attendees to make sustainable choices. As volunteers, we stationed ourselves near high-traffic areas, ready to educate attendees about proper recycling and composting habits and answer questions. In the zero waste world, this is called Bin Guarding!​

As the music played, we alternated between shifts of Waste Sorting and Bin Guarding. Volunteering at a music festival brought together two things I love—live music and environmental action. By picking up litter and raising awareness, I felt like we were creating a cleaner, greener space for everyone to enjoy. However, it wasn’t all hard work; there were plenty of perks to being a Green Team member:

1. Direct Environmental Impact: By sorting waste, we diverted 1.1 tons of trash from the landfill, including 1323 lbs to recycling and 891 lbs to composting. This is equivalent to 3 metric tons of CO₂ being prevented from entering the atmosphere! It’s powerful to know that our work has an immediate and measurable environmental benefit.
2. Sense of Accomplishment: Every piece of waste sorted felt like a victory. Each time someone chose to compost instead of throw something away, we knew we were making a direct, tangible impact. The full compost and recycling bins demonstrated our collective impact!
3. Front Row to Education: This kind of volunteer work builds a unique bond between the community and the environment, showing people that small actions can add up to significant positive change.

​4. Personal Growth and New Skills: Being part of the Green Team pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me a lot about communicating with people from all walks of life. I learned to speak confidently about waste reduction and sustainability, which is something I’ll carry into future experiences.
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5. A Lasting Cultural Shift: Festivals like VIVA Phoenix bring thousands of people together. When they see volunteers making a positive environmental impact, it leaves a lasting impression. Many people told us they were inspired to start recycling or composting more because of what they learned from us.

As the festival wrapped up, our Green Team gathered to celebrate our successes. We’d made a visible difference, and the festival grounds were noticeably cleaner. Knowing we’d helped divert waste and educate the public made every moment worth it. We left VIVA Phoenix feeling empowered, knowing our efforts contributed to a cleaner, greener festival experience and a more informed community. The Green Team delivered and the Valley of the Sun reaped the benefits.

Author: Ty Cowie
​Ty Cowie is a freshman attending Arizona State University studying Manufacturing Engineering. Ty is a Green Event Service Assistant with GreenLight Solution with the purpose of trying to be a part of something that is impactful to the community and to learn what it takes to run a non-profit. Ty is interested in the environment and sustainability on how to change current world problems.