Main Street Food Truck Festival Announces Major Sustainability Initiative
PRESS RELEASE
Media contact:
Ellen Coulter
(314) 443-4387
Main Street Food Truck Festival Announces Major Sustainability Initiative
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Sept. 20, 2021) – As the Main Street Food Truck Festival gears up to celebrate its 10th year on Saturday, October 2, festival organizers are announcing a major sustainability initiative with a goal to reduce waste at the 2021 festival by 85%.
“This year, with it being our 10th year, we set out to accomplish a mission that’s been on our minds for a while now – reducing waste from the festival.” Gabe Holmstrom, executive director of the Downtown Little Rock Partnership, said. “We have so much pride in the Main Street Food Truck Festival and each year we’ve tried to raise the bar. Sustainability is the next big step.”
Thanks to sponsorships by Keep Arkansas Beautiful and Coca-Cola Consolidated, Downtown Little Rock Partnership was able to bring on board Food Loops – an Arkansas-based sustainability solutions and food waste management company – to manage waste diversion at the 2021 festival.
The goal is to create as little waste as possible by recycling all bottles, cans, and cardboard as well as composting not only the food waste but the all the compostable containers and utensils. Food trucks are required to use compostable products to serve their items. Food trucks are also required to serve at least one sample size item, as larger portions tend to result in more waste. When attendees have something to throw away, rather than tossing it in the usual trash can, they will drop it off at waste stations around the festival, where Food Loops will sort it into compost, recyclables, and landfill.
“We have seen success with this model in events across the nation, and we feel confident that with cooperation from the community, we can reduce waste by around 85%-90%” Michael Kraus with Food Loops said.
For details on the 2021 Main Street Food Truck Festival, visit MainStreetFoodTrucks.com or find the “Main Street Food Truck Festival” event on Facebook (https://fb.me/e/NPgc5paP).
Downtown Little Rock Partnership Executive Director Gabe Holmstrom speaks at a press conference Monday morning announcing the new sustainability initiative for the Main Street Food Truck Festival.
Left to right: Zac Bradley with Coca-Cola Consolidated, Michael Kraus with Food Loops, Gabe Holmstrom with Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Mark Camp with Keep Arkansas Beautiful, and Main Street Food Truck Festival Chair Becky Barnes Campbell.