Eco-Team

Eco-Team Recycling

In the summer of 2012, the Cleaner, Greener LoDa Committee was formed when the Downtown Mobile Alliance brought together a group of like-minded organizations and city departments to develop ways for downtown Mobile to be more sustainable. The bottom of the webpage showcases the committee’s partners. Cleaner, Greener LoDa is focused on reducing waste at large public events by encouraging recycling and reusing resources, urging venues/businesses to utilize green practices, and educating the general public on the importance of sustainability.

One of the main focuses is how waste and recycling are considered and handled for 1065 (previously BayFest) and Mardi Gras, the two largest events in downtown Mobile. The Committee decided to create an “Eco-Team” to be a volunteer base for recycling at these events. The Eco-Team has successfully recycled plastics, aluminum, and cardboard during BayFest (2012 - 2014), Mardi Gras (2013-2024), Streets Alive (2014), 1065 (2015 - 2018), and the Mobile Thompson Fishing Rodeo (2015) and has recruited staff and volunteers to recycle at the Hangout Music Fest since 2017! The Eco-Team is available to carry out recycling and sustainability practices for area events via contract. Please contact ACF Executive Director Mark Berte for more information: mberte@joinACF.org

The City of Mobile is a member of the Cleaner, Greener LoDa Committee. In 2014, the City enacted a Litter Ordinance. In 2020 and 2022, City workers helped to collect recycling during Mardi Gras parades with a 31% increase in collection. (Mardi Gras parades did not take place in 2021 due to the global pandemic.) All of the collection totals are listed in the table below.

The Cleaner, Greener LoDa Committee also launched a free Coastal Alabama Green Events Planning Guide for event organizers to utilize in their planning and implementation. The Committee is inclusive, meets quarterly, and is open to expansion opportunities.

*While Mardi Gras parades did not take place in 2021 due to the pandemic, City of Mobile workers recycled during every parade in 2020, 2022, 2023, AND 2024!

Resources

Benefits of Efforts

Less litter ending up in waste stream due to recycling.
Less litter ending up in local waterways (stormwater runoff) due to greater options for throwing away trash and volunteer efforts.
Increase in public awareness about recycling and environmental stewardship in the Mobile area.
The Eco-Team is focused on a generational change whereby as these efforts continue, growth takes place among the general public little by little each year. In the future, it is hoped that recycling is a learned behavior and that waste is minimized during large public events.
These efforts will benefit our local economy and communities by creating cleaner, more efficient events and provide healthier living environments.