Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the world-renowned, naturally-occurring outdoor concert venue, is enjoying a record-breaking season. With 68 concerts and a total of 86 events (including concerts, films, graduations and private events) booked for the 2007 summer stretch,
Red Rocks is the busiest it’s ever been. With so many people packing the 9,450-seat venue on a near-nightly basis over the course of the concert season, Red Rocks and Denver Recycles have teamed up to analyze the venue’s recycling needs and
implement a permanent recycling program. With the help of a $48,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency Region 8, Denver Recycles – a program of the City and County of Denver’s Department of Public Works’ Solid Waste Management division – analyzed the venue’s waste stream and helped the amphitheatre create a recycling plan customized to fit the amphitheatre’s size and layout. Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a City and County of Denver facility managed by the Division of Theatres and Arenas, now boasts 45 of the now-familiar
purple Denver recycling bins, with plans to place permanent Red Rocks-themed containers at the venue before the end of the 2007 concert season. The launch of a permanent recycling program at Red Rocks is another big step toward the
Greenprint Denver goal of increasing the amount of material that is recycled citywide.
Recycling bins are now located at each entrance, and on the plaza, and will collect aluminum cans and plastic bottles from event attendees. The bins also collect cardboard, mixed paper, aluminum and steel cans, plastic bottles and glass from the
behind-the-scenes operations at Red Rocks, including Ship Rock Grille, the Visitor Center and the Trading Post at the Colorado Welcome Center.
Denver’s Division of Theatres and Arenas and Red Rocks Amphitheatre would like concertgoers and park patrons to contribute to the city’s greening efforts by:
RECYCLING: Audience members are encouraged to sort their recycling and deposit it in the appropriate bin. Housekeeping staff will continue to sort and dispose of recycling found on the ground in both the venue and parking lots. The new recycling program at Red Rocks is expected to result in a 35% decrease in non-renewable waste leaving the venue.
CARPOOLING: Help Red Rocks and the urban corridor stay green by limiting the number of vehicles traveling to the park and amphitheatre. Patrons who take turns carpooling to concerts with friends can save money on gas, relax in the backseat after a show, and help take care of the surrounding environment.
PACKING OUT TRASH AND RECYCLABLES: Concertgoers, hikers and stair-runners who use the parking lots and trails at Red Rocks for tailgating, snacking or picnicking are asked to store personal waste in their vehicles, pockets or bags and dispose of it properly at home. Curbing litter in the park keeps Red Rocks clean and safe, and preserves the natural beauty of one of Colorado’s greatest sources of pride.
In addition to an effort to bring about awareness for recycling, carpooling and packing-out of waste, Red Rocks Amphitheatre is working on several other environmentally-sound initiatives. Existing benches at the venue are currently being replaced with sustainable, renewable lumber, and an investigation into alternative energy sources is on-going.
With the help of local concert promoters, Red Rocks Amphitheatre is thrilled to host concerts at the venue that already have a green component. Shows such as E. Town, which played Red Rocks in June, and the August 3 “Carved in Stone” concert, sponsored by Starbucks, have helped the venue examine its eco-practices and come up with creative conservation strategies.
The City of Denver’s Division of Theatres and Arenas owns and operates Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the Colorado Convention Center and the historic Denver Coliseum. For more information please call 3-1-1 or visit www.redrocksonline.com, www.artscomplex.com, www.denverconvention.com and www.denvercoliseum.com.
Greenprint Denver (www.greenprintdenver.org) is a long-term, citywide initiative promoting the importance of sustainable development and ecologically-friendly practices throughout the community.
Prepared by
Jenny Schiavone, Director of Communications,
Denver's Division of Theatres & Arenas