Cheyenne Frontier Days Introduces Green Initiatives and Recycling Program
July 13, 2009 --- Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) and Trihydro Corporation (Trihydro), a Laramie-based engineering and environmental consulting firm, have agreed to partner again in a major recycling program at Frontier Park. According to Concessions Chairman Matt Jones, the recycling program that was started last year was a great success. "We recycled 5 tons of plastic last year, and we hope to beat that amount this year," said Jones. "We encourage all of our guests to use the recycling cans, located with trash cans, on the park."
Trihydro provides engineering and environmental services to industrial, commercial, and government clients. The firm, founded in 1984, has grown strategically to employ approximately 260 professionals and support staff, of which 160 are based in the firm’s Wyoming offices (Cheyenne, Casper, Lander, and Laramie). "As an environmental firm, Trihydro has been proactively integrating sustainable practices into our business and services for nearly 25 years. Partnering with the CFD recycling program is a wonderful opportunity that allows us to continue to demonstrate environmental leadership," said Jack Bedessem, President and Chief Executive Officer of Trihydro.
CFD has recycled all the manure collected during the ten day event at a local composting facility for many years. "We have also separated and collected our cardboard for recycling for a few years now," said Jones. Jones and CFD officials met with Swire Coca Cola, Dennis Pino (City of Cheyenne), Trihydro, and others earlier this year to discuss the continuation of collecting plastic during CFD for recycling. Working with the City of Cheyenne, CFD will collect as much plastic on the park during the celebration as possible, separate this plastic from the general waste, and send this plastic for recycling, thereby keeping it out of the landfill.
In addition to separating plastic bottles from the trash during show time, CFD will also recycle plastic bottles from committee buildings around the park and the headquarters building. Last year, CFD officials made an effort to replace old bathroom fixtures with newer more water efficient models where appropriate. Parking lot lights were replaced with a newer variety which provides more light while decreasing power usage. In addition, every year, the CFD grounds crew winterizes the park to shut down buildings with only seasonal usage, thereby decreasing energy and water usage. They also pull weeds by hand rather than using chemical pesticides while maintaining the park.
"We realize that Cheyenne Frontier Days, along with Trihydro, Swire Coca Cola, and the City of Cheyenne, can make a positive impact on our community by focusing on energy and water efficiency and our recycling program."