Recycles Fest Draws a Crowd

The first annual joint Recycles Fest, co-sponsored by the Bellaire and West U recycling committees, was a big success Saturday in Bellaire’s Loftin Park.
The event, which was aimed at promoting recycling and protecting the environment, drew a crowd by the nearby Condit Elementary School groundbreaking, as kids were lured by a rock climbing wall and bouncy castle.
Recyclers took advantage of free paper-shredding in the adjacent parking lot of Bellaire Town Center, which also included an opportunity to get rid of e-waste, such as old computers, TVs, batteries and cell phones.
Vendors in Loftin Park promoted everything from environmentally friendly pest control to legislation at the city and state level to outlaw plastic bags or require a 5-cent deposit on all beverage containers. There were also a couple of groups on hand to encourage recyclers to reuse items by donating everything from old furniture to clothing to pet supplies.
Bill Stone and Orval Marlow, the chairs of the recycling committees for both towns, proclaimed the event a big success.

Although the weather was bright and sunny, a November chill allowed fest participants to enjoy dining outdoors at the food truck vendors. Kona Ice, which usually distributes freezing cold drinks, quickly added hot chocolate to their menu.
Under big tent on the Great Lawn, children enjoyed participating in an arts contest — using recyclable materials — to create objets d’ art. Or dinosaurs, or dollhouses.
The two sponsoring committees were the Bellaire Environmental and Sustainability Board, and the West U Recycling and Solid Waste Reduction Board.
The children’s art contest was sponsored and judged by the Bellaire Cultural Arts Board.