Another record breaking year for the Cleveland International Film Festival. Attendance was up again-7 % over last year’s record breaker. Undaunted by a March snow or difficulties parking, over 71 thousand people made their way into the movies over 11 days. During this time, we managed to serve over a thousand people every day between movies. Thanks to the large containers provided by Rosby’s Resource Recycling and facilitated by Tower City Center and Forest City Enterprises, we managed to compost most of our waste. By my calculations we managed to recycle and compost about one and a half tons of waste. At the same time, we generated only one bag of garbage each day-that is about 15-20 pounds.
The entire experience was a great one. Being conscious of everyone’s trash really makes you think about your own. Much of what we threw away was plastic wrap and bags that food and ice products arrived in. The rest was coffee cups, Styrofoam and straws that were brought in from outside. It is really encouraging to think, however, that most of the waste we generated would be dirt within a few short months. The other real encouragement was how all the staff and volunteers got on board. Everyone started to think about what they brought into the Hospitality Headquarters. More people brought in their own coffee cups and water bottles. It also made me realize just how much food people waste. I have read studies that say we throw about 40% of the food we buy away. It made me vow to reduce the amount of food we throw away in my own home. So working with the public, I was amazed at how easily people threw stuff out. People are quick to take a can of soda, even though they only want a few sips. They will pile a plat high without ever having the time to eat it all. While this might be just what happens around the festival when time constraints and free food make for a unique experience, but I suspect that it is really the norm for most people. While people are starving and we over produce food on large scale farms, we continue to throw out edible food at an alarming rate.
I have managed to see some 15 film this year, and hope to still see some more. I have not seen many of the big award winners, though I managed to meet the guys who created Louder Than A Bomb-the documentary that one two awards. Bud managed to meet Jennifer Coolidge, and while I wanted to go and say hello to her, after a couple of martinis it would not have been a good idea, so I am glad that I restrained myself. I am sad, in a way to see the festival end, as it is kind of like the end of summer camp. I am glad to get off my feet and actually get some sleep, though. For those of you who are interested, you should start thinking about volunteering next year. Help us make the Cleveland International Film Festival the premiere event in the country for films and arts.
I forget that not everyone thinks like me. I hang out with so many “greenies” that I am sometimes surprised when someone that I am talking to just doesn’t ‘get it.’ From my experience at the film festival last year, I knew that we would be generating a pretty hefty amount of garbage. Feeding thousands of plates of snacks and sandwiches, I was determined to find a way to reduce our environmental footprint. With plenty of negotiations and a few dozen phone calls, I was finally approved to start composting on Tuesday morning. Unfortunately, the hospitality headquarters opened on Friday morning. I put our order together, and had it delivered Thursday afternoon. When it arrived, however, I was disappointed to see a substitution. My enviro-friendly hot cup with the corn resin sealant on the inside was substituted for a hot cup that had a Styrofoam core. Not happy. I then spent the afternoon scouring the city for a hot cup that I could use in the compost. There were surprisingly few options. When I did find an option, I couldn’t get it. Minimum orders, no delivery, no pick ups, were all assorted hold ups. Enter 
