By Ben Miller, Reno Gazette-Journal

As summer pushes on in Reno-Tahoe, events such as Artown, the Reno River Festival and the Reno-Tahoe Open blossom with visitors, entertainment acts and food and beverage vendors.

And with all of our region’s events come waste. Participants and spectators buy bottled water, drink beer out of plastic cups and leave trash on the ground.

But in recent years, many events — with the help of businesses and vendors — have begun to fight back. The Reno River Festival in 2010 powered musical acts on the Wingfield Park Stage with biofuel and offered beer in biodegradable cups from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., said Betsy McDonald, director of public relations for the Bauserman Group, which manages public relations for many events in the area. The Reno-Tahoe Open, which is Aug. 4-7 at Montreux Golf and Country Club, is aiming to be carbon neutral. And the Haws Corp., an international water delivery systems company headquartered in Sparks, is sending a water bottle refill station on tour with acts such as Blink-182 and Dave Matthews Band this year.

The goal, McDonald said, is to keep the events clean and keep them going for years to come.

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