Putnam Solid Waste 2-Day Event Celebrating Earth Day

Putnam County Solid Waste will be celebrating Earth Day Friday and Saturday at Dogwood Park.

Program Manager Lisa Luck said Earth Day serves as a reminder that people can reduce their impact to the environment.

“I think it is a good day to make a commitment to doing better,” Luck said. “We can all do better. I don’t care how hard you try. There are things that we can do to reduce our impact and learning about those things is important.”

Luck said the free family friendly event will include a showing of Wall-E on Friday, live music Saturday and educational opportunities in between. Luck said attendees can learn about reducing fossil fuel use, managing waste and why buying locally grown food is important.

“Drive as little as possible, consolidate your trips, try driving smaller cars,” Luck said. “Purchasing food that is locally grown that is another thing you can do and reduce your impact on food that comes from factories rather than locally. The food when it is transported it has a big carbon footprint.”

The celebration takes place Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Luck said if you cannot come out, she encourages participating in Earth Day by participating in a local cleanup or enjoying the outdoors in your own way.

“There are several partners working together,” Luck said. “Vol State, Hip Cookeville, the city of Cookeville, Putnam County Solid Waste Department and Putnam County Beautiful Clean Commission.”

Luck said Earth Day serves as a historical day, as well. The first Earth Day was in 1970, a result of a budding awareness of the need to take care of the earth. In 1969, US Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, became concerned about the environment after witnessing the oil spill in Santa Barbara and the damage it caused. He organized the first Earth Day, initially promoting it to college students.