Chico Wildflower gets greener

While cycling already epitomizes the eco-friendly lifestyle, the 100-mile Chico Wildflower got even greener this year.

According to Waste Management, the company collected 3,300 pounds of single-stream recyclable material and 1,540 pounds of organic food waste following the 2012 cycling tour of Butte County, which involved several thousand riders. Waste Management reported that 82 percent of the waste generated by the ride was diverted from local landfills, a 7 percent increase over 2011. Vendors chipped in by reducing packaging material and serving food and drink in bulk at rest stops. Both Waste Management and Chico Velo Cycling Club are working toward a zero-waste Wildflower in the future.

“Many thanks to Waste Management for sponsoring the Wildflower and for partnering with us to educate our participants about reducing waste,” said Janine Rood, executive director of Chico Velo. “We look forward to implementing more improvements and seeing even better results over the coming years.”