Driving through the streets of Champaign, it’s easy to spot the many banners announcing the upcoming Taste of CU that is to take place Friday, June 19 through Sunday, June 21. Neither the banners nor the event are anything new. In fact, this year marks Champaign-Urbana’s 39th annual Taste. What is new, however, is the emphasis by the Champaign Park District on making the Taste eco-friendly — a process that began last summer and one the park district is hoping to promote even further for this upcoming event.

“At the park district, we feel it’s important to do what we can to protect the environment and to preserve energy,” said Laura Auteberry, the marketing and development director at the Champaign Park District.

Auteberry, and the rest of the Champaign Park District staff, thought the Taste presented the perfect opportunity to do just that. This year, the CPD will be using recycled paper for the tickets and other paper materials and placing recycling bins throughout the park. In addition, fast facts about the importance of recycling will appear on the outside of the bins — a step designed to raise awareness throughout the community about being ecologically friendly. The park district is also encouraging people to ride their bikes to the event by giving bike-riders a coupon for a free beverage at one of the Pepsi tents.

But Auteberry was also quick to point out that the CPD’s efforts go beyond their personal efforts to be eco-friendly. She said the CPD is concentrating on their role in helping Champaign-Urbana go green by communicating with the community to coordinate their efforts — whether with business owners in Champaign-Urbana or residents. Leah Pettit of Blues BBQ, one of the vendors at this year’s Taste, said she is feeling those efforts.

“We are moving more and more towards going green,” Pettit said. In order to do this, Blues BBQ is doing most of their grilling on-site, thus reducing the amount of aluminum foil that would otherwise be used to package and transport the food. Blues BBQ is also trying to use as many biodegradable products as possible by swapping some of the plastic or styrofoam products that are traditionally used for paper products.

“Being on a college campus that is becoming very eco-friendly, we’re doing what we can to take measures [to do the same],” Pettit explained, adding that Blues BBQ is working to extend their efforts beyond the Taste and into their everyday transactions. The park district is thinking along the same lines: “We’re trying to implement green initiatives,” Auteberry said, “and do so in just a little bit of everything that we’re doing.”