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Rosslyn BID Recycles Clothes and Trash at a Green Marine Corps Marathon Finish Festival

                  The Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID), a proud sponsor of the Marine Corps Marathon Finish Festival, is helping to create an environmentally-friendly Finish Festival in the heart of Rosslyn.  The event will take place on N. Lynn Street and Wilson Blvd and the surrounding blocks from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on race day, Sunday, October 25.  The Finish Festival features food, drink and activities for the 30,000 runners and their supporters.  The Finish Festival is expected to draw 80,000 people to Rosslyn.     

                The Rosslyn BID is supplying its Finish Festival vendors with biodegradable cutlery, containers and other products composed of sugarcane and plant starch to support the Marine Corps Marathon’s goal of creating a “green” event. This year, the MCM is partnering with Aquafina and Arlington County to achieve a silver level certification from the Council for Responsible Sport (Resport). 

The “green” element builds on Rosslyn’s efforts to encourage its residents, workers and visitors to think green as they enjoy the urban district. Earlier this year, for Earth Day, the BID added ten permanent recycling cans throughout the district and in just six months collected more than 6100 pounds of recyclables.

             “Rosslyn is a sustainable community – it is slated to become the home of Virginia’s first LEED Platinum certified building, and hosts several environmental think tanks.  We are also doing our part to help reduce our community’s carbon footprint,” says Rosslyn BID Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy.    

            "With an event this size, small changes in how we operate can generate significant results for the environment," said Rick Nealis, Marine Corps Marathon race director. "Taking these very deliberate steps toward making a more environmentally conscious Marine Corps Marathon really rounds out the primary message of promoting a healthy lifestyle." 

                 The Rosslyn BID will also “recycle” clothing shed by marathon runners as they reach Rosslyn.  The clothing will be collected by Rosslyn BID Ambassadors, cleaned by a Rosslyn dry cleaner and donated to our partner, A-SPAN, the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network.  Last year 468 pounds of clothing were donated to help the homeless.