The public Presidential inauguration ceremony took place on Monday, January 21, and event organizers paid unprecedented attention to environmental sustainability. The official Inauguration Day was January 20th. However, as that date falls on a Sunday in 2013, the public swearing-in ceremony was held on Monday, January 21, 2013, at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the official event taking place at 11:55 a.m. This year’s official theme is “Faith in America’s Future.” One of the unique touches that define the unique quality of President Obama’s inauguration are the efforts to make the event more environmentally sustainable.
The green elements of this year’s inauguration include extensive recycling. According to the event’s organizers there was no need for trash cans at the event. The festivities include a week of balls and galas honoring President Obama and Vice President Biden. Inauguration events throughout Washington endeavored to be more green. Pritchard Sports and Entertainment Group, working with the inauguration’s event organizer, C3 Events, managed waste throughout Washington, DC. Waste was sorted, recycled and composted. This included everything from food scraps at cocktail parties to the waste generated by horses who travel along the parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The DC municipal government also built a stand for local leaders and 90 percent of the materials used will be recycled.
2013 Green Inaugural Ball
On January 20th, more than 1,200 guests celebrated the inauguration of Barack Obama and Joseph Biden and America’s green economy at the 2013 Green Inaugural Ball. The National Wildlife Federation hosted the 2013 Green Inaugural Ball at the venue known as the the Newseum.
This event brought together the broad environmental, conservation and clean tech community to celebrate the past four years and look forward to the future. The Green Ball brings together top leaders from the environmental, conservation, clean tech, renewable energy communities and business groups who advocate clean energy, efficiency, green technologies, the protection of America’s natural heritage and green jobs.
This event is a celebration of the past four years of accomplishment on the environment, energy, and clean technology and a look forward to another four years of progress.
Green Elements of the Event
- Compostable serving materials or reusable items such as glass and flatware
- Catering recycled frying oil for use as biofuels,
- Expired light bulbs were broken down in a Lampinator to separate mercury from glass and metals
- All food scraps were composted to make soil that will be used by DC residents and urban farms.