WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. -- In its stance to “go green”, Navajo Nation has announced that it will be incorporating recycling efforts to upcoming fairground events this summer. The Navajo Nation’s efforts in “going green” for the First Annual Treaty Days Celebration and the Navajo Nation Fair are one of the first initiatives in contributing to a cleaner environment.

The desire by the Navajo Nation to “go green” went into fruition on July 21, 2009 when the Navajo Nation Council passed the Navajo Green Commission Act through legislation at a 62-1 vote to promote green jobs. Legislation No. 0179-09 was sponsored by Navajo Council Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan.

“The Navajo Nation will no longer take a back seat in addressing issues hurting our environment; we have proactively taken positive action to address the well-being of our Mother Earth,” Speaker Morgan stated.

With the urgency for a more eco-friendly stance on the care of the environment, the Navajo Nation took action into putting the new legislation to practice. After attending an IAFE conference in Las Vegas, sanitation coordinator Art Moore suggested taking a stance on recycling at the upcoming Treaty Day Celebrations and the Navajo Nation Fair.

“I worked the fair last year with a Christian volunteer group 180 Youth, and there was a great abundance of cans that we were able to collect,” Moore explained. “There are a lot of products that can be recycled and it’s time we start incorporating recycling into the Navajo Nation.”

After contacting the world’s third largest producer of aluminum, Alcoa, Inc., Moore was able to obtain 50 donated cardboard and plastic bins to help store recycled goods. With the high volume of cans and bottles at the fair’s food pavilions, rodeo arena and midway venues, each bin will be strategically placed to help increase the desire to recycle.

“When I was at the conference in Vegas I learned that almost anything could be recycled. From biofuel in our cooking oil to aluminum cans, we can use the upcoming fairs to start recycling as a nation.”

As the Navajo Nation continues its push for a greater tomorrow for future generations, the push recycling efforts this summer will help make that tomorrow a lot more environmentally friendly.  The First Annual Treaty Days Celebration will be taking place June 1 – 6, 2010 and the Navajo Nation Fair will occur September 6 – 12, 2010.

http://www.alcoa.com/alcoa_recycling

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