Signs of Sustainability: Earth Day 2025 – Our (Local) Power, Our (Global) Planet

By Joey Diana Gates

Spring has come again, and its zigzagging weather has me closing windows and thermal shades as the heat pump restarts while I write. Baby plants are emerging, local farmers markets are opening for the season, and calendars are filling with opportunities to learn about our shared home. Earth Day, or as locally observed, Earth Month, has also come again. Some observe Earth Day as a reminder of the work to be done, but I like to take time to highlight the work being done to reverse the tides of environmental destruction. The National Earth Day Network’s theme this year is Our Planet, Our Power, and one shining local example of our power is the Ithaca Farmers Market (IFM.) Founded as an antidote to the industrial food system, sustainability is built into its DNA, a core principle that carries on today particularly as seen in the Zero Waste Project.

Founded in 1973, the IFM restricts members to those growing and producing within 30 miles of the pavilion, lowering the mileage traveled from field to table for the commodities offered. Built on a reclaimed debris site in 1988, the pavilion is accessible by bus and the Cayuga Waterfront Trail. Fast forward to 2022, with help from the Friends of the Ithaca Farmers Market, IFM was awarded a Park Foundation grant to pursue a zero-waste strategy and lower the amount of garbage created at the 3^rd Street Pavilion weekend Market. Spearheaded by founding coordinator, Judy Ward, the program has been a resounding success. Starting with a waste assessment, strengthening the recycling program and reinstituting compost collection with support from CCETC Master Compost Education Program, Judy then moved on to their reusable dish program with support from Dish Truck. Using data collection techniques inspired by the Master Composters program, she and her team have tallied more than 170,000 single use dishes kept out of the landfill since August of 2022. On a typical day, the ZWP saves 34 gallons of food scraps from the landfill where they emit methane – a climate change super accelerator.      

In 2023 the crew collected 101 bags of recyclables, however in 2024 the amount decreased by approximately 60% of the volume in previous years. As Judy reports, “As we had shifted our focus to reusable dishes, we saw a significant decrease, not just in garbage created, but also in the number of recyclables needed by vendors.” Recirculating or reusing food service ware provides a better alternative to recycling, which still involves processing, refining and manufacturing, packaging and shipping of finished products. Now in its 4^th Park Foundation grant funded year, the Zero Waste Project processes have become part of the rhythm of the market days as vendors enthusiastically continue to participate, even as the Pavilion itself undergoes upgrades.

While an Earth Day celebration had been planned to be held at the pavilion, coordinators decided to combine efforts with the New Roots Charter School’s Climate Fair 2025! on April 26^th, from 11am-3pm. Coordinated by Katie Church, (kchurch@newrootsschool.org) they are hosting a block party and fair on the 100 block of N. Cayuga St., celebrating community climate action and environmental initiatives. This will be a space to connect with local efforts, share ideas, build relationships, and act! Community members of all ages are invited to learn about local climate resilience efforts, do hands-on activities and it’s an opportunity for local groups to showcase their work, as well as highlight New Roots student projects and initiatives.  

Joey Diana Gates is the Founder, Head Dishwasher of Dish Truck & Regeneration & Elements in Design, whose mission is Bringing Sustainability to the Party. Signs of Sustainability is organized by Sustainable Finger Lakes.