WVDEP's Watershed Improvement Branch sponsoring local event to reduce single-use plastics

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (WVDEP) Watershed Improvement Branch (WIB) is partnering with Charleston Main Streets (CMS) to sponsor its upcoming Ice Cream and the Arts event as a single-use plastic-free event. The WVDEP is providing single-use plastic alternatives such as paper bowls, corn syrup cups and bamboo spoons to help encourage local businesses to switch to greener options.

Produced by Charleston Main Streets, Ice Cream and the Arts is set for Saturday, June 18th, from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tennessee Avenue in Charleston's Elk City District. Free ice cream from Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream and Dancing Dog Ice Cream will be provided, along with various interactive art activities. Attendees can also stop by WIB’s booth to color a fish and pledge to reduce water pollution.

The WIB, whose mission is to inspire and empower people to value and work for clean water, administers programs that educate, provide assistance, and plan and implement water quality protection, improvement and restoration projects. More information about the WIB is available on its WVDEP webpage.

To learn more about the effects of single-use plastics, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) webpage: https://www.epa.gov/trash-free-waters/ten-ways-unpackage-your-life.

For more WVDEP news and information, go to https://dep.wv.gov. Also, connect with the agency on all social media platforms. Follow @DEPWV on Twitter, Like us on Facebook at https://facebook.com/depwv/, and find us on YouTube at Environment Matters.