ITHACA, N.Y., September 21, 2026 — This year, Zero Waste Ithaca (ZWI) is inviting Apple Harvest Festival visitors to experience the simple satisfaction of skipping single-use: Bring Your Own.
Festival-goers who bring a reusable cup, mug, water bottle, food container for leftovers, utensils, napkin, or bag can visit the Zero Waste Ithaca table to receive a special, limited-edition “I Brought My Own to Apple Fest 2026” sticker celebrating their choice to reuse.
“Reuse doesn’t have to be difficult or inconvenient. It can be fun, empowering, and incredibly satisfying,” said Amina Mohamed, Board Secretary of Zero Waste Ithaca. “Every time we bring our own cup, container, utensils, or bag, we are making a small but concrete choice not to create another disposable item. We want people to come to Apple Fest, have a wonderful time, and discover how good it feels to skip single-use.”
The campaign is part of ZWI’s broader effort to make Bring Your Own, or BYO, a normal part of everyday life. Rather than continually producing, consuming, and discarding single-use items, BYO keeps existing products in use and prevents waste before it is created.
The need to reduce unnecessary single-use plastic has become increasingly urgent. Plastic pollution persists in the environment and breaks down into smaller particles, while researchers have detected microplastics in human tissues, including the blood, lungs, placenta, and brain. Although scientists are still investigating the full health consequences of human exposure, ZWI believes reducing unnecessary plastic production and exposure is a commonsense precaution.
“Recycling alone cannot solve the enormous amount of disposable material we produce,” Mohamed said. “The best waste is the waste we never create. Reuse gives every one of us a way to act on that principle immediately.”
Visitors are also invited to stop by the Zero Waste Ithaca table throughout the festival to learn about ZWI’s local and statewide campaigns, sign petitions, meet volunteers, learn about BYO initiatives, and find opportunities to get involved.
Zero Waste Ithaca thanks the Downtown Ithaca Alliance for its support in bringing ZWI’s BYO campaign to the 2026 Apple Harvest Festival.
Apple Harvest Festival 2026
Friday, September 25: 12–8 p.m.
Saturday, September 26: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Sunday, September 27: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Downtown Ithaca, New York
About Zero Waste Ithaca
Zero Waste Ithaca is a volunteer-powered grassroots nonprofit organization working to reduce waste and advance reuse, waste prevention, environmental justice, and genuinely zero-waste policies in Ithaca and beyond.