Plenty of Democrats at the national convention in Denver are sporting the color blue, the color typically used to represent their party. But there are also hundreds of volunteers wearing green. They are the green volunteers, charged with ensuring that waste is properly discarded.

Throughout the Pepsi Center, the media tents and party venues, there are bins for disposing trash, recyclables and compost. Not sure which bin to use? That’s where the green volunteers come in – pointing convention attendees to the right bin for their particular waste material.

The green volunteers are part of an enormous effort to make the Democratic convention the greenest in history. Vehicles are being run on alternative fuels and the Pepsi Center is using energy-efficient lighting. The party even helped issue special hotel room keys for the convention – made of recycled cardboard.

The city of Denver has contributed to the effort as well. Free bikes are available throughout the city – riders can pick them up at a designated spot and drop them off at another location.

“Denver has a well established history of environmental innovation,” and it is eager to share that history with convention participants. In fact, that phrase and other details about Denver’s green initiatives are written on the back of everyone’s credentials, the passes one needs to enter the convention site. Keeping with the green tradition, the credentials are printed on 100 percent recycled paper.

Want to find out more? See “National Conventions Going Green.”