Eco-Art Show items 'would have been in a landfill'

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Without the care of dozens of local artists, the local theater would have been filled with trash on Saturday.

That would-have-been junk was transformed into works of arts and unique crafts, many on sale for the public, at Saturday's fifth annual Eco-Art Show at the Marion Palace Theater.

"Everything in here would have been in a landfill," Angie Carbetta said, wearing a pair of earrings made from soda can tabs. "All the art that has been transformed from trash would have ended up in a landfill."

The craft show concept originated in 2010 with some high school students shadowing Carbetta, director of the Marion County Recycling and Litter Prevention Program, as part of a job learning experience.

Carbetta and her staff asked the students to work on a few art projects while she wrote a few grant applications for the department. When she returned, she was impressed by the work of the students using some of the recyclable materials.

She pitched the idea of selling the creations along with other local artists using environmentally friendly and recycled materials.

Since 18 vendors and a few hundred locals attended the first show, the interest has nearly tripled. From small projects such as jewelry and gift tags to larger pieces such as furniture and quilts, the show had thousands of pieces to view and buy Saturday.

Even the food utensils were environmentally friendly. Plates made of recycled materials and cloth napkins helped promote zero-waste to anyone taking in lunch or dinner at the daylong event.

"The whole idea is to make living green a way of life," Carbetta said.

The annual event corresponds with America Recycles Day, celebrated every Nov. 15 as a way to promote local recycling, repurposing and upcycling efforts.