SEATTLE — Seattle Center replaced more than 24,000 single-use plates, cups, and utensils with reusable dishware during this weekend's Festa Italiana, launching a pilot program that could transform how the venue handles waste at its 300-plus annual events.

The initiative is part of Seattle Center's goal to become the nation's first zero-waste arts and cultural campus. With over 11 million visitors annually attending events from Bumbershoot to smaller community festivals, the venue generates massive amounts of waste.

"We used over 24,000 reusable items," said Rose Ann Lopez, director of campus operations at Seattle Center. "So those are 24,000 cups, silverware, plates that if they were single use, they would have ended up in a landfill."

Seven food vendors participated in the weekend pilo

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