Clean Calgary wants to see Stampede pancake breakfasts go green. (Andree Lau/CBC)

Pancake breakfast goers usually toss plastic plates and utensils after their meal, but a Calgary environmental group wants to see the annual Stampede tradition go green.

Lindsay Luhnau, an education co-ordinator with Clean Calgary, said the Calgary Stampede has done a lot to green up their operations.

"They have been a member of Clean Calgary Association for many years. And we have been supporting them in things like composting initiatives — where they are able to compost straw, animal manure and the coffee grounds coming out of a lot of their facilities. They also have an idle-free policy for a lot of their Stampede vehicles, and they are doing a lot of other things."

Luhnau hopes the Stampede's eco-spirit will spread to Stampede-related events off the grounds.

Some organizations and businesses have already greened up their Stampede breakfasts this year, she said, by using local organic food, green power and even dishes that can be composted.

Company goes green for pancake breakfast

One company, Bentall LP, worked with Clean Calgary to make sure leftover food and newly introduced compostable dishes actually made their way to a commercial compost facility.

James Emerson, a Clean Calgary researcher who was at the breakfast Thursday morning, handed out "No Junk Mail" stickers to breakfast goers who brought their own mug. The garbage cans were empty while the composting bins filled up, he said.

Clean Calgary recommends pancake breakfast providers make sure they have a well-signed recycling program in place, go with a caterer that offers reusable dishes, buy items such as napkins and toilet paper made with 100 per cent recycled content and provide incentives to people who bring their own mugs and dishes.

The green side of the Stampede

Last July, the International Standards Organization granted the Calgary Stampede ISO 14001 certification after reviewing its environmental programs.

That year, the Stampede introduced utensils and plates made from corn starch, a bin at the exit for donating plush toys to charity and turned off the midway lights during the day.

On the grounds are solar-powered garbage compactors, water and energy reduction programs, LED lights, and biodiesel-powered vehicles, fuelled with oil taken from deep fat fryers. An estimated 10,000 tonnes of straw and bedding material are diverted from landfills and composted each year, while more than 60 tonnes of cardboard are recycled.

"We want to leave a legacy for our children and with the heritage and the western values that we kind of hold dear to us; the environment ties right into it," said Gerry McHugh, chair of the Stampede's environmental protection committee.

The Calgary Stampede, which celebrates the cowboy way of life, wraps up on July 12.