The Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival returned to Golden Gate Park last weekend even greener than last year, featuring more alternative energy, a bigger farmer's market, an estimated greater waste diversion rate and a better solar stage.

The city's Recreation & Park Department, along with Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly Productions and Starr Hill Presents, made an extra effort this year to host a festival that promoted eco-friendly practices.

The spokeswoman for the event, Lizzie Garlinghouse, said they were trying to improve on last year's results as much as possible.

In 2008, the festival had a 65 percent waste diversion rate, according to the Outside Lands Web site. "All of this is possible because everyone wants to pitch in to do their part," Garlinghouse said.

Sustainable Waves, a company that provides solar-powered sound and staging, was in charge of the Eco Lands section located at the Panhandle Stage in Speedway Meadow. "It's green because we don't need to plug into any outlet," said Darien Goldberg, a salesperson at Sustainable Waves. "We could basically have a concert in the middle of the desert since we just get the energy through the solar panels."

The co-founder of Sustainable Waves, Mark McLarry, said he was proud to be part of such an eco-friendly event. "By working with us, they are showing their commitment to the environment, reducing the environmental impact." The company was present at last year's event and came back this year, doubling their power capabilities.

PG&E's Garden for the Environment took a stand by hosting a series of eight environmental education talks available to the public.

"We are making the whole festival carbon neutral through the ClimateSmart Program," said PG&E spokesman Joe Molica. "We want to work and help make it one of the greenest festivals in the country."

The festival featured a series of stands and events where people could contribute to the betterment of the environment.
Among the newly-introduced events, there was a silent auction where people could bid on music memorabilia. The proceeds will benefit a series of nonprofits such as Music in Schools Today, Head Count, Surfrider, Global Inheritance, Garden for the Environment and Friends of the Urban Forest.

The organizers also tried to help limit waste by making metal water bottles available for sale so that people could get refills throughout the festival.

CollectiveGood was also offering free solar-powered cell phone charging services. Another nonprofit was collecting cell phones for recycling.

The public's response was generally positive.

"All the initiatives are not incentives to come to the festival, but it's a bonus," said 24-year-old Julio Salonga, who traveled from Houston, Texas to San Francisco for the event. "With the consumer culture, the environment is suffering a great deal, so it is important that we all do our part."

Some people, however, seemed perplexed. Vicky Chen, a 26-year-old San Francisco resident who attended the event on Friday, said she wasn't convinced the festival was totally eco-friendly. "It's still going to cause damages to the environment but if people actually cooperate, then it's a great thing," she said. "But people don't always follow the rules."

The results of this year's initiatives have yet to be published.