Rock the Green (RTG) hosts its second annual music festival, from 2 to 9 p.m., September 15, at Veterans Park, featuring the nationally renowned bands Third Eye Blind, Metric, Switchfoot, Imagine Dragons, Morning Parade and Atlas Genius, along with local Milwaukee musicians. RTG is a nonprofit organization that uses near-zero waste efforts-including alternative energies like bio-diesel, solar power and bicycle pedal power-to keep the festival off the grid and green from the ground up.

Incentives for reducing waste include exclusive express entry for fans that use the paperless ticket QR code on smartphones; free bike valet and tune-ups for those that ride to the event; promotion of the ZimRide.com ride-share program andparking discounts for guests arriving in groups of four or more. Guests receive a complimentary, BPA-free water bottle, which can be refilled onsite.

Plans for greening up operations include the incorporation of reusable and recyclable signage, energy-efficient LED lighting and generators fueled with bio-diesel. Food vendors will reduce waste by serving sustainably grown options on compostable plates and donating usable leftovers to hunger relief organizations wherever possible, with non-usable food waste transported for conversion into organic fertilizer that will be returned to Veterans Park. Veolia Environmental Services will arrange onsite waste composting and recycling with volunteer-manned waste reclamation and color-coded recycling stations throughout the grounds. Nothing provided at Rock the Green will produce waste.

Cost: General admission, $30 before Sept. 14 or $40 at the gate; VIP tickets, $85; children under 10, free. For more information, email [email protected] or visit RockTheGreen.com.