What do 10,000 pounds of confidential documents, a $1,000 grand prize, 550 people and 18 vendors all have in common? The second annual Family Green Fest and Recycle Palooza Event, which took place April 28 at the Federal Way Community Center.

In addition to the 5 tons of confidential documents shredded courtesy of Woodstone Credit Union, WestSide Baby collected 40 car seats for recycling and 15 car seats for reuse, while Styro Recycle accepted 20 cubic yards of Styrofoam for recycling. The Federal Way Police Department collected 160 pounds of old medication as part of the statewide DEA drug take-back service.

The green festival presented information on a variety of green topics including recycling, composting, green building, hazardous waste, green gardening, energy conservation, green cleaning, natural foods and supplements, and more.

The event featured the conclusion of the 2012 Recycle Palooza contest where 45 Federal Way residents competed in a recycling sorting contest for a chance to win prizes, courtesy of Waste Management. This year’s $1,000 grand prize winner is Brad Blunci. The $200 garbage service credit winners are Myra Aho, Dan Ayers, Peggy Beck, Chris Buchanan, Joanne Harrell, John Houde, Rose Jacobi, Peter Johnson, George Torralba, and Donald Viele. The $50 gift card winners are Helena Cho, Janice Cockerham-Twigg, Teddie Cummings, Dianne Ferguson, Jessica Gandulin, John Howard, Kandi Kimberling, Michele Peterson, Marco Sauri and Phil Sell.

The record turnout at this year’s event indicates Federal Way residents’ consistent support for recycling and sustainability. A bigger venue may be used in 2013 to accommodate the crowd and expand the event. More information can be found online at www.cityoffederalway.com/recyclepalooza.