GreenFest Will Offer Recycling, Investment Advice

Financial advisors have always seen the world through green tinted glasses, but with a new focus on sustainability and environmentally conscious living, area investors are now being given an opportunity to "go green" in a different way.

As part of the first annual Peabody GreenFest this Saturday, local financial advisor Michael Murray of will be on hand to inform residents of ways to make sure their hard-earned cash can be invested in businesses who take a conscious approach to helping preserve the environment.

“We have the ability through the Institutional Shareholders Service to weed out companies that our investors do not want to support, like tobacco, firearms, alcohol adult entertainment etc,” he said. “By using that we can also help out clients find investments that are environmentally sound or focus on sustainability or being green.”

Being green could mean a multitude of things for a business, whether it practices good recycling habits or strives to maintain sustainable facilities, whatever the case, Murray says it is becoming increasingly important to both he and his clients to invest money in businesses that are going to be sustainable and friendly to the environment moving forward.

“We live in an area, the northeast and the shoreline, that is experiencing a growing interest in making environmentally conscious decisions,” he said. “It has become the goal of a lot of our investors.”

Murray and Peabody Financial Services are a major sponsor of GreenFest, a first of its kind informational seminar that is designed to help residents learn how to save money by making environmentally conscious choices and explore ways to stay green in their own lives. The event will provide recycling information, as well as tips on making changes throughout the home and  one’s personal life to help the environment.

Murray will have an informational booth set up throughout the day and will give a presentation later in the afternoon on how to make intelligent investment decisions when it comes to the environment.

Organized by and the , GreenFest will feature area "green" businesses and offer an array of exhibits and workshops for both adults and children.

Work shops will highlight technology, saving money with green upgrades for the home, healthy gardening, and composting.

The seminar will also offer an electronics recycling area, where the public can bring hard to recycle items like televisions, computers, printers, monitors and radios  so they can be properly recycled and have hazardous materials removed.

Most TVs and monitors will carry an $8 recycle fee but very large items will be assessed a higher fee. Items such as printers, VCR or DVD players, PC towers and microwaves will cost $4 each to be recycled.

Separately, old cell phones will be collected and donated to the Safe Haven Shelter for battered women and a shoe donation box will be available for residents to donate used shoes and boots.

Visitors are also invited to participate in a plant and seed exchange where they can bring in one item from their garden and exchange with someone else for a separate item.

“The focus of the event is ‘dollars and sense,’” said co-chair Russ Eckel. “How we can save money while helping the environment and the resources around us.”

In addition, attendees to any of the free environmental and energy-related workshops  will have a chance to win four premium box seat tickets to a Red Sox game.

The event will take place at the from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow, April 30. Refreshments will be available for purchase at the event and children will be entertained at a special youth area set up by the Environmental Club and the .

It is the first major event for Green Peabody, an organization put together by Mayor Michael Bonfanti and with support of the City Council to help make sure that the city and its residents are being educated on how to remain environmentally sound.

“We put this together with the hopes of advancing Peabody further in to becoming a green community,” said Councilor at Large Anne Manning-Martin, who is co-chair of GreenPeabody. “We hope this can be a real kick off to educate more people in the city and increase the desire to become a more green community and to raise more awareness for our group.”

Event sponsors include , Weston and Sampson, , Energi Holdings Inc. and Wood Trucking.