# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why more people are attending sustainable events than ever

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
The Green Room - A Zoho Backstage Publication

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Environmental sustainability is one of those event trends that gets bigger and bigger every year. In the past few years, many people-and not just those from the scientific community-have spoken and written extensively about their growing concern over the far-reaching effects of climate change and pollution. All of this collective activism has resulted in hundreds of people voicing their support for environmental protection. This meant more and more brands, organizations, and individuals adopted an eco-friendly approach in their many activities, including events. Today, sustainable event planning has become so popular, it's no longer a trend or a fad-it's a movement in its own right.

The benefits of eco-friendly planning

Did you know on average an event attendee produces around 1.85 kilograms of waste per day, and most of this waste ends up in landfills? Here's another: music festivals generate 23,500 tons of waste. This includes food, packaging, and even abandoned tents. According to a report by Powerful Thinking, 20 kilotons of CO2 are emitted annually onsite, and this goes as high as 100 kilotons if you include audience travel. These are just a few problems you can solve by creating an event that's sustainable and eco-friendly.

At the same time, going green with your event not only results in a better and less-polluted planet Earth, it will also benefit your brand and event in many other ways. Here are a few advantages of sustainable event planning:

Cut down on waste (and cost): At its core, sustainable event planning is about producing less waste. This means waste management also becomes easier and less complicated.

Create positive brand awareness: When you walk the talk and show people that you're willing to stand by your values-in this case, hosting a responsible event-they'll trust you more.

Attract a larger crowd: A lot of people, especially those of the millennial generation, are more willing to attend events that are eco-friendly. A sustainable event will earn you a lot of brownie points with these people who have been on the forefront of "go green" worldwide.

Subscribe to The Green Room

Sign up here and get all the most relevant MICE industry content delivered right to your inbox once a month.

By submitting this form, you agree to the processing of personal data according to our Privacy policy.
View email archive

8 tips to make your event eco-friendly

When it comes to sustainable event planning, various aspects have to be taken into consideration-venue, travel, accommodation, food and beverages, and even technology-as they all impact the environment in different ways. And this can turn out to be pretty challenging. In this post, we look at eight basic steps that can go a long way in making events more eco-friendly.

Pick a green location and venue

Almost every step in your event sustainability checklist would depend on your event venue in one way or the other. At the same time, it's also easier and more cost-efficient to fill the missing gaps than to start from scratch. Some points to keep in mind when choosing a venue for your event are:

Is it located near the center of the city with easy access to public transportation?

Does it have solar panels and other sources of renewable energy?

For multi-day events, does the venue have accommodation nearby to avoid unnecessary commuting?

Is the venue technologically advanced with facilities for digital signage, hybrid meetings, and more?

Does the city, in general, support sustainability initiatives? You can get a rough estimation of a city's sustainability index on ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability.

Does the venue have other facilities like natural lighting, energy-efficient systems, good waste management operations, composting toilets, and more?

Apart from this, you can also check if the venue holds any certificates on sustainability from third-party organizations like LEED, Green Key, or Green Leaders.

Reduce paper usage

Did you know in the last 40 years, approximately two million trees have been cut down every day to make paper for global consumption? That's four billion trees every year. Now let's look at events-from agendas and brochures to posters and worksheets, a lot of paper is used. By avoiding these and going with digital and more eco-friendly alternatives, you can cut down on cost, reduce waste at the event, and save a few hundred trees. These are some ways you can reduce the usage of paper at your next event.

Instead of printing (and re-printing) your event's agenda, venue map, and brochures, post them on your event website and event app. Not only will this reduce waste and save cost, it'll also make future revisions easier.

Go online with your event ticketing to avoid paper tickets and registration forms

Replace paper posters and banners with digital signs that can be reused

Use eco-friendly alternatives like recycled paper or even seed paper for badges and placement cards

Give attendees the option to exchange business cards digitally at booths and stalls

Finally, we get that going completely paperless might not be possible. However, you can ensure that all paper is recycled or upcycled. For example, in 2015, the music festival Coachella designed a " Pulp Pavilion " using over a ton of waste paper. And as no chemicals were added to it, it could easily be composted or recycled.
Photograph by Chris Bell (Source: dezeen.com)
Plan for proper waste disposal

According to a study by EventMB, 41 percent of event waste ends up as landfill. For a 1000-attendee, three-day event, that's 3480 kilograms of waste. However, with a sustainable waste management program, you can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.

Waste management happens during the event planning stages itself wherein you should make a list of the types of waste your event would produce and how you plan to deal with it-be it by reusing, reducing, or recycling. A typical event would have the following four types of waste:

1. Organic waste: This includes all bio-degradable waste like food scraps, beverages, flower arrangements, lawn clippings, and more.

2. Recyclable waste: These are things that can be converted into new material that can be reused like paper waste, cardboard, metal, and plastic.

3. General waste: Waste that can neither be composted nor recycled-soft plastic, balloons and other decorative material, single-use plates and cups, tissues-can be categorized here.

4. Hazardous waste: This is waste that can be toxic to human health like industrial chemicals and medical waste.

Once you've decided how to deal with each category of waste, you can start setting up your waste disposal system. This means you'll have to plan where to have the bins and what signage to include for each bin, designate people to monitor and empty the bins, educate exhibitors and attendees on how to deal with waste, contact waste collection services to pick up the waste from your venue, and so on.

Give away eco-friendly swag

Swag has become a must-have for events. Good swag can give you some visibility and brand awareness and attendees a lot of joy. An easy way to keep swag interesting and highlight your sustainability goals is by choosing something that's ethical and sustainable. Today, you can find an eco-friendly alternative to most common event promotional items. For example, you can get your conference totes made from recycled cotton or event merchandise made from sustainable fabric. There are even companies like Sprout World or Planet Earth Promotions that provide sustainable swag to events.

Partner with the local community

When you get things for your event from far-off places, you add on to your event's carbon footprint (everything has to be shipped to your event's location), there's more waste from all the extra packaging, and finally, it costs a lot more. By using local services and vendors, you also get a chance to give back to the community. Another thing you can do is work with your caterer to reduce "food miles" by having food service that's seasonal and prominent in the local cuisine of the area with produce that can be sourced locally.

Use eco-friendly event decor

Green decoration is gaining a lot of popularity in recent times. From using ecological materials like upcycled pallets to recycled paper decorations, events have seen an increase in green decor. There are also decor companies like Kunst deco that specializing in eco-friendly event decor that you can contract for your event.

Other ways to make your event decor sustainable include using live plants for decoration and reusing decorations for events. You can also opt for greener alternatives to regular decoration items. For example, beeswax candles and glass holders can be used in place of regular candles (that are high in chemicals) and plastic holders (that are non-biodegradable and sometimes, even non-recyclable).

Make food-service sustainable

The food you serve at events can result in not just a lot of waste but also increase your event's overall carbon footprint. According to Meegan Jones, author of Sustainable Event Management: A Practical Guide, "Food into landfill is a major cause of landfill methane emissions, a global greenhouse gas emissions contributor. Food waste at events also contributes to startling global food waste statistics, estimated at 1/3 of all food produced being lost or wasted."

It's not just this either. The single-use plastic plates, cups, straws, and other packaging material also result in a lot of waste that can neither be recycled nor composted. Then there's the carbon footprint of transporting exotic produce that's not native to your event location from thousands of miles away. Collectively, the impact of all of this on the environment is quite large.

That's why it's important for event organizers to be mindful of their event menu and their food service. Little things like biodegradable tableware, reusable cutlery, tap water instead of bottled water, fewer food miles, and not over-ordering food can result in a big change. Plans should also be made to send the leftover food from the event to orphanages and shelters.

Reduce your event's carbon footprint

Earlier in this post, we talked about the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that happen at events. Most of this is due to travel-cut down here and you see a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of your event. Here's what you can do:

Find a venue that's close and is easily accessible by public transportation

If necessary, set up group transportation or carpooling options

Go hybrid with your event and give attendees the option to participate in your event either in-person or virtually

Run a shuttle service to pick up and drop off guests at the airport, bus station, or metro

Use renewable sources of energy for electricity-solar panels, biomass generators-as they significantly reduce the emission of greenhouse gases

Enable energy-saving features for light, IT equipment, and other electronics

For multi-day events, implement a "power-down plan" at the end of each event day

Finally, let everyone know about the different measures you've taken to ensure your event is sustainable and eco-friendly. Educate your team members and attendees on how they can help you with your green goals-where the waste bins are, how to segregate waste, what digital alternative they can use in place of paper, and more. This is very important because, without the support of your attendees and team, your sustainability goals can never reach their full potential. Also, if you're looking to go the extra mile, you should definitely think about making your event socially sustainable too.
If, like us, you're more of a social person, let's connect on Twitter (@ZohoBackstage) and we'll keep you up-to-date with all the latest event news.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to organize a sustainable event | The Green Room

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Environmental sustainability is one of those event trends that gets bigger and bigger every year. In the past few years, many people-and not just those from the scientific community-have spoken and written extensively about their growing concern over the far-reaching effects of climate change and pollution.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's almost the start of festival season, which means it's time to dust off the wellies, get your camping gear ready and enjoy a summer full of great music. But with over 3 million of us attending UK music festivals every year, creating a staggering 23,500 tonnes of waste - is it ever possible to have a green festival? Here are our tips for cutting down your festival carbon footprint.

Not all festivals are created equal. Many of the bigger events having a huge environmental impact caused by the logistics of running multiple stages over the festival period. Not to mention the colossal waste created by the millions of people who attend UK music festivals every year.

So try to make sure the festival you head to is as green as it can be. Check to see if the festival you plan to attend:

Check out A Greener Festival for their list of the most environmentally friendly festivals. Previous award winners have included Glastonbury, Green Gathering, and Cambridge Folk Festival.

Thousands of tents are abandoned at the end of UK festivals every year. Lots of festival goers think they get recycled or passed on to charities - but most end up in landfill. The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has criticised retailers who use the term 'festival tents', because it implies that they're single use.

So rather than buying into disposable consumer culture, invest in some decent camping gear that you can reuse every summer. It's much better for the environment, and it'll save you a fortune in pop-up tents.

And if the thought of fighting with your own tent is too much, check out festival glamping. Most music festivals in the UK have a whole range of options, from campervans to yurts, so you're sure to find a way to enjoy your weekend in comfort.

Transport emissions make up the majority of our personal carbon emissions, so travelling to festivals by coach or train is much better for the environment.

Book your tickets well in advance, and check timetables before you set off. Public transport gets pretty crowded during the festival season, but many of the bigger festivals put on extra trains and buses across the weekend.

If you've got too much stuff to take on the train, organise a car share with your friends. And if you're flying solo, check out GoCarShare to share a lift with someone else who's heading in your direction. You'll save on carbon emissions and petrol, plus you might make some new friends along the way.

To keep your transport emissions even lower, head to a local festival near you. There are plenty of smaller festivals all over the UK, so you're sure to find something you'll enjoy.

We'll be heading to WOMAD festival again this year, based at Charlton Park in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside. WOMAD is full of environmental talks and green thinkers, delicious plant-based food from around the globe, and the best in world music.

Travel toiletries save precious backpack space, but they also come wrapped in unnecessary plastic packaging - and they're expensive! You can help the environment and save money by steering clear of travel toiletries, and just repackaging or making your own:

Make to save space - don't forget your bamboo toothbrush!

Glitter is a microplastic, which means it doesn't break down and pollutes our oceans. Microplastics are so small that they're virtually impossible to remove from our beaches and oceans.

But the good news is, you can invest in biodegradable glitter so you can still sparkle without harming the environment. Check out Eco Glitter Fun to browse their full range of guilt-free eco-friendly glitter.

Festival showers are pretty grim - and they're responsible for a lot of water waste. Wet wipes aren't any better, causing over 90% of sewer blockages in the UK and ending up in our oceans.

Avoid the horror of the festival showers and pack your own portable solar shower instead. You can fill it with the water you need for a quick freshen up and leave it out in the sun to heat up during the day.

You could even go one step further and give no rinse soap and shampoo a go. You use it to wash like normal, but there's no need to rinse it all off afterwards - just towel dry and you're good to go.

Burning a fire back at the campsite after the bands have finished for the night makes for a cosy spot to carry on the party - but it also releases a whole load of carbon into the atmosphere.

Instead of burning a campfire, decorate your camp with solar powered fairy lights. You can leave them to charge up during the day, and then you can create an eco-friendly haven when you get back to your tent.

Similar articles

Help us defend nature from the government

Nature is under attack from the UK government. This is the collective view of conservation groups across Britain, our partners the RSPB and others, including The Wildlife Trusts and the National Trust.

We're charging ahead with our sun parks

We're moving as quickly as we can because it's the best way to fight the climate crisis. Here's an update of what's happening at our sun park projects across Britain right now.

Five 5G myths - busted!

5G is the latest generation of mobile phone technology, following on from 4G and 3G before it.

Get the book!

Manifesto out now
Shop

Zerocarbonista.com

Our founder Dale Vince shares his thoughts on the green revolution
Explore the site

Don't just take our word for it...

Ecotricity is recommended by

Climate Clock

The Climate Clock is a version of the Doomsday clock that has been running since 1947 - this tracks the risk of global man-made disaster, through man made technology (like nuclear weapons) - displaying the minutes and seconds left before midnight, when disaster strikes. The climate crisis is a small part of the calculations made.

The climate clock uses a similar approach, but, focuses only on the climate crisis - which is the biggest and most urgent existential threat we face.

"The Climate Clock is a countdown to the biggest man-made disaster we face - but also a measure by which we can track our progress - moving from fossil to renewable energy. It shows we have no time to lose - the clock is ticking..." Dale Vince, OBE.

Ecotricity is a sponsor of the Glasgow Climate Clock that will run every night until COP26.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's almost the start of festival season, which means it's time to dust off the wellies, get your camping gear ready and enjoy a summer full of great music. But with over 3 million of us attending UK music festivals every year, creating a staggering 23,500 tonnes of waste - is it ever possible to have a green festival?

# data[].attributes.headline
Article on how much waste is produced in music festivals

# data[].attributes.subject
Article on how much waste is produced in music festivals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How many skips does festival waste fill? How many tonnes are produced? Is it recycled? Do our beloved UK music festivals have initiatives in place to improve on their environmental impact? We have investigated to bring you all the facts and figures.

People attend music festivals to have a good time, and perhaps escape everyday life for a few days, but have you ever stopped to think about how much waste is produced by these festivals - some of which are so big they are essentially a large temporary town? Have you ever wondered about how much of the waste produced is recycled, or what green initiatives the festival organisers have in place to cut waste and litter? With the number of music festivals being hosted in the UK growing by 34 per cent in just four years, these are questions that need to be asked.

How are festivals trying to reduce and manage their waste?

Our research has led to us uncovering a vast array of interesting initiatives at music festivals, most of which are trying hard to improve on their green statistics from previous years, and lessen their environmental impact. We go in to detail about a few of these below.

General waste / rubbish

Festivals are very keen to produce the least amount of waste possible, as they know they will suffer criticism if not. It has been found that half of festival-goers would happily pay more to attend a greener event, as opposed to an event known for its litter and waste problems. Also, most say "noise, waste and traffic have a negative impact on the festival experience".

Some festivals - including Acoustic Festival and Larmer Tree Festival - recycle ALL of the waste produced onsite, meaning the waste which isn't recyclable in the classic sense gets turned into energy, leaving nothing for landfill.

Cambridge Folk Festival recycled all but 2% of their waste in 2015, and are aiming for 100% recycling this year. They're also hoping to recycle at least 50% onsite this year, as last year 36% of the sorting and recycling took place offsite, which uses more energy.

In 2014, Glastonbury Festival recycled 54% of the waste produced onsite. The graph below shows the breakdown of the recyclable waste types at the festival.

Reading Festival only managed to recycle about a quarter of their total waste in 2013 and 2014, as you can see in the chart below. In fact, there was a 205 tonne increase in waste produced on site between 2013 and 2014, combined with a 2% drop overall in recycling. 2013 saw 433 tonnes of waste and 169 tonnes recycled, and 2014 saw 596 tonnes and 214 tonnes recycled.

However, their sister festival - Leeds Festival - kicked Reading's butt in 2014 and managed to recycle a healthy 82.4% of their waste! There was 13 times more waste recycled at Leeds Festival in 2014 than in 2013. 887 tonnes of waste were sent to landfill in 2013, with 54 tonnes being recycled. Then, in 2014 the tables turned dramatically, and 120 tonnes of waste was sent to landfill with 568 tonnes recycled. That is still 120 tonnes too much being sent to landfill, but certainly a step in the right direction, as shown in the chart below.

Litter

Some festivals issue rubbish bags to festival-goers on arrival, and add a charge to their tickets, which is refunded if a bag of rubbish is returned at some point during the festival. This aims to keep litter to a minimum, and keep rubbish off the floor where it can quickly impact on the local environment.

Cup deposit schemes are becoming increasingly popular and successful at festivals, where attendees only get their deposit back if they return the reusable cup they've been using. Stepping Stones Festival told us this tactic works really well for them, with many people taking the cups home as a cheap souvenir, and the majority of the rest being returned for the deposit. This way, none end up on the floor or in landfill.

All festivals seem to have increased the number of bins on site, which are clearly labelled with what they are for (general waste, plastic, paper, etc.) The problem seems to be bins overflowing with rubbish, as they are not emptied often enough.

Plastics

Plastic is often seen as the most evil of the recyclables - mainly due to the toxins it can contain, which can leach into the environment if the plastic becomes litter. Plastic is also not as easy to recycle as other materials, and therefore uses more energy. For these reasons, some festivals have cut plastic out of their disposable food and drink packaging altogether. Limetree Festival is this year going plastic-free, and will be providing free tap water throughout the festival, as well as encouraging festival-goers to take advantage of the natural spring onsite. As aforementioned, Glastonbury are this year giving out stainless steel drinks containers for a £5 deposit, in an attempt to cut their plastic bottle consumption: around one million plastic bottles are usually used and disposed of at Glastonbury each year!

Tents

Tents are a modern nightmare for the organisers of music festivals, thanks to a troublesome combination of increasingly low tent prices, poor tent quality, and apathetic festival-goers. Some festivals, including Bestival, collect up the abandoned tents and donate them to humanitarian charities - recycling them for others to use.

Interestingly, the Isle of Wight festival now features special 'Love Your Tent' camping fields, in which everyone signs a code of conduct when they arrive, agreeing to remove all of their belongings when they leave. And it works! In 2014, 1450 campers stayed in the designated fields, and not one tent or item of rubbish was left behind! Compare that to your typical music festival camping aftermath, and you realise they might be on to something there.

Toilets

Everyone's least favourite aspect of music festivals: the toilets. In the past, and to this day at some festivals, all of the toilets are chemical - meaning they are far from environmentally friendly, and are adding to landfill. However, some festivals are moving towards more sensible options, with Glastonbury banishing chemical loos forever (save 150) in favour of eco-friendly long-drop toilets and compost loos, the results of which are later spread on farms to help crops grow.

Glastonbury Festival has just been fined in court for causing pollution during last year's festivities, due to a human sewage leak, which ran into the nearby waterways and killed over 40 fish - some of which were very rare. Perhaps the move to long drop and compost loos will stop any repeats of this incident.

Are attempts to be more environmentally friendly working?

Some festivals are doing extraordinarily well at keeping waste to a minimum, minimising their environmental impact, and leaving no trace after the event. Others, not so well. Take Latitude Festival for example: this festival created 157 tonnes of landfill waste in 2014 and 43 tonnes of recycled waste. As you can see in the chart below, that is really not good! The most concerning thing about these figures is, Latitide have a green policy in place which involves handing out clear bags to all party-goers for their recyclables, a cup deposit scheme, and entry to a prize draw for those returning a bag of waste to their waste points. Whilst in 2014 they did improve on 2013's efforts, more needs to be done.

What's the key to environmental success?

Aside from cancelling all our music festivals, which isn't an option, how can we make them as environmentally friendly as possible, cut their waste production, and cut their carbon footprints? Mike of Acoustic Festival, which runs 75% of the festival on solar energy and recycles all their waste, says their environmental success is down to "attract[ing] a green and tidy ethos/person who all do their bit".

Some green initiatives which, according to our research, seem to work well at reducing waste and litter at music festivals include:

Getting attendees to read and sign a green agreement

Banning 'disposable' plastic from the site

Giving every festival-goer a reusable cup, using a deposit scheme

Ensuring all catering vendors use compostable, biodegradable, or at least easily recyclable containers and wrappers

Issuing all festival-goers with bags for their rubbish / recycling, and a reward scheme for returning the bags full

Of course, there are many other environmental aspects to take into account with music festivals, including carbon footprints, and the lasting impact on the land used.

However, it is great that the green impact of music festivals is being considered nowadays - for so long, it was ignored by most festivals and attendees. The reduction of waste production is key, as opposed to just recycling as much as possible: prevention, as they say, is so much better than a 'cure'. I look forward to seeing what new initiatives are trialed in the future, and hope to see a real focus on waste reduction.
Featured image credit: monkeybusinessimages

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How much waste is really produced at UK music festivals? - The Forge Skip Hire Leeds Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How many skips does festival waste fill? How many tonnes are produced? Is it recycled? Do our beloved UK music festivals have initiatives in place to improve on their environmental impact? We have investigated to bring you all the facts and figures.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We all have a part to play in saving our planet from the ongoing and increasing dangers of climate change. Our guide explores the key steps that festival organisers can take to make future festivals greener, as well as providing actionable advice from sustainable organisations, a directory of suppliers and organisations, and a selection of case studies to take inspiration from.

After reading this guide, organisers should be equipped to consider quick and easy sustainable initiatives to make their festival greener - it could be as simple as providing more water stations or having a designated car park closer to the site for car-sharing attendees - as well as the larger-scale projects that green festivals around the UK and Ireland have already adopted.

The most important thing to know is this - no matter how small the change, it will have a positive impact.

Enter your details to download the guide and take the first step towards making your festival greener!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sustainability 101: The Guide To A Greener Festival

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We all have a part to play in saving our planet from the ongoing and increasing dangers of climate change. Our guide explores the key steps that festival organisers can take to make future festivals greener, as well as providing actionable advice from sustainable organisations, a directory of suppliers and organisations, and a selection of case studies to take inspiration from.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
River Cottage Festival: 24-25 August
The River Cottage Festival is a chance to immerse yourself in delicious organic food, music, talks, masterclasses and a host of activities to keep the children happy during a two-day event at River Cottage HQ.

As well as music, you'll also find family yoga, bushcraft, woodwork, star gazing, foraging, holistic massage and willow weaving to keep you entertained! Splatch; a community driven performance company from Cardiff, will be teaching hula hoop, juggling, unicycle and acrobatics but if you'd rather keep your feet firmly on organic soil then try one of the foodie masterclasses where you can learn to make wild cocktails, fabulous ferments or how to cook with fire.

Guest speakers include Anita Rani, Steph McGovern and of course the marvellous Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall! Camping and glamping is available and everyone is encouraged to bring their reusable cup and bottle with water points widely available throughout the site.
Daylesford Harvest Festival: 21 September
The Daylesford Festivals are a real celebration of seasonal fare. Enjoy picking your own produce from their organic Market Garden, browse stalls, find honey displays, meet the rare breed and native animals and learn how to get the best from food with cookery demos.

Set on their farm in the heart of the Cotswolds, Daylesford festivals are the ideal place to reconnect with nature and see first hand how organic farming works in harmony with nature. If you're lucky, there might even be a farm tour, which in previous years has been a personal highlight for me.

Top tips for an eco-friendly festival experience

#1 Refuse plastic - try to avoid bringing any disposable plastic with you and refuse single-use plastic when ordering food and drinks; think straws, plastic cutlery, plastic plates and cups and free samples served in single-use plastic.

#2 Be prepared - bring some simple reusables (not glass as it's not permitted in most festivals for safety reasons):

- a stainless steel water bottle for water refills
- a stainless steel tumbler for beer, wine or any tipple that tickles your fancy!
- reusable spoons or sporks to eat with
- organic cotton cloth bags are great for snacks
- stainless steel containers to use instead of takeaway containers and for storing leftovers or food scraps.
- reusable napkins

#3 Don't be afraid to ask vendors to put food straight into your cloth bag/stainless steel container (or even reusable coffee cup!). Trust me, they'll love you for it!

#4 Offset your carbon emissions if travelling by car.

#5 Take public transport where possible or carshare with a friend.

#6 Less is more - the less stuff you bring, the lighter you'll be and the easier it is to pack up at the end (no leaving tents behind!). Ask friends and family if you need to borrow items such as camping gear or fancy dress outfits, rent from a company like rentuu.com or buy second-hand and donate back once you're done.

#7 Need glitter? Choose biodegradable glitter.

#8 Take any rubbish home with you and leave your pitch better than you found it.

Now, do you remember where you packed those tent pegs?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The best eco-friendly UK summer festivals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
River Cottage Festival: 24-25 August The River Cottage Festival is a chance to immerse yourself in delicious organic food, music, talks, masterclasses and a host of activities to keep the children happy during a two-day event at River Cottage HQ.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
This Is What An Eco-Friendly Music Festival Looks Like

# data[].attributes.body
Controlled substances (including psychoactive substances)

Glass / aerosols / gas canisters / BBQs / weapons / sharp objects

Pyrotechnics / flares / fireworks / lasers / laser pens

Food / alcohol

Golf umbrellas / flags / chairs / camping equipment

Animals (with the exception of assistance dogs)

Large bags (no bags bigger than an A4 piece of paper)

Professional camera or video recording equipment (including SLRs and anything with a detachable lens)

No bikes / skateboards / scooters.

No megaphones / large amplification equipment / klaxons / air horns.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.biffa.co.uk/biffablog/2018/september/top-tips-for-effective-festival-waste-management#:~:text=Other%20than%20music%2C%20drinks%2C%20wellies,and%20plastic%20that%20generates%20waste.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
But how many people make the effort to discard their waste properly? According to The Waste Place, "there is an estimated 10,000 tons plus a year of waste generated from festivals, tents, cups, food containers and other associated items" ( The Waste Place, February 2018). At Biffa, we understand the excitement and planning involved with hosting and attending festivals, but we also understand the impact that festival waste can have on the environment.

That's why we've come up with some top tips for effective festival waste management, so the next time your organisation hosts an outdoor event, you can rest assured that your efforts are helping minimise the amount of harmful waste affecting the environment.

1. Outline waste materials for recycling and disposal

Before your festival begins, it's imperative that you and your organisation have clear guidelines on which types of waste will be expected, and whether they can be recycled:

Are all these materials recyclable? Aluminium drink cans and foil wrap certainly are, but what about plastics such as straws, cling film and plastic bags?

You can encourage your festival-goers to ditch the plastic coffee cups by simply not providing them! Why not make it clear at the ticketing stage that you expect ticketholders to bring a reusable cup for their caffeine requirements? Recyclable cardboard straws are an easy alternative to plastic, as are re-usable tote bags in place of plastic carrier bags.

Once you've outlined the main waste materials that can be recycled, you can set up recycling stations throughout your festival venue. Our services extend to the Hospitality and Events sector, covering pubs, hotels, festivals and other outdoor events, with offerings like commodity collection and general waste.

2. Gather a team of waste pickers

As part of your business, you may already have a team ready for days of festival waste management. Teams of trained professionals are important for helping combat excessive festival waste, as they can help instruct volunteer litter pickers and are well-versed in which types of waste should go where.

Free entry to a festival is a great incentive to offer volunteers. Perhaps offer them free weekend passes in exchange for their litter picking efforts? Enforcing a rota will ensure any volunteers get their fair share of time away from festival waste management, where they can enjoy the acts and socialise.

3. Encourage guests to correctly dispose of festival waste

By setting up brightly-coloured, easy to spot waste stations throughout your venue, chances are some people will take notice. Label each bin to segregate waste effectively and give examples of the types of waste each bin should contain. This should help your business work towards effective festival waste management.

Of course, not everyone will be accustomed to the different waste streams, but it goes a long way in educating people about the correct disposal measures whilst having fun.

Strive for a zero waste event

Want to make your festival a zero waste event? Achieving zero waste at your event involves re-using and recycling absolutely every piece of waste produced. It can be a large part of a business' corporate social responsibility, and can also create cost savings when done well.

There are many different steps involved with planning to go zero waste, such as procurement and target setting. Just a simple understanding of the waste produced is a step in the right direction.

All this can come under a quality event waste management plan. Having one of these in place ahead of your festival will ensure your team are all on the same page, and that your business can work towards improving its environmental credibility achieving effective festival waste management.

Having years of experience managing large festivals such as the Reading & Leeds festival and Truckfest, Biffa works alongside you at a strategic level to reduce waste at source, increase recycling and optimise your services to deliver environmental targets while supporting your event and if you're lucky we may even send out a Wasteater...

If you'd like to find out more about how Biffa could support your business' next event, get in touch today.

About the author

Hamza Fazal

Hamza is part of Biffa's digital team, writing a diverse range of content on a number on industry topics. Hamza's favourite topic is Hazardous Waste, so look out for his handy tips coming your way!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Top Tips For Effective Festival Waste Management

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
But how many people make the effort to discard their waste properly? According to The Waste Place, "there is an estimated 10,000 tons plus a year of waste generated from festivals, tents, cups, food containers and other associated items" ( The Waste Place, February 2018).

# data[].attributes.body
https://tramlines.org.uk/info/what-not-to-bring/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The following items are not permitted to be taken into Tramlines and will be disposed of at the point of entry:

Controlled substances (including psychoactive substances)

Glass / aerosols / gas canisters / BBQs / weapons / sharp objects

Pyrotechnics / flares / fireworks / lasers / laser pens

Food / alcohol

Golf umbrellas / flags / chairs / camping equipment

Animals (with the exception of assistance dogs)

Large bags (no bags bigger than an A4 piece of paper)

Professional camera or video recording equipment (including SLRs and anything with a detachable lens)

No bikes / skateboards / scooters.

No megaphones / large amplification equipment / klaxons / air horns.

Drug Policy
We operate a Prevent, Pursue, Protect policy. This means, Prevent illegal drugs from getting onto the site, Pursue anyone suspected of supplying illegal drugs, Protect the festival-goers.

Tramlines has a zero-tolerance drug policy. Any illegal drugs will be confiscated and the police may decide to prosecute. New psychoactive substances, Poppers, and Nitrous Oxide are also strictly prohibited and may result in ejection from the event. Searches are a condition of entry to the festival.

We really want all our festival-goers to stay safe at this year's festival. Please don't take any risks. You can find out all the latest information on legal highs at www.whynotfindout.org

For more information about how to stay safe and for advice on drugs and alcohol head to festivalsafe.com and www.talktofrank.com.

If you or any of your friends are feeling unwell you can visit our on-site welfare team who will be able to help you.
Pyrotechnics
As of Monday 3rd of April 2017, changes in legislation under the policing and crime act 2017 mean that anyone found guilty of possessing pyrotechnics (flares, fireworks, smoke bombs etc) at a music festival could face up to 3 months in prison. Please do not bring them to the festival under any circumstances.
Bag Restrictions

All bags are subject to search on entry. To avoid lengthy queues we strongly advise that you do not bring a bag. Please allow plenty of time for queues, entry procedures, ticket checks and searches.

Bags larger than A4 in size are not permitted

If in doubt, small bags with the dimensions 210 x 297 x 200mm are permitted, subject to search.

Food / Drink
No food or drink is permitted (with the exception of a sealed 500ml water bottle, empty refillable bottle and baby food). There are bars and lots of food options including vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. Visit our Food page for more info.
Chairs
Seats and chairs of any kind are not permitted into the festival. There will be plenty of seating inside the venue should you wish to sit down during the day.
Valuables
Although these are not prohibited, please don't bring anything you can't afford to lose. Tramlines will not take responsibility for any personal possessions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Not To Bring - Tramlines Festival 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The following items are not permitted to be taken into Tramlines and will be disposed of at the point of entry: Controlled substances (including psychoactive substances) Glass / aerosols / gas canisters / BBQs / weapons / sharp objects Pyrotechnics / flares / fireworks / lasers / laser pens Food / alcohol Golf umbrellas / flags / chairs / camping equipment Animals (with the exception of assistance dogs) Large bags (no bags bigger than an A4 piece of paper) Professional camera or video recording equipment (including SLRs and anything with a detachable lens) No bikes / skateboards / scooters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
But how many people make the effort to discard their waste properly? According to The Waste Place, "there is an estimated 10,000 tons plus a year of waste generated from festivals, tents, cups, food containers and other associated items" ( The Waste Place, February 2018). At Biffa, we understand the excitement and planning involved with hosting and attending festivals, but we also understand the impact that festival waste can have on the environment.

That's why we've come up with some top tips for effective festival waste management, so the next time your organisation hosts an outdoor event, you can rest assured that your efforts are helping minimise the amount of harmful waste affecting the environment.

1. Outline waste materials for recycling and disposal

Before your festival begins, it's imperative that you and your organisation have clear guidelines on which types of waste will be expected, and whether they can be recycled:

Are all these materials recyclable? Aluminium drink cans and foil wrap certainly are, but what about plastics such as straws, cling film and plastic bags?

You can encourage your festival-goers to ditch the plastic coffee cups by simply not providing them! Why not make it clear at the ticketing stage that you expect ticketholders to bring a reusable cup for their caffeine requirements? Recyclable cardboard straws are an easy alternative to plastic, as are re-usable tote bags in place of plastic carrier bags.

Once you've outlined the main waste materials that can be recycled, you can set up recycling stations throughout your festival venue. Our services extend to the Hospitality and Events sector, covering pubs, hotels, festivals and other outdoor events, with offerings like commodity collection and general waste.

2. Gather a team of waste pickers

As part of your business, you may already have a team ready for days of festival waste management. Teams of trained professionals are important for helping combat excessive festival waste, as they can help instruct volunteer litter pickers and are well-versed in which types of waste should go where.

Free entry to a festival is a great incentive to offer volunteers. Perhaps offer them free weekend passes in exchange for their litter picking efforts? Enforcing a rota will ensure any volunteers get their fair share of time away from festival waste management, where they can enjoy the acts and socialise.

3. Encourage guests to correctly dispose of festival waste

By setting up brightly-coloured, easy to spot waste stations throughout your venue, chances are some people will take notice. Label each bin to segregate waste effectively and give examples of the types of waste each bin should contain. This should help your business work towards effective festival waste management.

Of course, not everyone will be accustomed to the different waste streams, but it goes a long way in educating people about the correct disposal measures whilst having fun.

Strive for a zero waste event

Want to make your festival a zero waste event? Achieving zero waste at your event involves re-using and recycling absolutely every piece of waste produced. It can be a large part of a business' corporate social responsibility, and can also create cost savings when done well.

There are many different steps involved with planning to go zero waste, such as procurement and target setting. Just a simple understanding of the waste produced is a step in the right direction.

All this can come under a quality event waste management plan. Having one of these in place ahead of your festival will ensure your team are all on the same page, and that your business can work towards improving its environmental credibility achieving effective festival waste management.

Having years of experience managing large festivals such as the Reading & Leeds festival and Truckfest, Biffa works alongside you at a strategic level to reduce waste at source, increase recycling and optimise your services to deliver environmental targets while supporting your event and if you're lucky we may even send out a Wasteater...

If you'd like to find out more about how Biffa could support your business' next event, get in touch today.

About the author

Hamza Fazal

Hamza is part of Biffa's digital team, writing a diverse range of content on a number on industry topics. Hamza's favourite topic is Hazardous Waste, so look out for his handy tips coming your way!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Top Tips For Effective Festival Waste Management

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
But how many people make the effort to discard their waste properly? According to The Waste Place, "there is an estimated 10,000 tons plus a year of waste generated from festivals, tents, cups, food containers and other associated items" ( The Waste Place, February 2018).

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.eventgenius.live/blog/8-ways-to-help-make-your-festival-or-event-more-sustainable-and-environmentally-friendly

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
8 ways to help make your festival or event more sustainable and environmentally-friendly | Event Genius Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Aug 14, 2022 - 8 ways to help make your festival or event more sustainable and environmentally-friendly - Event Genius blog. Subscribe for all our latest news and insights direct to your inbox.