Festivals have been known as one of the major drivers of waste. With most festivals may it be for concerts or a town festival leaving a trail of waste with majority of it being single-use. Reducing waste reduction and diversion at festivals is integral to making them successful, not only to demonstrate your dedication to sustainability but also to encourage guest attendees to reduce their own waste production.
Thus, the birth of Zero Waste Event Productions, the leading recycling, composting and waste management provider for indoor and outdoor live music events, sporting events, community gatherings and special gatherings.
The Growing Need for Sustainable Event Production
As our planet faces growing environmental degradation, pollution, energy shortages and food insecurity issues, the event industry is responding by developing sustainable strategies that reduce carbon emissions and other environmental impacts while building its reputation as being eco-friendly.
Festival organizers have taken notice of this trend; both Glastonbury and Shambala have pledged to reduce their environmental impact through innovative solutions.
Sustainability should be an essential consideration when planning events, as it can attract sponsors and audiences who wish to contribute positively while having fun. Unfortunately, implementing sustainability practices may prove challenging.
One of the greatest obstacles in ensuring event sustainability is creating a plan that incorporates all stakeholders’ goals and needs, which requires research into your event’s specific problems, concerns and desired returns.
Once you understand your priorities, develop a green policy to establish standards of practice among all involved parties. Your policy should include specific goals for all stakeholders involved as well as an action plan for reaching those objectives.
Verify all suppliers understand and abide by your policies, and seek proof to avoid greenwashing practices that might mislead attendees about how a supplier implemented green policies.
Attracting attendees to your sustainability goals doesn’t need to be challenging; all it requires is some creativity. Offer digital swag in place of tangible products or offer reusable travel items such as tote bags made out of hessian. Also encourage participation in community projects as part of your plan.
Waste Management Solutions
Waste management solutions provided by Zero Waste Event Productions are tailored specifically to the needs of each event. Their knowledgeable team can assist in creating and executing an appropriate waste management program for ensuring a green event experience. Waste management solutions include recycling, composting, and landfill collection services as well as environmentally responsible disposal of batteries and electronic equipment.
Through their zero waste planning process, Zero Waste Event Productions evaluates the composition of the waste stream and recommends steps that will enable the event to meet its goal of diverting 80% from landfill or incineration by 2032.
Based on the size and scope of the event, bin stations for waste, recycling, and composting could be necessary in both front and back-of-house areas. Additionally, separating the Front of House area (venues, tents, and marquees) and Back of House area (vendor and stallholder packaging) will make educating stallholders on appropriate waste management systems much simpler.
Innovative Recycling Strategies
Zero Waste Event Productions partners with events throughout the US to implement recycling strategies that are efficient, sustainable and cost-effective. Their services include pre-event consultation, waste management, material sorting, volunteer coordination, composting and grounds cleanup - as well as coordination with local recycling facilities or compost facilities to ensure waste is appropriately disposed.
Recycling may traditionally involve plastics, paper and tin cans; however there are numerous innovative approaches for turning discarded materials into new products. Startups in this space have developed technologies for recycling plastics while providing marine plastic tracking capabilities and traceability of the recycling process.
Recycllux, a Belgian startup, utilizes earth observation data and machine learning to track marine plastic litter. Their solution allows authorities and plastic recycling facilities to identify where plastics originate - thus helping divert more waste away from landfills while creating an income stream for collection partners.
Circulor, based out of the UK, offers a recycling process traceability suite designed to enable recyclers to track the sources and flows of raw materials throughout their supply chains, and ensure their final products meet quality specifications that satisfy individual client needs.
OBBOTEC, a Dutch startup company, also recycles plastic waste. Their proprietary dissolution technology, SPEX, selectively extracts PE and PP plastic from waste streams by dissolving them to extract additives such as colorants, flame retardants and plasticizers for recycling, yielding bio-based high quality polymers that can be used as food packaging material.
Companies such as OBBOTEC and Scindo are helping to pioneer a new generation of recyclable materials that can be utilized across industries for maximum circular economy benefit. Furthermore, their diversion rates of plastics from landfills and incinerators has resulted in decreased greenhouse gas emissions significantly.
The Impact of Zero Waste Events
Zero Waste Events have quickly gained popularity on the festival scene, as both hosts and attendees strive to be environmentally sustainable. Announcing one as an event can show your guests your dedication to sustainability while elevating the experience for attendees.
Festivals such as the Caveman Music Festival take a comprehensive approach to reducing their environmental impact by encouraging attendees to recycle their waste. Recycling stations are scattered around the grounds and volunteers help attendees sort into bins accordingly.
Additionally, this event encourages guests to bring refillable water bottles as well as use biodegradable plates and utensils made of sustainable materials - both are effective ways of reducing non-biodegradable waste while encouraging responsible water usage among attendees.
Some festivals even establish composting facilities on-site to assist attendees in disposing of organic waste more easily; having a staff dedicated solely to composting and recycling activities ensures all materials are disposed of in an eco-friendly fashion.
As a result of Zero Waste Events, numerous venues have experienced vast improvements in their waste management practices. One venue, Ritchie Center in Philadelphia which has been an official Zero Waste Partner since 2013, boasts diversion rates over 87% across ticketed sports with hockey and gymnastics boasting above 84% averages respectively.
In Summary
The need for sustainable event production has never been greater. Festivals generate a significant amount of waste and can have a negative impact on the environment. Zero Waste Event Productions is leading the way in providing eco-friendly solutions for event organizers, from waste management to recycling strategies. By implementing sustainable practices and educating attendees, we can make festivals more environmentally friendly while still providing a fun and memorable experience.
Learn more about their social impact through https://zerowastefest.com or follow their Facebook page and Instagram.