We currently use more of the Earth’s resources that it can naturally renew and so we all need to be conscious of our actions on the environment. The vast majority of people recycle at home as part of their daily habits, and festivals should be no different to this, especially when you bear in mind that around 3.2 million UK music festival goers each year generate around 23,500 tonnes of waste at these events. Likewise, it’s true to say that most festivals should be commended on how they are already approaching the sustainability issue, though, as always, more can be done – after all, do you EVER get to that point where you can sit back and say ‘my job is done?’
It’s no surprise, therefore, that in response to the question “What should festivals do?” the #1 response is “Provide more recycling bins”. Refuse separation and collection on festival sites is a logistical feat in itself. The last thing that festival organisers want is for all refuse to be gathered into the same place, making it almost impossible to separate the recyclable and the non-recyclable items.
It would seem to make sense, therefore, that an obvious course of action for a festival organiser is to provide recycling bins in larger quantities around their site. However, in order to facilitate this operation, recycling bins not only need to be greater in number, but also emptied at regular intervals and also strategically positioned – the combination of these factors will determine the success of the recycling effort at the event. Many festivals are trying to move away from single use plastic cups and food-to-go packaging, yet single use remains the most cost effective option and so is, unfortunately, still attractive.
A move to reusable cups and food-to-go packaging, with a levy on the drink and food price at the point of purchase, with the right number of recycling bins positioned around the site, enables festival organisers to achieve their ambition of reduction in single use and a reduction in carbon footprint, whilst also generating a brand new revenue stream. Our experts here at Event Cup Solutions will be delighted to demonstrate how all this is possible, so don’t hesitate in contacting us today!
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