Hi guys! Hope you all are having a wonderful summer vacation. It's been quiet in here for a while, had to take a break from social media and just be in the ocean for a bit. I have also been to a few festivals over the course of the summer, which has to be the ultimate happiness pill.
There is just one thing we need to address: how we treat the environment at festivals!
Earlier this summer I went to Kadetten, a festival right outside of Oslo. Last weekend both Anette and I went to Slottsfjell, one of Norway's biggest festivals in the oldest city in Norway. It's all up on a hill, and it's just gorgeous. They are both located in nature, right by the ocean, which makes it even more important to think about how the plastic litter is reduced.
After the concerts, the ground is covered with plastic cups, cardboard paper for the cups, cigarettes, tobacco, bags of chips, and other small pieces of trash that people throw out. We, therefore, had to ask you on Instagram if you had any advice or experience with better handling of resources at concerts and festivals, and now we would like to share all the information with you: Splore festival, New Zealand - "leave no trace"What they do:
Eliminate single-use water bottles (first NZ festival to do this)
Eliminate single-use cups
Use reusable wear for both food and drinks
Encourage you to BYOB (bring your own bottle) and refill at water stations across site, or buy a bottle at Splore and keep it, or return it for a refund
You're not allowed to use regular glitter (made of plastic), but they sell bio-glitter
Glastonbury festival, UK - launched sustainable cup after three years of trialWhat they do:
Offer paper cups which they recycle
Sell a stainless steel cup that you can buy across site - customers pay a 5 pound deposit
When people need a refill, they swap their cup for a new one
Wacken Open Air, Germany - Metal 4 NatureWhat they do:
Use plastic reusable cups that cost you 1€, to encourage people to return the cups when they buy another beverage
If somebody tosses or forgets their cup somebody else will pick up 1€ worth of money
Pohoda festival, Slovakia - the greenest festival in EuropeWhat they do:
Reusable cups - saving more than 1 million cups (!)
Water free of charge
Compostable dishes and composting on site
Flushing toilets with water from own wells
Merch in GOTS certified cotton
Øyafestivalen, Norway - one of Norway's most sustainable festivals (aiming to be #1 in the world)What they do:
All beer and soda cups and all food packaging is compostable
Demanding that suppliers bring their packaging after delivery
Encourage everyone to arrive by bike, walking or public transport
Recycle at a rate of approximately 74%
Fixed power instead of aggregates - and one of the stages will run on solar power this year (!) for the first time
Large offer of organic, vegan and vegetarian food
Environmental certification through Miljøfyrtårn
Encouraging YOU to reach out to them with your suggestions on how to become even more eco-friendly (see more here)
Vinjerock, Norway - minimal footprintWhat they do:
Complete recycling (since 2009)
Locally produced food to reduce transportation emissions
Mostly organic produce
Minimizing use of single-use plastic
Offers bus transport to the area
Stokkøya festival, Norway - a plastic-free festivalWhat they do:
Eliminate plastic straws
Eliminate plastic cups - they used reusable ones made of metal which you could buy at the festival
All plates and cutlery where edible - made from wheat!
Eliminate water bottles. The artists even get their reusable ones to refill
Local food - homemade bread with ingredients from the island
Optional borrowing of raincoats
Signs and information on wood instead of plastic
Other great ideas from you guys:@tingelingpling: (translated) "The cup could have a function so that it could be collapsible, and you could keep it in your bag. could also have a little pinch lock so that you could lock it to your pants. It would have to be soft so it wouldn't be in the way or be able to hurt anyone." and "A refund on your plastic cup like they have at Roskilde. Eliminate straws, use cutlery, cups, and plates of biodegradable materials, and give a reduction to everyone using reusables"@anie.yoga: "A lot of festivals where I go use depot on the plastic bottles and dishes - so you have to pay extra and get the money back when u bring the trash back"@eco_tom: "One cup per person, otherwise we will feel okay throwing shit around just because someone will use it. And it will greenwash the business model of fast fashion"@morellanorge: "A festival cup that could be used again and again. For every festival, you get a new QR code on it. It would add value to the owner of the cup, as well as help the environment. Maybe a ? idea.."@inacharlotteb: "I liked the idea of selling bottles or vases that you partly get back money for if returning it back. Like in amusement parks where kids get a vase for slush and keep it in a string around their neck all day and get cheaper refills."@jasminjelley: "Re-usable cup made out of organic/bamboo-based materials or recycled plastic would be the dream- combing both! I’d be so on board ?"THANK YOU FOR CONTRIBUTING!XXX