All great feelings festival creates, it also generates waste.
See how festival organisers across Asia do in a bid to cut waste.
Festivals are identical with plastic waste problem. Statistically, each festival goer drinks at least 2 water bottles at festivals to keep themselves hydrated. They are then conveniently leave incredible amounts of waste behind. Can you imagine how much waste generated from one festival or public event ?
Try to be the last to stumble in the festival site and you will surely encounter the sea of trash that goes as far as the eye can see. Yikes !
So, can festivals do something about it ?
Several festival organisers around Asia are trying to do something about it. Here are a few examples on how festival organisers ensure their festival experience is as eco-friendly as possible :
Described by some as Coachella meets Burning Man in the tropics, Wonderfruit Festival in Pattaya, Thailand ensure there’s no single-use cup for this year festival. Stated on their website, the coming festival in December 2019 will have new “No Cup, No Service” policy – if you don’t have a reusable cup, you won’t be able to order a drink. This to ensure all Wonderfruit Festival goers must bring their own cup, in order to reduce waste.
Similarly, Shi Fu Miz Festival in Hongkong is making steps to ban single-use plastic bottles sales and encourage their festival goers to bring their own water bottles.
F1 Race Singapore 2019organiser also had taken one step forward in battling excessive plastic bottles post event by allowing their attendees to bring one clear plastic bottle (not more than 600 ml) and providing free water refill stations throughout the circuit park. For annual event with big number of attendees like F1 Night Race Singapore, where more than a million water bottles were sold, saving on plastic waste is significant.
As the plant-based movement draws increasing interest around the world, vegan and healthier food options are also becoming more popular. Interestingly, locally-sourced, greener food options, and clean bites can heighten your overall festival experiences.
Wonderfruit Festival in Pattaya, Thailand ensures their food ingredients are sourced locally from their on-site farm and ensure the food vendors use biodegradable plates, cutlery and straw.
Such initiative is proven to be able spread awareness about plant-based food and proving that vegan doesn’t mean boring.
Earth preservation can also be done by ensuring festival sarges and structures are built from sustainable materials, repurpose furnitures and with techniques that avoid using single-use materials.
The Echoes of Earth Music Festival India rests on the elements of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ using old, discarded, recycled, and up-cycled media in most unique and creative ways. The venue saw eco-friendly signage and up cycled infrastructure like chairs, dustbins and stats, solar-powered stage and mobile charging units, and biodegradable cutlery at the food stalls.
This year, the festival will focus on the endangered species of flora and fauna in India and the world. 80% of Echoes of Earth Festival production, such as stages, art installations and generic festival build is made of recycled, up-cycled, repurposed and junked media.
Echoes of Each 2019 is happening on December 7th and 8th 2019 at the Embassy International Riding School Bangalore. Get ticket here
Everyone loves a bit of glitter at a festival. Unfortunately glitter is litter. Most glitter is made from polyethylene, the same substance found in plastic bags. So when this gets washed down the drain it enters the sea and becomes part of the growing problems of microplactic which consumed by marine life.
Aimed to be a curated platform to raise awareness about sustainable consumption and lifestyle choices, Green is the new black Conscious Festival in Singapore has worked with eco-friendly glitter producer such as The Mermaid Cave to ensure the festival aesthetic does not damage the planet.
Certified as Singapore first carbon-neutral music festival since 2018, Garden Beats Festival believe that sustainability is a conscious journey, and any little step to reduce our environmental footprint is vital.
Wonderfruit Festival 2019 also has carbon footprint offset programme by investing in mangroves programme in Myanmar. This year they begin using crypto-currency called TREE to pay some of their collaborators, supporting the aforementioned forest in Myanmar.
Garden Beats Festival 2020 will include additional initiative of helping restore and reforest our Green Planet, a joint initiative with OneTreePlanted. With only US$1 any festival goer can plant a brand new tree.
What do you think ?
Do you have more ideas on how to make our festival experiences to be as eco-friendly as possible ?
Share with us in the comment section below !
