Case Study: Zero-Waste Festival Programs at Scale

How Leading Events Eliminate Waste Through Reusables, Dishwashing & Smart Strategies

Large festivals and events can generate mountains of trash – but a pioneering group of festival organizers is proving that zero-waste is achievable even at massive scale. This case study reviews several leading events around the world that have implemented ambitious zero-waste programs. By comparing their reusable loops, dishwashing operations, waste diversion metrics, enforcement methods, and audience communication, we uncover practical strategies any festival producer can apply to reduce waste.

The Challenge of Zero-Waste at Scale

Organizing a zero-waste festival means sending as little as possible to landfill. In practice, top events aim for over 90% waste diversion (through recycling, composting, or reusing) and eliminate single-use disposables. Achieving this at scale requires rethinking materials (like replacing disposable cups with reusables), establishing efficient dishwashing and waste collection systems, and engaging everyone – from vendors to attendees – in the effort. It’s no small task: a major festival can host tens of thousands of people, each generating waste. However, the following zero-waste leaders show that with creative planning and commitment, “trash-free” events can become a reality.

Shambala Festival (UK) – A Deposit-Driven Zero-Waste Ecosystem

Overview

Shambala is an intimate 15,000-person festival in England renowned for its sustainability leadership. In recent years, it has nearly eliminated disposable plastics on site and achieved zero waste to landfill. In 2022, Shambala managed to recycle or compost essentially all waste and increased its recycling rate to 72% of all waste materials – despite a growing audience.

Reusables & Waste Loops

From the bars to food stalls, disposable plastics are banned. All drinks are served in sturdy reusable cups (no single-use beer cups or plastic bottles anywhere). Attendees are asked to “Bring a Bottle” – personal refillable bottles – since the festival stopped selling plastic water bottles back in 2014. Free water stations and chilled water taps at bars make refilling easy. Food vendors likewise cannot use plastic plates or cutlery; instead they use compostable or reusable alternatives. Even backstage, the production team uses reusable dishware and has phased out items like single-use cable ties in favor of reusable ones. By designing disposables out of the festival ecosystem, Shambala greatly reduces the total waste generated.

Dishwashing Operations

While Shambala focuses on eliminating disposables, it doesn’t run a public dishwashing station for attendees. Instead, the festival emphasizes compostable serviceware for any single-use needs at food stalls. The bulk of reusables on site are the bar cups, which are collected, washed, and reused each year through an off-site cleaning partner. This approach simplifies on-site operations – compostables go to local compost, and reusable cups get centrally washed after the event – while still keeping waste bins emptier.

Diversion & Impact

Thanks to these measures, Shambala’s waste per person has dropped to under 0.8 kg per day. Over half of all waste by weight is recycled, and food scraps (about 10 tonnes in 2022) are composted at a local farm. Impressively, Shambala reports zero waste to landfill, meaning everything was either recycled, composted, or turned into energy. By charging vendors a waste bond and investing in on-site sorting, the festival has created a closed-loop system where materials are captured and given a second life. This program has earned Shambala Outstanding sustainability awards and inspired other events to adopt similar tactics.

Enforcement

Shambala enforces its zero-waste ethos through a clever “Recycling Deposit” system for attendees. When buying a ticket, each attendee pays a £20 deposit dedicated to waste sorting. On arrival, everyone receives two trash bags – a green bag for recycling and a grey bag for landfill waste – to use at their campsite. Attendees who bring their sorted bags to a Recycling Exchange station during the event get their £20 deposit refunded (or a limited-edition merchandise reward). Those who don’t participate essentially fund the waste contractors – a fair “polluter pays” principle. This financial nudge dramatically boosts recycling engagement: typically over 6,000 attendees use the Recycling Exchange each year, resulting in double the recycling rates in campgrounds.

For vendors, Shambala’s rules are strict: no single-use plastics or non-compostable serveware are allowed, and any brand activations on site must align with sustainability guidelines. The festival’s green team conducts spot-checks on vendors to ensure compliance (for example, verifying that only approved packaging is in use). Significant breaches can result in fines or banning the vendor in future years, though such incidents are rare thanks to clear up-front communication and planning.

Audience Communication

Shambala succeeds largely by getting its audience onboard with the mission. Sustainability messaging is woven into all communications – from the ticket purchase process (notifying attendees about the recycling deposit and encouraging them to pack reusable items) to frequent social media posts leading up to the event. On site, signage reminds everyone: “Love the Farm, Leave No Trace.” Campers are encouraged to take home everything they brought, and volunteers at the Recycling Exchange enthusiastically guide participants in sorting their trash properly, turning a chore into a communal activity. Festival announcements also celebrate milestones (like “Thanks to you, 5 tons of recycling have been collected today!”), which reinforces positive participation. By treating festival-goers as partners in the zero-waste experiment, Shambala creates a culture where everyone feels responsible for keeping the grounds clean.

DGTL Festival (Netherlands) – Pioneering Circular Systems in a City Festival

Overview

DGTL is a 20,000-capacity electronic music festival in Amsterdam that has become a global pioneer in circular, zero-waste event design. Staged at an urban venue, DGTL doesn’t have campsite waste to manage, but it does face the challenge of dense crowds and multi-day operations in a city environment. The festival’s goal is to be the first fully circular, climate-neutral major event – and it’s well on the way. By 2022, DGTL cut its residual waste (material that can’t be recycled or composted) to just 20 grams per visitor per day, down from 93 grams in 2019. This remarkable improvement illustrates how rethinking resource flows can yield near-zero waste.

Reusables & Resource Loops

DGTL treats everything on site as a resource rather than waste. It implemented a comprehensive reusable cup system: attendees pay a small deposit for a sturdy cup which they can exchange or get refunded, ensuring cups are returned for washing. Single-use plastics are eliminated; drinks come via draft or bulk dispensers to minimize packaging. For food service, DGTL works with vendors to use recyclable or compostable dishware only – and it has even experimented with reusable plates in some areas. Decorations and art installations are built with recycled materials and reused each year. The DGTL team mapped all material flows entering and leaving the festival (a detailed Material Flow Analysis) to pinpoint where they could close loops. For example, wooden staging is designed for easy disassembly and reuse at future editions, and leftover cooking oil from food stalls is collected for biofuel production. By redesigning its supply chain, DGTL greatly reduces what ends up in a bin.

Dishwashing Operations

Operating in a city park with limited space, DGTL partners with external service providers for large-scale dishwashing of its reusable cups and other reusables. After each festival day, collected cups and dishes are shipped to an industrial washing facility nearby and returned clean. On-site, DGTL focuses on efficient collection: staffed stations ensure that attendees return their cups and sort waste correctly. The festival also pilots closed-loop food tray programs, where vendors serve food on a reusable tray that attendees return to a collection point; the trays are then washed and put back into circulation. These behind-the-scenes dish operations allow DGTL to offer reusables without building extensive infrastructure on the festival grounds – a practical model for urban events.

Diversion & Impact

Thanks to rigorous sorting and waste avoidance, DGTL boasts 100% separation of waste streams – meaning every piece of trash is sorted into the proper recycling, composting, or reuse category. In effect, the festival approaches the ideal of zero “waste” by ensuring everything has a next life other than landfill. Most years, DGTL achieves well above an 85–90% overall diversion rate. The small amount of remaining residual waste (that ~20 grams per person) is typically sent for energy recovery (incineration), since the Netherlands has advanced waste-to-energy facilities. DGTL openly publishes its waste metrics and progress as part of its sustainability reporting, demonstrating transparency. This data-driven approach not only tracks success but also helps in fine-tuning systems each year (for instance, if too many compostables were contaminating recycling bins one year, they adjust bin signage and placement the next year).

Enforcement

DGTL’s approach to enforcement centers on design and convenience – making it easier to do the right thing than to generate waste. All vendors sign a sustainability agreement: any packaging or materials they bring must fit into the festival’s sorting system (for example, only specific certified compostable packaging is allowed, and no single-use plastic wrappers). The festival provides vendors with a list of approved products and suppliers for things like compostable cutlery to ensure consistency. Waste station volunteers and signage “enforce” proper disposal by guiding attendees – if someone heads toward a trash bin with a recyclable cup, staff will politely redirect them to the correct bin, educating as they do so. Because attendees pay deposits on reusables and want their money back, they’re naturally incentivized to return items rather than litter. DGTL also employs a green crew that constantly monitors for any contamination in waste streams; if a particular stand or area is producing lots of rubbish in the wrong bin (say a vendor’s compostables ending up in recycling), the team will intervene with that vendor to solve the issue. In extreme cases, the event can fine vendors for non-compliance, but this is rarely needed due to thorough pre-planning and partnership with vendors from the start.

Audience Communication

Living up to its cutting-edge image, DGTL communicates its zero-waste mission in a stylish and tech-savvy way. Before the event, ticket-holders receive an email sustainability guide explaining the festival’s circular goals and how attendees can help (for example, by bringing a reusable water bottle and understanding the cup deposit system). On site, the messaging is clear and omnipresent: digital screens and posters display instructions for returning cups and sorting waste, often framed as part of the DGTL experience (e.g. “Be a DGTL Zero-Waste Hero – Return Your Cup for Reuse”). The festival app and social media share real-time updates like “Our circular efforts saved 250 kg of plastic today – keep it up!” DGTL also hosts a small “sustainability hub” where curious attendees can learn more about the eco-initiatives, turning communication into an interactive attraction. By normalizing sustainability as part of the festival’s brand, DGTL gets its audience excited to participate rather than seeing it as a chore.

Planet Bluegrass Festivals (USA) – Reusable Dishware in Action

Overview

Planet Bluegrass, the organization behind Colorado’s famed Telluride Bluegrass Festival, RockyGrass, and Folks Festival, has long championed waste reduction at their events (ranging from ~5,000 to 12,000 attendees each). As early as the 2000s, these folk and bluegrass festivals introduced reusable beer cups, and in 2016 they launched an ambitious on-site reusable dishware program. The result has been a dramatic decrease in trash and a consistently high waste diversion rate (around 60% across their festivals in 2022). Planet Bluegrass shows that even multi-day outdoor concerts can eliminate most disposable food packaging with the right infrastructure and fan support.

Reusables & Dishware Loops

At Planet Bluegrass events, single-use plastic is virtually non-existent on the festival grounds. Instead, attendees purchase a durable commemorative plastic pint cup (or bring their own) to use for beverages all weekend – and often take home as a souvenir. Refills are discounted or free of any extra cup fee, ensuring that almost no disposable cups are needed. Fans even collect the unique cup designs each year, which creates a culture of reuse.

For food vendors, Planet Bluegrass took the bold step of providing reusable plates and utensils for all food service. They built a central “dish pit” on site: a commercial-grade washing station where hundreds of plates, bowls, and metal cutlery are cleaned continuously. Vendors receive stacks of clean dishes to serve meals on, and attendees simply drop off used dishes in marked bins or at the dish station when finished. Those dishes are then washed and recirculated to vendors, creating a closed-loop system during the festival. This program required working closely with local health departments (Planet Bluegrass had to obtain a special permit to allow reusable dishes in a temporary event setting), but it paid off – waste from food service plummeted. Where a typical festival of similar size would send tens of thousands of disposable plates and forks to landfill or even compost, Planet Bluegrass events send almost none.

Diversion & Impact

By eliminating most single-use cups and plates, these festivals generate far less waste to begin with. What waste is produced is carefully sorted. The organizers report approximately 60% waste diversion overall, meaning a majority of all waste is recycled or composted rather than landfilled. Compostable materials (like food scraps and any remaining paper napkins or packaging) are collected and sent to an industrial compost facility. The ~40% of waste that still goes to landfill largely consists of difficult-to-recycle items like certain packaging brought by attendees or camping gear left behind – though even those are minimized by festival policies (for instance, staff encourage attendees to “pack it out,” i.e. take home any items they brought that can’t be recycled on site). By partnering with local zero-waste organizations and investing in dishwashing infrastructure, Planet Bluegrass significantly shrank the environmental footprint of their events and became a model for other niche festivals.

Enforcement

The success of the reusable dishware program hinges on strict vendor requirements and making it easy for attendees to comply. All food vendors at RockyGrass and Folks Festival are required to serve on the provided reusable dishware – they are not allowed to hand out disposables. The festival supplies what vendors need (plates, bowls, cups, utensils) and factors the cost into vendor fees. Festival staff and volunteers manage the dish supply and ensure vendors never run out of clean dishes, which keeps vendors happy and willing to participate.

In addition, vendors must use only compostable items for anything not covered by the reusables (for example, paper wrappers or wooden stirrers). If a disposable item is absolutely necessary, it can at least be composted. To maintain high waste diversion, Planet Bluegrass also stations volunteers at waste-sorting bins to guide attendees. These “trash talker” volunteers politely direct people to put recyclables, compostables, and landfill waste in the correct containers and remove any obvious contaminants. This real-time assistance greatly increases the quality of recycling and compost streams (since a single dirty item can ruin a whole batch of recyclables). The festival organizers coordinate with the local waste hauling company and compost facility, even doing waste audits after the event to see where mistakes happen and improve training. Through these efforts, enforcement is achieved with a friendly, community vibe – many repeat attendees know the drill and newcomers quickly catch on.

Audience Communication

Planet Bluegrass has cultivated a loyal community of festival-goers (affectionately called “Festivarians”) who take pride in the eco-friendly traditions. Communication about waste reduction starts well before the festival, with information on the website and in ticket emails: attendees are reminded to “bring your reusable water bottle” (since free water refill stations are provided) and told about the reusable beer cup policy so they know to expect a small cup deposit or purchase.

On site, clear signage at vendor booths says “Reusables in Use – Please Return Your Dishes,” and waste stations have big banners like “Recycle Here” and “Compost Only – No Trash.” Emcees from the stage often give shout-outs to the sustainability efforts (for example, announcing how many bags of recycling were collected or thanking the crowd for returning their plates). Perhaps most powerfully, the culture at these festivals embraces sustainability – attendees see using reusables and sorting waste as simply part of the festival experience. This positive peer pressure means that newcomers naturally follow suit when they see everyone carrying a reusable cup and returning their dishes after eating. By treating the audience as stewards of the festival grounds, Planet Bluegrass fosters an atmosphere where leaving a clean venue is a shared goal.

Burning Man (USA) – Radical “Pack It Out” at 80,000-Person Scale

Overview

Not all zero-waste strategies rely on providing reusable cups or dishwashing stations – Burning Man, the iconic 80,000-person arts festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, takes a “Leave No Trace” approach that puts responsibility squarely on participants. In the harsh desert environment, there are no trash cans at Burning Man. Attendees (or “Burners”) must bring in all their supplies and pack out every bit of waste they generate, from empty cans to greywater. The result is that at the festival’s end, the desert playa is meticulously cleared of debris – an astonishing feat of collective enforcement and culture. Burning Man demonstrates how powerful community norms and education can practically eliminate waste left behind, even without traditional waste management services.

Reusables & Waste Approach

Burning Man’s survivalist setting inherently encourages reusables, since whatever you bring you must take back out. Participants plan their camps to minimize waste – using durable gear, bulk containers for food and water, and reusable plates and cups for meals. There are no vendors handing out bottled water or disposable food trays; instead, theme camps that gift food or drinks do so with washable items and often ask guests to bring their own cup or plate. Ice is one of the few items sold on-site and is distributed in reusable cloth sacks rather than disposable plastic bags. By eliminating commerce and single-use packaging on the official level, Burning Man drastically reduces typical event waste streams (no piles of food wrappers or plastic beer cups, because those items were never distributed). Whatever waste is generated (like packaging from personal food or broken equipment) is sorted at camps and taken back out in participants’ vehicles at the end of the week.

Dishwashing Operations

Each camp is responsible for its own dishwashing and waste management. Many camps set up simple systems of wash basins to clean their reusables daily, often using biodegradable soap so that greywater can be evaporated or captured safely. The festival provides education on how to properly dispose of greywater (since dumping it on the desert ground is not allowed – camps must either evaporate it in shallow pools or haul it out in containers). There are no centralized dishwashing stations or waste collection points at Burning Man – which is intentional to reinforce the ethic of self-reliance. Some larger theme camps or art projects that serve food follow health guidelines similar to restaurants (with multi-step sanitizing procedures) to ensure any public food service is safe, but on the whole dish ops at Burning Man are decentralized and camp-specific. The key is that they must be done – you cannot just throw away dirty plates when there’s no “away” on site.

Diversion & Impact

Burning Man doesn’t measure diversion in the traditional way, because organizers do not directly manage the trash. However, the success metric is the cleanliness of the playa after everyone leaves. Each year, a dedicated Playa Restoration crew sweeps the 7-square-mile festival site for any MOOP (“Matter Out Of Place” – the Burning Man term for litter). In successful years, they collect only a few dumpsters worth of stray debris – an amazing feat given the event’s scale. The Bureau of Land Management then inspects the site and has consistently given Burning Man high marks, allowing the festival to continue on public land. We can infer that an extremely high percentage of waste is ultimately diverted from littering the event site – essentially 99+% of attendee waste is removed by participants. (Of course, that waste still exists; it’s just dealt with outside the event in home cities.) Many Burners report that after attending, they become more waste-conscious in daily life too, having seen firsthand how much trash they produce when they have to personally handle it. Burning Man thus has an impact beyond the event itself by seeding zero-waste mindsets among its community.

Enforcement

How do you enforce Leave No Trace among 80,000 attendees? Burning Man uses a mix of principle-driven culture and peer enforcement. The event’s core principles (posted everywhere and repeated often) include “Leave No Trace,” meaning everyone is responsible for cleaning up after themselves and even others. Camps that fail to do so can be denied placement or tickets in future years – the organizers keep track of which camps left problem MOOP via an infamous MOOP Map published after the event, effectively calling out those who didn’t clean up. During the event, volunteer Black Rock Rangers and passionate participants will kindly remind anyone seen littering or dumping water inappropriately. It’s not unusual for a neighbor camp to help another with trash or for veteran Burners to carry extra trash bags to give to others. There is a strong ethic of not letting any waste hit the ground in the first place.

Burning Man also implements a clean-up bond for art installations and large camps: they must pay a sizable deposit before the event, which they get back only if their area is spotless at the end. All these measures, plus 30+ years of ingrained tradition, create an atmosphere where the attendees themselves enforce zero-waste practices. By the time the last car leaves the playa, almost every participant has taken responsibility for their own trash – a powerful example of community-driven enforcement.

Audience Communication

Burning Man’s communication around waste is pervasive and creative. Before the event, the mandatory Survival Guide (sent to all participants) devotes a section to Leave No Trace, with practical tips on reducing trash and instructions like “MOOP sweep your camp daily.” First-timers are strongly encouraged to join experienced camps who mentor them on waste protocols. On the playa, you’ll see humorous yet pointed signs like “Trash in, Trash out – Don’t Even Think of Littering” or “What would MOOP do? Pick it up!” Even some art installations double as environmental commentary, reminding people to respect the desert. The event also holds a playful “MOOP Stake Parade” on the final day, where volunteers parade through the city carrying any large MOOP items (like lost shoes or trash) on stakes to raise awareness.

After the event, the organizers publish blog posts celebrating the community’s clean-up efforts and share the results of the BLM inspection. The post-event MOOP Map is released as both a report card and a learning tool, highlighting which areas were spotless (green) and which had issues (yellow or red). This public accountability, combined with praise for those who did well, motivates camps to improve their performance year after year. By making Leave No Trace a core point of pride – “we leave the desert cleaner than we found it!” – Burning Man’s communications turn an environmental responsibility into a defining feature of the culture.

Comparing Approaches of Zero-Waste Leaders

Each of these zero-waste leaders operates in different contexts – from a city music festival to a remote desert gathering – yet common threads emerge in their success:

• Eliminating Single-Use Items: All the case studies prioritized removing disposable plastics and one-time-use items from the event. Whether via outright bans (Shambala, DGTL, Planet Bluegrass) or by not offering them in the first place (Burning Man), this is the first step in cutting waste. Festival producers should audit everything given to attendees (bottles, food containers, wristbands, etc.) and ask, “Can this be reusable or compostable instead?” Even small changes, like switching to bulk condiment dispensers instead of individual sachets, can make a big difference at scale.
• Reusable Systems and Dish Ops: The cornerstone of zero-waste events is a reusable loop for serveware. Shambala and DGTL implemented reusable cup deposit systems that drastically reduced plastic cup waste. Planet Bluegrass went further with on-site dishwashing for plates and cutlery, showing that it’s feasible at medium scales with planning and health department cooperation. The key is balancing complexity – some events wash on site, others collect and wash off-site. Festival organizers should choose a model that fits their situation (on-site “dish crews” vs. off-site commercial washing) and ensure they have enough inventory of cups/dishes to keep the loop running smoothly. Whichever model you use, make sure to communicate clearly to attendees how to return items and get any deposits back.
• High Diversion Waste Sorting: Recycling and composting remain critical to catch the waste that isn’t eliminated by reuse. All our leaders achieved high diversion rates by staffing sorting stations (Planet Bluegrass, DGTL) or incentivizing attendees to sort their own waste (Shambala’s refund model). Simply providing recycling bins isn’t enough at a busy festival – the leaders invest in education and labor to maintain clean streams. Festival producers should design waste stations that are easy to use (color-coded, well-labeled) and consider recruiting volunteers or green teams to actively help attendees in real time. Aim to track your diversion percentage each year; it’s a powerful metric to gauge improvement and can motivate your crew and audience when you announce “we diverted X% from landfill this year!”
• Enforcement via Incentives and Policy: Achieving zero-waste requires buy-in from vendors, staff, and the crowd – which sometimes means enforcing rules. Our case studies used a mix of carrots and sticks effectively. On the vendor side, clear contracts banning certain materials (and offering approved sustainable alternatives) set the expectations, backed by deposits or fines when needed. On the attendee side, incentives like Shambala’s deposit refund or DGTL’s cup deposit nudge people to do the right thing. Peer pressure and culture also act as enforcement; Burning Man’s community policing is a great example of non-authoritarian enforcement that nonetheless works. A festival organizer should create a plan for how rules will be monitored and what happens if they’re broken. This could involve waste audit checks on vendors, empowering volunteers to intervene when they see contamination, and broadcasting the expected norms to attendees so frequently that it becomes second nature.
• Creative Audience Engagement: All of these leaders excelled at getting their attendees on board with the mission. They communicated clear goals and gave people easy ways to participate (providing the right tools and information). Just as importantly, they kept the tone positive and inspiring – waste reduction was framed as a collective adventure or a proud achievement, not a burden. For example, one festival gamified recycling by offering rewards for returning trash, and another turned its sustainability efforts into an integral part of the show. By making eco-friendly behavior fun and rewarding, these events transformed festival-goers into enthusiastic partners in keeping the venue clean. Festival producers should invest in engaging pre-event education, on-site signage, and even creative challenges or incentives that involve the audience. When attendees feel they’re part of a meaningful cause and see real results (like a pristine site or tons of compost created), they become loyal champions of the zero-waste effort.

Key Takeaways for Festival Producers

• Design Out Waste from the Start: Choose venues, vendors, and materials with reuse in mind. Ban single-use plastics and provide the infrastructure for reusables or compostables. It’s easier to prevent trash than to manage it.
• Invest in Reusable Systems: From deposit-return cup programs to full dishwashing stations, reusable loops can drastically cut waste. Plan for adequate supply, cleaning logistics, and clear return policies – make it easy and rewarding for people to return items.
• Maximize Waste Diversion: Set up user-friendly recycling and compost stations and staff them with an eco-team. Simply providing bins isn’t enough at a packed festival – having volunteers guide waste sorting in real time keeps streams clean. Train your staff to remove contamination and ensure each bin has clear signage (color coding and pictures help). Track your diversion rate (percentage of total waste kept out of landfill) and share the results with your team and attendees. Setting measurable goals and celebrating progress (like “80% diversion this year!”) will drive continuous improvement.
• Engage and Educate Attendees: Make your audience allies by communicating zero-waste goals early and often. Encourage attendees to bring reusables (bottles, cups, kits) and provide convenient ways for them to participate (clearly marked bins, deposits for returns). Use an upbeat, positive tone and celebrate successes – when people see results like a spotless venue or hear that “we composted 5 tons of food waste!”, they feel proud and motivated. By making sustainability part of the festival’s identity and rewarding good behavior, you’ll turn attendees into enthusiastic partners in your zero-waste mission.
• Enforce Through Culture and Incentives: Combine policy (vendor rules, banned items) with incentives (deposits, refunds, or recognition) to encourage compliance. Create a culture where both staff and attendees feel responsible for the festival’s footprint. Peer pressure and pride can achieve what rules alone cannot.
• Learn from the Leaders: Case studies like Shambala, DGTL, Planet Bluegrass, and Burning Man prove that zero-waste events are possible in many forms. Continually research and learn from other festivals, adapt their ideas to your context, and don’t be afraid to start small. Even a pilot reusable program or a single waste-free initiative can snowball into a wider culture change at your event.

By implementing these strategies and fostering a community that values sustainability, festival organizers everywhere can significantly reduce waste and move closer to the zero-waste ideal. The next generation of festivals just might leave their venues cleaner than they found them – and inspire attendees to carry that ethic into their daily lives.