The Bastille Festival in Sydney has teamed up with SUEZ to transition into a more environmentally sustainable event.
Director Vincent Hernandez said the festival welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors over four days, generating an estimated 20 tonnes of waste.
“Tonnes of rubbish – plastic wine cups, food packaging, food waste, cigarettes buds and more. How can we do better?
“That’s precisely the question I asked myself after the success of last year’s festival but I needed an expert to lead us and SUEZ accepted the challenge to help us make a difference,” Mr Hernandez said.
SUEZ will implement the festival’s waste collection system to ensure waste is minimised and diverted from landfill.
SUEZ NSW General Manager Tony Grebenshikoff said simple changes such as installing appropriate recycling bins and raising awareness about what is and is not recyclable will make a significant difference.
Other changes include a plastic ban, and requirement that all stall holders use energy-saving LED lights.
Re-usable glasses and compostable cutlery and plates will be mandatory for food stall holders, and non-recyclable packaging will be eliminated for food consumed at the festival.
Wastewater and cooking oil will be collected separately and treated appropriately, and public transport will be encouraged.
The festival will also attempt to minimise the contamination of recyclable material and food waste by using separate organic and co-mingled bins, with a target of 75 per cent diversion rate from landfill.
Power generators will be shared by stall holders, operating on energy saver mode to optimise the use of electrical resources as well as using electricity generated from solar panels.
To support the effort, the festival will be working with local organisations, communities and individuals to help implement and manage the new policy.
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