Celtic fest patrons embrace waste strategy

THE National Celtic Festival achieved a significant reduction in waste heading to landfill this year as patrons embraced its Towards Zero Waste Strategy.

Actions such as renting reusable cups, plates and cutlery helped reduce waste by eight tonnes.

The annual festival, held every June long weekend and attracting performers and festival patrons from across the globe, partnered with Caring for Our Bays, B-Alternative and Geelong Sustainability, to encourage patrons to reuse, reduce, and recycle.

“Waste Champions” from the Green Team volunteers also engaged with patrons and vendors over the weekend, encouraging them to say “No” to single-use plastics and “Yes” to reusing, reducing and recycling.

“The festival has always been committed to reducing waste but this year, with the support of our partners, we were able to make a much greater impact on reducing waste which goes to landfill,” festival director Una McAlinden said.

“I want to congratulate festival-goers and our food vendors for getting behind this great initiative, which will continue next year with the aim of zero waste.”

Preliminary survey results show nearly 95 per cent of patrons actively supported the initiative with overwhelming positive feedback including; “I was blown away. What a great alternative to single-use packaging. I feel like I have really made a difference”.

Key statistics include 8,000kg less waste was generated due to the Towards Zero Waste initiative this year, 58 per cent of waste collected (most from outside sources and back of house) was diverted from landfill into genuine recycling streams and 14,400 servings of food/ drink were not served on single-use plastics or soiled cardboard packaging.

Also, 12,000 single use beer/wine cups were not used, as patrons purchased their own reusable NCF memento cup, and 2,400 reusable kits from B-Alternative were rented and reused by individuals up to six times over the weekend.

Kits were washed in a commercial dishwasher by the NCF Green Team volunteers and reused throughout the festival.

Each use of the kits resulted in a reduction in carbon emissions equivalent to driving 10km.

Ms McAlinden said the Festival’s Towards Zero Waste Strategy also generated interest from other festival organisations.