Festival Waste Management Tips

We’ve pulled together some important festival waste statistics to provide a good idea of how much waste festivals produce and the amount that’s disposed of improperly:

• UK music festivals produce around 23,500 tonnes of waste every year, equivalent to the weight of 250 blue whales (The Show Must Go On).
• It’s sadly estimated that 68% of waste created at UK festivals ends up in landfill, even though much of it could be recycled.
• 400 tonnes of food waste created at festivals end up in landfill, according to The Nationwide Caterers Association.
• Sources indicate at least 1.3 million food containers are disposed of across the UK festival season.
• Figures suggest around one million wristbands that aren’t recyclable are discarded after festivals in the UK annually.
• Recent industry estimates suggest the UK spends around £10 million a year on festival waste management. This includes bins, waste collections, and clear-ups.
• Industry reports indicate that average waste generation per attendee has fallen in recent years as festivals have introduced better waste reduction and recycling measures  (The Show Must Go On).
• Approximately 250,000 tents are left behind at UK music festivals every year, according to The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF).
• Most abandoned festival tents are not reused or recycled, with industry estimates suggesting up to 90% are sent to landfill or incineration (Earthrise Camping)
• Recycling rates for festival attendees are only around 30%, according to research by A Greener Festival.
• Glastonbury estimates that the festival generates around 2,000 tonnes of waste every year the festival is held (Glastonbury).
• Large multi-day festivals can generate around 100 tonnes of waste per day (University of Manchester).
• Oya festival in Norway is said to be one of the greenest. Food and drink are served in 100% compostable packaging and more than 60% of waste generated is reused in new products.

These figures come from a mix of industry reports, festival organisations, and sustainability groups, so some should be treated as estimates rather than official national statistics.

Outline the types of waste you expect your festival will create to ensure the correct bins and containers are in place to separate them at the point of production. Identify those that are recyclable to help set up recycling stations across your festival. Depending on the expected volume you might use dry mixed recycling bins to combine recyclable rubbish.

Common types of festival waste you should provide individual bins for to separate and reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill include:

• Festival food waste: Leftover food, prep waste, plate scrapings, tea bags, coffee grounds, and food from vendors.
• Metal waste: Aluminium drinks cans, food tins, foil trays, and metal catering containers.
• Paper and cardboard: Cardboard boxes, drinks carriers, paper cups where recyclable, receipts, menus, and packaging.
• Glass waste: Many festivals ban glass in public areas, but vendors may still produce jars, bottles, and ingredient containers.
• Plastic recycling: Plastic bottles, cups, packaging, film wrap, and containers. Use separate plastic bins or dry mixed recycling where accepted.
• General waste: Non-recyclable packaging, used tissues, wipes, contaminated materials, and mixed rubbish.
• Sanitary waste: Sanitary bins should be provided in toilets and welfare facilities, with suitable collections arranged before the event.

Make recycling and waste disposal as easy as possible for festival goers and vendors to manage rubbish effectively. Placing food waste, general waste, and mixed recycling bins close to food and drinks stalls makes sense, as it’s where plenty of rubbish is produced. Festivals with camping facilities should also ensure bins are near enough tents (but not too close!).

Any litter can easily be picked up by the wind and drift offsite, polluting local water, ground, and air, as well as affecting wildlife. The more bins you have, and the less work/walking required for people to dispose of rubbish, the reduced risk of waste negatively impacting the environment.

Also, consider access when choosing bin locations. Good bin locations usually cover entrances and exits, food courts, bars, seating areas, campsites, toilet blocks, backstage zones, vendor areas, and car parks. Put recycling and general waste bins together where possible, so people do not have to walk elsewhere to recycle.

Secure bins, bags, and containers are essential to prevent waste from blowing out in the wind, getting wet from the rain, or experiencing any other damage. You also need to store all festival waste in sensible locations before collection. Placing them under a canopy and on solid ground can reduce any adverse weather effects.

You’ll need to place wheelie bins onsite for festivalgoers to use. However, it could be safer and more cost-efficient to have larger bins backstage that these are emptied into regularly. This reduces the amount of waste attendees are exposed to, means you can arrange less frequent collections, and the bins are likely to be opened and exposed less often.

Common bins to secure festival waste securely include:

• Wheelie bins: Two and four-wheel bins are used to separate recyclables and waste types. Each type has lids (some are lockable). Useful for visitor areas, food courts, bars, campsites, and recycling points.
• Front and rear-end loaders: These are large bins that can hold up to 160 bags of waste. Better for backstage storage, vendor waste, or larger sites that need high-capacity containers. They work best where collection vehicles have safe access.
• Commercial waste bags: Useful as a backup, for litter-picking teams, or for areas where bins cannot be placed safely. They should still be separated by waste type where possible.

Hopefully, you now have a better idea of how to manage your festival waste effectively. For further expert help and advice about festival waste management, and a free no obligation quote, speak to one of our team. Call 0800 211 8390 or contact us online today or find out more about event waste management.