I Leave No Trace - The Pledge

We’re sick of seeing rubbish on the ground at our festivals, and we know you are too!

We also know eeeeveryone loves free stuff!

So we would love for you to sign our pledge to “Leave no Trace”
In return, we’ll send you a sticker to whack on your festival vehicle so you can let festivals and the people camping around you know, that you’ll be taking everything with you!

If you want even more free stuff, post a picture of the sticker on your vehicle on Facebook or Instagram and tag @surviveyourfestival with hashtag #ILNT and we’ll send you your very own code to get 10% off every order for life.

Keep reading for more info on leaving no trace, or skip to the pledge

*Stickers are 10cm in diameter, printed by an Aussie company and are UV protected so should last a few years!

The concept of leaving no trace at festivals seems like a no-brainer to some, and totally unattainable to others. My festival experience started with large festivals (>30,000 people) where it appears rubbish is just thrown on the ground and entire campsites are left because patrons “couldn’t be bothered” packing up. Over the past year, I’ve been attending more smaller festivals (<5000 people) and the culture there is that there is no other option but leaving no trace.

Every person attending a festival should be aiming to leave no trace.

Take in only what you’re going to take out.

Whether you’re bringing everything into the festival yourself or having someone else bring your stuff in leaving no trace is easy if you prepare for it = only bring in what you plan to bring out. Even if there is waste disposal available at festivals, this is a great habit to get into!

How do I reduce my waste before I get to the festival?

  • Take the outside packaging off things: cereal boxes, tea, cheese, snacks.
  • Pack your own personal ashtray. These are super simple to make from old mint tins!
  • Don’t bring glass. Really. Accidents happen.
  • Bring your own cup and water bottle.
  • Make sure the outfits you are bringing don’t shed glitter/fur/sequins etc.
  • Don’t bring glitter. Bio-glitter is a better option if you absolutely must have glitter.
  • Choose soaps that are biodegradable

A number of large festivals (Splendour, Falls etc.) have their own cleanup and waste disposal teams come in to collect rubbish, but wouldn’t you rather they spent the tens of thousands of dollars they have in their budget for this, on something that benefits us, the patrons?

You can help clean up crews by:

  • Taking EVERYTHING with you and disposing of it at home/donating it if it’s no longer needed/repairing it if it’s broken.
  • Putting your rubbish in the correct bags (usually black for landfill and clear for recycling. Cans are usually sorted out from this, so don’t squash em’)
  • Putting your rubbish bags in the allocated pick up spots. These spots are usually along a main road in the camping areas, near toilet blocks or lights.

Leaving no trace is about more than leaving a place exactly how you found it.

Sometimes you can make it a little better too. If you have the time and space to take an extra bag of rubbish with you, do it! Festivals AND the environment will thank you.

The Pledge.

agsdi-leaves

I Pledge to Plan Ahead

  • I will plan to only bring in what I will be bringing out
  • I will thoughtfully dispose of excess packaging before I depart for the festival.
  • I will bring my own reusable water bottle and cup.
  • I will take an appropriate amount of water to the festival in the largest bulk size I can manage.
  • I will bring the appropriate bags for on-site waste disposal.
  • I will make sure my outfits don’t shed sequins, fur or glitter.
  • I will know how to set up and tie-down my gear before I leave for the festival.
agsdi-globe

I Pledge to take it all with me

  • I will hold onto all rubbish (chewing gum wrappers, snack packets, cans) I make until I can dispose of it properly.
  • I will take extra rubbish that others have left whenever I have the space to do so.
  • I will make sure my rubbish is correctly sorted for on-site waste disposal.
  • When it’s time to leave the campsite, I will drive forward at least 3 metres, get out of my vehicle and inspect my entire campsite for any rubbish (bottle caps, sequins, cigarette butts, zipties).
agsdi-refresh

I Pledge to Recycle and Reuse what I can

  • I will try to reduce the amount of rubbish I am putting into landfill.
  • I will repair broken camping items (patch holes, replace poles, ropes and pegs).
  • I will donate unwanted items that are still in working order.
  • I will recycle and compost whatever items I can.
  • I will learn what can be recycled by the council local to the festival I am attending.
  • I will wear my festival outfits more than once or even swap with friends.

Sign The Pledge!

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