LouFest continues its commitment to sustainability.
When LouFest launched in 2010 — more than any other feature of the event (except music, of course), sustainability was a huge focus. And what about that focus on sustainability today? Well, it’s still strong as we prepare for the 4th LouFest Music Festival, September 7th and 8th.
At LouFest, all food vendors source certified compostable service ware, cups are a recyclable plastic, and a station is set up for re-filling water bottles. Recycling On the Go puts on its own show with multiple Waste Stations — recycling and composting throughout the front of house and production areas. In addition to our experienced staff, up to 50 volunteers are trained in the ninja-like ways of event sustainability.
Behold the St. Louis Earth Day digital archive of LouFest Sustainability!
2010:
A year that would make history for St. Louis — the whole city was electric with talk of its “very own” music festival. With some 9,000 taking in the event, we were able to keep 83% of the waste produced (based on volume) out of area landfills. [Pause for applause.]
Back then, recycling was a dangerous game — epitomized by the thrill of learning how to drive a retired film cart. No doubt, it was used in the boulder-chasing-Harrison-Ford scene of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Today, it’s whereabouts are unknown, but, thankfully the volunteers have been recovered.
2011:
In year two, we made terrific improvements, such as pulling the Waste Stations out from the fence lines where they seemed to disappear in a Labyrinth-circa-1986 style. The attendees responded by helping us to keep 44 cubic yards of recyclables and an impressive 18..1 cubic yards of compostables out of area landfills. It was amazing, and not just because LESS landfill waste total was produced in 2011 than in 2010. [Pat yo’ selves on the back for that one!]
We cannot say enough how awesome the volunteers for LouFest have been — year after year the same faces register for a minimum of 4 hours, during which they may manage a Waste Station, check on recycling bins throughout the event grounds, or transport materials to on-site dumpsters. It’s become a great way for music lovers to indulge their environmental spirits.
2012:
Also known as the year our Waste Stations got a much needed make-over! Finally, throwing away became just a little more fun… and a lot more colorful. The event also saw a boost in attendance with headliners like The Flaming Lips and Girl Talk, welcoming around 12,000 folks over the two days.
Of the 82 cubic yards of waste produced by the event, 76% of it stayed out of the landfill, including spent cooking oil for the first time! Favorite memory for last year? When each Waste Station acted as an impromptu shelter for concert goers seeking shelter from the storms. In addition to making new friends, attendees encouraged their peers to recycle… check out this video to see how:
2013:
Some of the most exciting news we’re eager to share about this year’s event is that two of the restaurants representing in the Nosh Pit are certified sustainable by our Green Dining Alliance program. What does that mean? That means that the Atomic Cowboy and Local Harvest Cafe have successfully completed a rigorous audit process — so, check them out and see where you can get a night cap after the event at another Green Dining Alliance -certified establishment.
There are a lot of changes in store for this year’s event, but one thing that remains is the commitment by vendors to source compostable and recyclable service ware so that concert goers can enjoy music and not feel guilty about having a negative impact on the environment. So, have a second round… or don’t forget to order more fries, because you can be certain that more than a few Recycling On the Go ninjas will be working hard to keep everyone’s LouFest experience sustainable.
