Using Food and Beverage Innovations to Contribute to Music Festival Sustainability.

In an effort to get music festival entities to meet their sustainability objectives organisers usually employ a raft of initiatives. A key element that festival organisers can have significant control over is the sustainability requirements of food and beverage vendors. What demands are organisers making of vendors and what initiatives are being actively encouraged.

There are some key advances being made with food and beverage innovations which can impact favourably on music festivals. Circular and more environmentally conscious food and beverage ecosystems are being created through improved waste management and changes to menu offerings. There are also advances being made in technology that are helping to contribute to increased food and beverage sustainability. 

Packaging and Serveware.
Almost all music festivals now ban use of any single use plastics like bottles, cups, plates, cutlery, straws and packaging. Vendors must provide evidence of compliance with these rules to get their applications accepted and festival-goers are subject to the same rules when entering a festival site. New materials commonly used now include bamboo, palm leaf, bagasse (sugarcane fiber), or plant-based bioplastics. Serveware that is reusable can form part of a deposit return scheme for vendors to ensure that items are returned and not trashed. 

Waste Management. 
Use of reusable and recyclable materials can dramatically reduce waste, and the introduction of on-site composting is increasing in popularity to deal with organic food waste and compostable packaging. Portion management and innovative cooking can reduce the chance of leftovers from meals provided. Other initiatives to manage food waste can include partnering with food redistribution organisations where surplus food is donated to those in need. 

Food and Beverage Sources. 
A number of festival organisers have moved to vegetarian and vegan only vendors with a focus on avoiding "Red-Listed" seafood for example. Vendors must use locally sourced ingredients where possible which reduces transport emissions and supports local economies. The use of organic sustainably farmed ingredients is also a priority for vendors and organisers will expect to see information from each vendor of where the food they sell comes from (organic, locally sourced or Fair Trade). 

Technology and Food Types. 
There is growing industry of food and packaging tech start-ups who are transforming menus and sustainability credentials for food vendors. In the move towards vegan and vegetarian vendor suppliers, food technologists are exploring more plant based options. This helps to avoid the high carbon footprint often associated with dairy and meat production. Other initiatives being explored are seaweed based food packaging that uses aroese brown seaweed which also meets the EU's 2030 ban on plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables. New data collection technology is being developed to monitor and track food consumption patterns during a festival. The data can be used by vendors to plan more accurately and this helps prevent over ordering of ingredients reducing potential waste. 

For festival organisers planning their next event using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, site planning, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by fuzzyrescue via Pixabay

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