The Blues Sisters .... including Amie!
Just as we had finished handing out the gongs at the UK Festial Awards, it was time to say a big hello to our friends at Bluesfest, who picked up their Greener Festival Award from our Australian Awards organiser Amie Greenbow at their offices last week. So hats off to one our our ‘oustanding’ Award winners and three cheers for all the hard work Amie has put in to make this happen. Amie said “Bluesfest do an incredible job year after year with their amazing initiatives. These can be as simple as the sensible reusable fluro-vests used by the Bluesfest Green Team and their BIN-YA-BUTT program, through to major initiatives for traffic and transport. By offering comprehensive, sustainable public transport options, Bluesfest does a lot more than many, many festivals to lower carbon emissions – obviously a big focus for the world at this time”. Peter Noble, the festival director of Bluesfest said “As an event that has been waste-wise since 1997, we take our environmentally responsible actions very, very seriously. Bluesfest is known for putting the world’s leading socially and environmentally aware artists on stage – and that HAS to be reflected by everything we do in front of the stage too!” adding that this year Bluesfest recycled 36.2 tonnes of waste – a great feat, saying “as it was probably the wettest event in Bluesfest’s history which posed all sorts of challenges. But the only packaging on site was recyclable cardboard, and it’s using the right packaging that counts, not abandoning packaging altogether. I do believe you have to give people viable alternatives that are environmentally sound, the opportunity to do the right thing. Fundamentalism won’t save the planet – awareness and action will!” With a long environmentally positive track record, Bluesfest has many initiatives that stand out. For example, every waste station throughout the festival and camping area houses three bins – one for general waste, one for recyclable waste and one for and green waste and Bluesfest attempts to make all green waste available for use in local Byron shire organic gardens. When Bluesfest moves to its permanent new site at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, it will be greener still with the installation of wind and solar power, plus bio-diesel fuel. The event will strive to be the best environmentally aware festival and a model for others to adopt.
The Greener Festival Award trophy was designed by Sade Goddard and made by students at Keswick School in Cumbria out of recycled plastic bottles, CDs and remoulded wellington boots. In all five Australian Festivals got the Award and along with Bluesfest the other winners were WOMAdelaide, The Falls Festival, Peats Ridge (outstanding) and Southbound (outstanding).
For more information on Bluesfest, please visit: www.bluesfest.com.au