In this month's newsletter we meet AEG's award winning European Festival Director Jenny Hamada; dive into the topic of plastic - it's not going away, quite literally - with a guest blog about 'plant plastic' and a comment-piece on reuse vs. single use from RAW Foundation; keep up to date with industry events and products; find out how Bournemouth Arts by the Sea transformed their sustainability planning, and catch up on green news from the live events industry and beyond in our monthly picks.

So, take a moment, grab a warm drink, enjoy, and let's #BuildBackBetter.

Last month Coca Cola and Carlsberg announced their global plans for plant-based plastic, and this month cellulose-based ‘plastic-free’ PPE visors launched on the market. Livvy Drake, Sustainability and Behaviour Change consultant, writes about the reality of these materials: Can they be disposed of? Do waste processors accept them? And what happens if they do become litter in nature?

Read Livvy's blog, which also explores what all of this could mean for the events industry HERE.

EVENT: Waste and plastics are one of Livvy's particular passions, so if you have more questions about your material choices or how to improve your recycling rates and bin set up, join her on the 2nd July (11am-12.30pm) for her Waste 101: Managing Waste and Recycling Mastermind. Sign up HERE.

For edition two of the Vision: 2025 Industry Leaders Q&A we welcome Jenny Hamada, Director of Events for European Festivals at AEG Presents, who is responsible for the successful year-round planning, management and execution of world-renowned festivals including BST Hyde Park and All Points East in London, and Rock en Seine in Paris.

Jenny is a driving force for diversity, sustainability, accessibility, community and inclusion and was recognised by the industry in 2019, when she won the ‘Sarah Nulty Women In Festivals Award’ at the UK Festival Awards.

Read Jenny's Q&A HERE.

Read Greenbelt's Mary Corfield Q&A from the May edition HERE. Next month we welcome Doug Fransisco, Boomtown's Director of Narrative and XR Red Brigade Co-Founder. 

We are committed to opposing racism and prejudice in all its forms, wherever it occurs. In solidarity with the BLM movement, we commit to learning more about how we can play our role as the Vision: 2025 community; going beyond, 'a vision for a sustainable outdoor events industry,' and toward a vision in which all people and life thrive.

Learn more and explore the resources on Vision:2025 member Shambala Festival's website HERE.

Thanks to the team at Shambala for putting together and sharing these resources.

RAW founder, global plastics campaigner, and one of the architects of the Drastic On Plastic campaign, Melinda Watson, provides an update on the effects that the coronavirus pandemic is having on plastic waste pollution globally and talks about the safety of reusables during this time.

Read the full thought-piece HERE.

Bournemouth Arts by the Sea is an annual celebration of art, culture, people and place. In 2017, with help from Julie’s Bicycle, they undertook a review of their environmental policy and action plan, leading to a raft of successful changes including; developing venue and artist Green Riders, and delivering the festival theme ‘Plastic Beach, through which they used elements of their artistic programming to raise awareness on plastic pollution.

Read the case study HERE on the Vision: 2025 Knowledge Hub, a growing library of inspiring case studies from live events and suppliers across the sector. 

Thanks to Julie's Bicycle and Bournemouth Arts by the Sea for the original case study. 

ecolibrium launched as the new brand for Energy Revolution, the charity that tackles the environmental impacts of travel in the live events industry.

Since 2015 the charity's community of members have balanced the carbon emissions from over 13 million travel miles with investment in renewable energy. The change to ecolibrium marks a new phase of their journey, with more ambitious aims and a brand that speaks to a wider audience.

The update includes expanded resources and new climate solutions programme, Trees+, designed to protect and regenerate ecosystems through tree planting, preserving existing forests, and supporting sustainable farming practices. Find out more HERE.

Julie’s Bicycle have launched a series of Creative Climate Chats – conversations with leading thinkers in culture and climate.

Recognising that the restart of our economy offers a once in a generation chance to reset the dial on what normal is, and what it should be, these chats will cover culture in the just transition, new economics for a regenerative economy, the net zero carbon challenge, and climate justice. Find out more and sign up HERE. 

Vision: 2025 Chair and Shambala Co-founder Chris Johnson, has launched a new consultancy for event businesses that want to adopt or improve environmental practices. Find out more about Chris' services and read his blog HERE. 

Here's what the Vision: 2025 team are watching, listening to and reading this month:

Edie reports on coffee shops signing up to a post-lockdown reusable cup platform HERE.

The first live GEI Summer Series Session tackled plastic pollution on the 5th June with guests: Melinda Watson (Raw Foundation); Camille Guitteau (Bye Bye Plastic); Patricia Yagüe (Live Nation); Alex Brooke, (Peppermint Bars) and James Roles (StackCup). Watch the recorded panel HERE.

Consultation Open: Proposed UK government Plastic Packaging Tax to be introduced in April 2022 - applying to plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled plastics. Read more HERE.

The Everyday Plastic project Lockdown survey reveals that almost 4 billion pieces of plastic are thrown away by UK households each week! Check out the survey stats HERE.

Positive News: Carbon emissions to fall by 8%, predicts International Energy Agency. Read the article HERE. 

IQ Magazine report on the launch of Green Europe Experience (GEX), a collective of festivals and non-governmental organisations working together to create a more eco-friendly future for music and arts festivals. Read the article HERE.

Access All Areas Chris Johnson, Operations Director at Shambala, talks to Access about how the current moment is a turning point for the world's 'other' crisis in 'Tipping the Scale' HERE.

The Story of Stuff team release an important and captivating new film about plastic HERE. 

London Marathon publishes its first environmental report; showing recycling and reuse rates and assessing some of the ground-breaking initiatives it trialled in 2019 HERE.

The world’s first zero-carbon country? With over 100 UK festivals pledged to reduce their carbon footprint by 50% by 2025, and the momentum for carbon neutral growing globally, we take inspiration from Costa Rica, the first country aiming to be Carbon Neutral HERE.

TEAM TOP PICK - TED Talk: Kate Raworth talks Circular Economy - 'A healthy economy should be designed to thrive, not grow.' As circular economy principles take root globally and in the live events industry, learning how to design them into our business is more important than ever. Watch Kate's talk HERE.