This month, as well as our regular features, we spotlight resources to support event organisers in tackling the environmental impacts of serving food and drink, with a blog on salvaging food waste and inspiration on cutting single use plastic cups. Read on for... 

• Green Leader Q&A with Nathan Jackson, Head of Production at Walk The Plank
• Guest blog from NCASS on the EighthPlate food salvage scheme with A Greener Festival  
• Green supplier focus: One Planet One Chance reusable cup system cuts waste at Lost Village Festival
• ecolibrium members tackle the carbon emissions from 6 million miles of event-related travel 
• New ACE briefing by Julie's Bicycle on the role of the cultural sector in changing our food systems 
• Spotlight on resources: case studies, guides and reports to support the reduction of food waste impacts
• News, jobs, events and comment from across the live events industry.  

Get in touch with your questions and suggestions at info@vision2025.org.uk

Nathan Jackson, Head of Production for Walk the Plank takes our Industry Green Leader Q&A this month. Walk the Plank is one of the UK’s leading outdoor arts specialists, working with artists and communities to create all kinds of amazing art and performance in public spaces. Nathan advocates for approaching sustainability like health and safety responsibilities – crucial, non-negotiable and an integral part of the event production process. Here he relates some of his proudest moments, including installing compost loos in an explosives storage site; shares his most memorable experience, involving a 18-metre high, fire breathing Loch Ness Monster, and gives us his top tips for creating sustainable outdoor events. Read the full Q&A HERE

In January Helen Harland, Event Manager at Manchester City Council took the Q&A, read her answers HERE.

Eighth plate is a pioneering environmental initiative that sets out to help festivals salvage surplus food and redistribute it to local food charities.

The project was set up in 2015 by The Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS) and A Greener Festival; in their first year of operating they worked with UK festivals and their food traders to prevent over 23 tonnes of food being unnecessarily wasted. In this blog the team at NCASS shares the aims of the project, the positive impact of the scheme at Glastonbury and Boomtown and gives a step by step plan for how all organisers can use the EighthPlate model at their own events to prevent good food from going to waste. Read the blog HERE.

Last month Iain Mackie took a deep dive into energy efficient audio from Danley Speakers at We Out Here Festival. Read his blog HERE. 

Photo by Meruyert Gonullu from Pexels

Donations from ecolibrium's members including EMI Records, Universal Music UK, Wilderness Festival and All Points East, will balance the equivalent of over six million miles of travel carbon emissions by funding projects taking action on the climate crisis; from community-owned renewable energy and gardening projects in London, to protecting threatened rainforests and ecosystems that sequester and store vast amounts of carbon across the globe.

ecolibrium is the charity that helps the live events and music industry tackle the environmental impacts of travel. Find out more about their work, their members and the climate solutions programmes they have funded HERE. 

A new Arts Culture England sector briefing by Julie's Bicycle explores the environmental impacts of what we consume, and the role the cultural sector has to play in the necessary transitions ahead.

Mass deforestation, pollution, collapse of marine ecosystems, growing antibiotic resistance and new pandemics are some of the headlines of how our diets impact on the climate and ecological crises. Our food system needs to change urgently in the race to limit global heating, in a way that restores the very ecological systems (such as biodiversity, soil and water), which food production relies upon. The new briefing will be released at the end of February, when published, you can access it HERE.  

If you're looking to reduce the environmental impacts of serving food and drinks at your event you can find the resources and inspiration you need in the Vision: 2025 resource hub: Use the the search filter to spotlight the topic and then search for guides, reports, case studies, organisations, webinars and more HERE.

More news from across the Live Events Industry, including jobs, blogs, reports and what the Vision: 2025 team have been watching, listening to, and reading this month: 

Vision: 2025's Chair, Chris Johnson provides a summary of feedback from the industry consultation about new green standards for festivals and outdoor events, in StandOut Magazine Green Column HERE

Manchester City Council publish the Zero Carbon Culture guide produced with Julie's Bicycle HERE - this builds on the Sustainable Events Guides from 2019 which can be accessed HERE

Event power experts discuss the upcoming ban on red diesel in StandOut Magazine HERE

'Roadmap to Sustainability’ webinar recording by The BACK LOUNGE & Tour Production Group HERE

Julie's Bicycle are recruiting for a Freelance Communications & Marketing Role. Find out more HERE. 

Greener Events and Innovations Conference, 29th April. More speakers announced. Grab your early bird tickets HERE

AEG and Team Love collaborate on new festival, Forwards, to be held in Bristol HERE

Further investment in The Creative Green Tools announced by Julie's Bicycle, to expand the online environmental reporting tools designed specifically for the Arts and Culture sector HERE

Futurenauts podcast: S3 EP9: The Future of Carbon Drawdown with climate scientist Dr Gabrielle Walker HERE

Bring Me The Horizon Tour, the first arena tour in the UK since the pandemic, cuts emissions by 38% A Greener Festival reports. Read the article in StandOut Magazine HERE

Association of Festival Organiser Director Steve Heap receives Industry Legend Award at The Event Production Awards HERE. 

“How to Save Our Planet – The Facts” by Mark Maslin. As recommended by this month's Industry Green Leader Nathan Jackson HERE

Send jobs, events, resources and articles to feature here to: info@vision2025.org.uk