Stuart WoodBrighton & Hove Pride 2019 has announced a number of new sustainable initiatives for its 2019 edition.
The event has begun a three-year plan to reduce single-use plastic waste and carbon emissions.
It will be implementing a reusable cup scheme at its festival bars, giving out cups which have no year printed on them, and can be used again next year. Plastic straws have also been banned from all on-site bars.
Pubic areas in Preston Park will introduce mixed recycling bins for the first time. There will be clearly labelled separate bins for mixed waste and a team of volunteers will be stationed at each pod to ensure festival goers separate their rubbish properly.
The event’s contractor will ensure that all recycled materials are sent to an appropriate refuse facility where they will be separated and recycled.
Organisers are also partnering with local groups Ocean’s 8 Brighton, Pier2Pier, Brighton Watersports and the Bird & Blend Tea Co for a Big Pride Beach Clean. The initiative takes place on Sunday morning and volunteers will receive a free ticket to LoveBN1Fest. For more info and to sign up, visit: Brighton-Pride.org/beach-clean.
On sale bottled water for festival goers will be replaced with Aquapax cartons to help reduce the volume of single use plastic waste. Water coolers will also be introduced to some areas of the Preston Park site for artists, crew and security, alongside more taps for everyone to refill their water.
On energy, the event’s organisers say: “We will be monitoring the energy production of the generators versus actual onsite consumption at both the Preston Park and Pleasure Gardens sites and will use this data to analyse the CO2e emissions with a view to optimising generator sizing’s and possible alternative configurations to reduce fuel consumption.”