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Rocking on Climate Solutions

Rocking the daisies
Food stalls at Rocking the Daisies

Rocking the Daisies lived up to their motto ‘Play hard, tread lightly’ at this years festival on Cloof Wine Estate in Darling. Not only did organisers, Complete Events, succeed in making South Africa’s premier carbon neutral event a rocking festival, but they used the event as a platform for promoting positive environmental and social change.

Rocking the daisies takeaway plate fork and cup
Compostable food packaging

This years festival formed part of 350.Org’s ‘10/10/10 – Global Work Party’ campaign, where people at 7347 events in 188 countries got together on 10/10/10 to celebrate climate solutions and cut carbon through practical actions. And Rocking the Daisies achieved just that. From renewable energy certificates , bio-diesel generators , LED lighting and tree planting initiatives to their refusal to sell bottled water, complimentary bio-degradable soaps and shampoos, alternative festival transport initiatives, recycling and of course using and composting Green Homes 100% biodegradable food packaging, Rocking the Daisies have shown that there are plenty of climate solutions worth celebrating.

Compost Bin at RTD
Compost bin for collecting compostable food packaging and other organic waste

As with the greening of any event, waste minimization and management was an integral part of hosting a carbon neutral festival. Festival goers were part of the process as waste was separated at source into paper, plastic, compost and non-recyclables at manned waste stations located throughout the festival. Almost all food stalls used Green Homes 100% biodegradable food packaging which was then composted along with food and other organic waste on site at Cloof. This nutrient rich compost will be used for growing an organic veggie patch.

Compostable packaging for composting at RTD
Waste from the compost bins being tipped out for composting

Greening a festival of the scale and magnitude of Rocking the Daisies is no simple task, and event organisers have once again shown their commitment to constantly seeking out more innovative solutions to hosting a rocking, eco friendly festival. Looking forward to an even greener, more rocking festival in 2011!

Compost pile at RTD
The finished compost heap

“An eco-friendly mindset is the kind of thing that slowly creeps up on you and before you know it, what seemed inconvenient and a waste of time at first, suddenly reveals itself as fun, innovative and ultimately changing the world we live in because it has purpose.”

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