Sonisphere, Knebworth Park
Once a year the quiet countryside of Knebworth is brought to life by the UK appearance of Sonisphere, the world’s largest touring festival, run by Kilimanjaro Live, partnering with AEG, one of the world’s largest promoters. The average pundit doesn’t usually associate a festival headlined by Iron Maiden with such environmentally driven initiatives as a cup redemption scheme to reduce waste. But this is what makes Kilimanjaro Live’s commitment to environmental sustainability so powerful. As the music industry comes to include environmental sustainability as a core component of its business, audience perceptions can shift: “being green” no longer a niche concern, but just the way we do things.
Led by Stuart Galbraith, Kilimanjaro Live has adopted an environmental policy and developed new strategies to improve Sonisphere’s environmental sustainability. Kilimanjaro Live has also adopted a tangible carbon emissions reduction target, aiming to reduce total relative emissions (which includes audience travel) by 10% over the next three years. The festival currently holds a 1 star IG certification, having created a baseline against which future progress will be measured.
Environmental initiatives
Kilimanjaro Live’s environmental policy sets a series of targets and objectives, focusing on energy and the recycling and reuse of material. The Festival Manager for Sonisphere at Knebworth Park, Zac Fox, has been appointed to engage with the festival and site management team and to include environmental sustainability provisions in contractor and artist guides. For example the waste contractor was engaged early on to ensure the recycling facility would be in place and available for use during the build period for the contractors on site. The water and sewerage company has an ISO 14001 policy in place, and is also committed to using only recycled paper and formaldehyde-free chemicals in the toilets. Furthermore the transport of waste water and sewerage is offset by the treatment works, thus tackling the carbon emissions produced by the wagons on their trips. The treated waste is then used by the treatment works in their biodiversity schemes.
A Festival Assistant has also been appointed to ensure that all on-site offices clearly outline the location of recycling facilities on the festival site for staff. Other signage in the offices prompt for a switch off of all electrical equipment and lights, and encourage car sharing and cycling.
Sonisphere also received an A Greener Festival Award for 2010, recognising its outstanding commitment to environmental sustainability through a range of green policies. Examples of these policies include:
- Promoting the use of lift-sharing and car-sharing amongst staff members;
- Providing instructions to contractors in the contractor guide on how to minimise waste, power and water use and how to use decomposable containers for food;
- Setting up an education centre on site for the public;
- Exchanging recyclable rubbish for merchandise created out of recycled materials in collaboration with Recoup;
- A collaboration between Recoup and Coke, where recycled cans and bottles were used to create and form the walls and seats of the information garden;
- The Big Tent Recycle scheme where customers were advised on how to handle camping waste, such as donating unwanted items to charities. For example those who recycled a tent received £5 off when purchasing outdoor gear with the partner retailer;
- A 10p cup redemption scheme for all cider or beer.
Sonisphere has also been working with three national coach operators to address audience travel, highly publicising train links and providing free shuttle buses to and from Stevenage station to meet all running trains. The shuttles could also be used for the audience to visit nearby towns without driving to get there.
Images © PG Brunelli courtesy of Sonisphere
