The day has finally come when fun and relaxation can go hand in hand with working for a cause. A moment in history where the rock and roll lovers of the world are not just looked upon as society's delinquents but once again society's positive change. People are not just motivated to make a difference they are manning together and harnessing the power that they are already generating for a purpose. What purpose can we find music lovers banning together for? None other than the environment for which they call their retreat form the real world, mother nature at her finest.
One such example of this is a recent 4 day rock and roll festival called Rothbury, hosted in the beautiful green woods of Rothbury, Michigan. It is here during America's 4th of July celebration that "Rothbury's goal to harness the unique energy of the live music community", is brought to life; through a, "environmentally sustainable music and camping festival". By producing as close to a zero waste event as they can Rothbury is a "huge party with a purpose". It is the first to attempt to set into place an around the clock green initiative at a camping concert with over 30,000 attendees in the USA. This effort could possibly make Rothbury this Summer's Greenest Festival.
This festival has gone beyond the typical recycling initiatives that most events are beginning to participate in. Rothbury has used several methods to help reach their goal. Disposables were replaced with 100% compostables, clean energy was used, and a 24 hour Green Team was in place through out the course of the festival. There were recycling, composting, and carbon-offsetting programs also executed. As well as a huge effort to cut down on cigarette butt litter which produces about 50% of the western world‘s litter, by handing out free pocket sized ashtrays. In addition to these initiatives Rothbury also partnered with a few organizations such as Black Rock Solar, RE:VOLVE, Bauer Power, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and Global ReLeaf. Then last but not least was there ability to involve the local community and attendees in all of their efforts.
A more in depth look at all of Rothbury's efforts is truly a beautiful testament to what the power of the masses and a few driven leaders can do not just for our selves but our communities and environment. Led by greening chief and green team director Sarah Haynes founder of the Spitfire Agency, Rothbury was committed to their goals from its inception. The Rothbury offices were all greened and each company Rothbury chose to work with either through purchasing or renting products were companies whose practices support green solutions. Disposable items were replaced with compostable items that were made up of sugarcane (called Bagasse) and corn (called bioplastic). Thus eliminating majority of the trash produced at such a massive event. And if it couldn't be compostable, organizers chose to not use it. Even the vendors, sponsors, and other participants chose to use products that could only be broken down. Manned trash, recyclable, and compostable stations were located throughout the festival. This not only encouraged attendees to be more aware of what happens to their waste but also educated them as well. The educators were known as the Green Team. These volunteers were rewarded for their hard and enthusiastic work with a free weekend pass to the festival. Who wouldn't volunteer for such an opportunity, helping the environment and getting to rock out for free to many of your favorite artists.
Organizers also chose to use clean energy to help run stages, light towers, sponsor power sources, golf carts, and much more. Located behind the scenes of the festival was a large bio diesel gas station. Patrons were also encouraged to use transportation options given by the festival which helped off set the festival carbon footprint.
And not to forget that a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales went to non profit organizations. The Bonneville Environmental Foundation ( BEF), located in Portland, generates enough "pollution-free electricity to serve 35,000 households in the Midwest through their Horizon's Wind Prairie Star Project. And Global ReLeaf is planting trees in the local area.
With all these initiatives put into place and great partnerships formed, one still wonders just how they can make a festival produce little to no trash. Well this is where the beauty truly lies in Rothbury's efforts. Even further behind the festival grounds lays Rothbury's Waste Recollection Compound. This is where all that trash, compostables, and recyclables disappeared to every day. At the compound, everything was meticulously gone through and separated by dedicated volunteers. There were about 50 large bins filled with recyclable materials and a mountain of trash that would soon be turned to compost. Trash never looked so beautiful. It will also please attendees to know that all the soil produced from the Rothbury compostables is being donated back to the local community so when those new trees start sprouting, we can all feel good about the fact that our Rothbury trash really is being put back into Mother Earth.
To put things into perspective the Green Team, whose work must be applauded, consisted of 530 volunteers each working at least 20 hours over the weekend manning 1,000 of these stations (300 of which were actually in the venue). But one also has to remember that long after the adventurous weekend comes to an end there is much cleaning up to do. So for the next week after Rothbury 50 more volunteers worked collecting and composting what was left from festival. And what wasn't compostable is being donated back to the community. When Ian, one of the volunteers, was asked what he thought about all of this he said, "There is no reason why we can't do this all the time". It's a good thought to ponder, why can't we?
The efforts are immense, the involvement incredible, but wait there is more. On top of all these wondrous initiatives there is the chance for attendees to really get involved in the greening process of the festival, as well as giving back to the local community. Attendees were offered the opportunity to add a $3 or $7 donation to the price of their ticket, calling it a green ticket, and those dollars were used to help offset their travel though the different organizations or contribute to Rothbury's Solar Schools fund. Paired with Black Rock Solar, RE:Volve, and Bauer Power, Rothbury donated a minimum of $50,000 dollars worth of solar panels to help bring local Shelby Hugh School "closer to complete energy independence". And if you are curious as just to how many of us wild rock and roll kids care, out of 30-40,000 people who attended the Independence day weekend, two thirds all chose the green ticket option. Kudos America you do care.
This is just a closer glimpse of what Rothbury did in order to reach their goal of creating a nearly zero waste event. So much went into it, every detail was carefully considered. And when everyone walks away from this great experience, be it the artists, the promoters, the staff, the volunteers, the attendees, we can all say that it was one of the best rock and roll festivals that we have ever experienced. Not only were great musical moments achieved, we learned a lot about what we can do for our environment, we feel we put back into the beautiful outdoors of Michigan where we got spend a fun filled 4 day 4th of July celebration, and we walk away inspired to do just a little bit more to help our own communities. That there is the greatest achievement of Rothbury, being the large stone tossed into the lake causing a long lasting ripple effect.
