Improving recycling at community festivals and events in Leeds

We are currently developing a project to work with organisers of community events and festivals in Leeds to help them to better manage the waste that their events generate.

We've been inspired by the recycling scheme at Chapel Allerton Arts Festival, where for the last few years they have mastered a volunteer-led recycling scheme that has resulted in tonnes of plastics and cans being collected for recycling. We joined them at their latest festival in September - to help out with recycling bottles, cans and plastic glasses.

We have been contacted by several other organisers of community events - all keen to learn how they could recycle more at their events.

We're currently exploring how we can work with CAAF to learn from their approach and pilot it at a few more events next summer. Then, once we've done that, and worked out what works best, we'll share all the learning so that we can encourage more events in Leeds to do the same.

We're also keen to build upon the great work that CAAF have done, for example by exploring opportunities for introducing reusable pint glasses at events (like we've seen recently at the cricket and rugby at Headingley) alongside composting of food waste and packaging.

If this is a project you would like to get involved with, please email us.