Wash Against Waste is long-term fix for zero-waste festivals

Last year's down-sized festival generated just 770 litres of rubbish destined for landfill, which included rubbish collected during the construction week.

With the festival back to normal size he wants to keep the landfill below 1000 litres.

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This year Mr Pitty has the additional challenge that Bega Valley Shire Council no longer accepts compostable packaging in its green recycling bins, only food and garden organics.

Fortunately, Graham Parr has again offered to take all the organic material and the compostable packaging to his farm near the showground to use on his nursery.

"Apparently years ago Graham did a similar thing so it is an idea from the past that is resurfacing and getting us around this problem."

Mr Parr has a long association with the festival through the Scouts who are doing their bit of the zero waste cause.

Cobargo Scout have made wooden inserts for bins which act as covers with slots that match the bottles and cans that are eligible for the Return and Earn scheme.

Despite Mr Pitty's lobbying efforts there is no bulk collection depot on the Far South Coast so the Scouts must take the collected cans and bottles to Queanbeyan.

Mr Pitty said last year's successful reduction of material going into landfill was supported by the volunteers who staffed the bin stations and gave festival-goers guidance on which bins to use.

"If we are going to have people rostered on through the festival and we have 10 bin stations, we need about 40 people.

"If they volunteer for eight hours that gives them a free weekend pass which is a pretty good deal."

"It is a fun way to support sustainability at the festival through education and awareness," Mr Pitty said.

In the guidelines sent to the festival's vendors "we suggested a long-term solution to the single-use plastic issue around FOGO is ultimately reusable containers, crockery and cutlery.

"To support that we need a Wash Against Waste system."

It is expensive to set up but Eurobodalla Shire Council has investigated the idea and is in the design stage of setting something up.

Mr Pitty asked that festival-goers, particular campers staying for the duration, avoid bringing any single-use plastic.

"Bring reusables, use our hot wash system and take them back home with you."

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