Splore, an annual festival that kicked off in 1998, was built on an ethos of 'mindful partying' and respect for the whenua. Photo / Ainsley DS
Summer stalwart Splore wants those attending this year to get on board with its sustainability ethos, writes Anna King Shahab
Summer festivals carry with them a carefree air of peace, love, and happiness – none more so than Splore, the three-day music, performance, art, and camping extravaganza held each February at Auckland’s Tāpapakanga Regional Park. Yet anything but carefree is the amount of work that goes on in the background to make sure Splore is on the ball regarding its impact on the environment.
Anna Mathieson works as Splore’s sustainability manager. An expert in the field, in 2019 Mathieson trained as a Sustainable Event Assessor under A Greener Festival via Falmouth University. Splore, which kicked off in 1998, was built on an ethos of “mindful partying” and respect for the whenua. It’s a member of the Sustainable Business Network and the first festival in Aotearoa to win the international A Greener Festival Award for its sustainability initiatives. While Mathieson may be proud of the accolades, her glasses aren’t rose-tinted (unlike mine at the last Splore, to match my vintage pink-and-black-swirled Lycra outfit, naturally). She’s frank about the fact that in this game, “Sometimes the best choice is the ‘least bad’ option”, and that Splore attendees can help Splore to have a positive impact by stepping up to participate in minimising waste sent to landfill and reducing the carbon emissions of the event, which sees a mini village of 10,000 pop up at the regional park.
In 2020, Splore was the first multi-day music and arts festival in Aotearoa to gain Toitū carbon zero certification for its event operations. But that’s not a destination – more of a milestone along the journey. The dream is for the entire event – audience-based emissions and all – to be reduced in the first instance, with all unavoidable emissions measured and offset. “We’ve done our darndest to put systems in place so that people can do the right thing and minimise the impact of their own waste and emissions (and therefore minimise the festival’s overall environmental impact), and we believe in the inherent goodness of our Splore community to make the right choices.”
Splore’s onsite, waste-sorting centre Trash Palace received 19 tonnes of rubbish, recycling and compost at the end of the event in 2021 – 20 staff work from Sunday until Wednesday to hand-sort and recover as much recycling and compostables as possible. Measures are in place to avoid plastic and other inorganic visitors making it to Trash Palace. “Everything you eat and drink from vendors at Splore (aside from drinking cups, also known as Globelets) can be commercially composted through our composting contractor Envirofert - if it ends up in the Compost bin first”, says Mathieson.
Globelets, while recyclable, are still plastic – so Splore reuses Globelets already in circulation rather than buying new. “You can help by bringing your own Globelet”, says Mathieson, “Even if it’s branded with a different festival or event - we welcome any Globelet at Splore.”
There’s plenty more ticket-holders can do to divert waste going to landfill. For starters: putting everything you eat and drink from into the compost bins onsite; putting drink cans into the recycling bin; and any other rubbish into the landfill – separating items at point source helps avoid cross-contamination and reduces the sorting burden. Not bringing in any single-use items is a great habit to commit yourself to.
Forget soggy hot dogs and limp chips – Splore’s food offering is truly impressive and reasonably priced. There’s everything from vegan, gluten-free, and wholefoods options, to steak ‘n’ cheese toasties and restorative meat pies. One of my favourite food trucks from the previous event, Hakari Kai, featured a menu built around what the proprietors had hunted, gathered, and fished themselves – wild venison fry bread burgers, fresh fish sandos, and kina shots (breakfast of champions). You might choose not to bring any of your own food and drink into the festival, and pat yourself on the back for helping divert waste in doing so. “We are fortunate that Splore is a ‘closed environment’ and that we can capture any food waste and compostable packaging, educate Splorers to put it into the Compost bins so that it ends up at the commercial composter, and not in a landfill,” says Mathieson. “In 2021 we sent nearly four tonnes of single-use compostable serve ware to be commercially composted. But this is still really wasteful!” Her greatest wish is that people will grow a BYO habit: bring a cup, plate or bowl, and cutlery – these can easily be rinsed off and packed up to return home with you on Sunday.
Splore’s biggest source of carbon emissions is travel and transport. While Splore offsets its emissions with carbon credits towards native tree planting and preservation projects in Aotearoa, the true target is reducing emissions from occurring in the first place, and the good news is it’s actually really easy for festival-goers to make a difference. “In Europe, it’s normal to roll up to the bus station with all your camping gear, and ride a bus to and from a festival,” says Mathieson. Likewise, the best way to get to Splore is on the Splore Express Bus from Central Auckland, which delivers you straight to the campsite. You also get your wristband on the bus, saving you from queuing, and you save money on a car-parking pass (the bus is subsidised, cheap as chips). If bussing isn’t an option, you get a partial refund on your parking pass if you arrive with three or more people – joining the Splore Carpool Club on Facebook is a good way to make that happen.
This year, organisers will capture data on how people travelled to Splore at the gate, which will help them understand how best to offer lower-emission transport options in the future.
Audience emissions are going to be offset, in addition to production-based emissions. “We know that offsetting is not a solution to the climate crisis, but investing in the preservation of Aotearoa’s native forest does make a small difference, as we strive to reduce Splore’s total annual emissions”, says Mathieson.
Splore is one gigantic costume party, and most other festivals also seem to trigger the craving to don an alter ego or three. But there’s plenty to be aware of when it comes to dress-ups: not only is there more consciousness when it comes to avoiding cultural appropriation, we’re now at a state of awareness (and environmental doom) where the environmental impact of costumes should be closely considered.
Mathieson reveals that Splore is front-footing the issue this year by encouraging a Costume Revolution. “We encourage people to choose a character over a costume - this is a movement to encourage Splorers to consider their outfit as something with meaning and significance; something that will become imbued with memories and live on at other festivals.”
Ditch the plastic-enrobed glowing chemicals and all the other dollar-shop plasticky or feathered pieces. Even bio glitter leaves a footprint, Mathieson points out. “It’s made of tiny compostable plastic particles which end up washing off in the sea, the lagoon or falling on the whenua”. Look for UV body paint or reusable solar-powered fairy lights if you can’t forgo the glow.
As the handy “Buyerarchy of Needs” on Splore’s website outlines, you could prioritise how you source your costume(s) in a way that puts sustainability at the top. Use what you have, borrow, swap, thrift, and buy new things only if you’ve exhausted all the other options – and then, buy mindfully.
To facilitate the swapping angle, Splore is partnering with local charitable trust Fashion Revolution to run an onsite costume swap, with a space to “bejazzle” and upcycle costumes; and workshops from Thursday to Saturday at this year’s event. So if you’re lucky enough to be Sploring this year, bring along your pre-loved costumes and accessories and swap them for a fresh look.
This year’s Splore is scheduled for February 24-26 at Auckland’s Tāpapakanga Regional Park. splore.net
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