Although running events can be a strain on the environment, there are initiatives that are tackling food waste at catered events or re-thinking approaches to transport. Here at Atlas we are working on making the Atlas and our festival about future-fixing solutions rather than planet-wrecking pollution.
We want to put our money where our mouth is. We’re preparing to properly welcome you and the FutureFixers who are making the world a fairer, greener, and happier place to a sustainable home.
The Festival Production team is working hard to make Fixing the Future Festival carbon-neutral and analyse our impact every step of the way. We’re minimising waste and calculating the emissions of our 2-day celebration and finding ways to offset them.
We have a lot to learn, so we asked the experts to help. We consulted with Anthesis Lavola to reduce our impact and calculate the festival’s carbon footprint. And we partnered with tree enthusiasts Plant for the Planet to offset our footprint through local projects. Plus, we have Holaluz’s 100% renewable energy, Agència de Residus de Catalunya’s waste-reducing strategies and Aigües de Barcelona’s regenerated water to support us.
Here’s what we’re doing.
? The fast track to Fixing the Future
Whenever we can, we’re choosing tracks over wings. The vast majority of our national and international speakers are coming by train and for those who are lucky enough to live in sunny Barcelona, our venue CCCB offers plenty of bicycle parking space.
Even FutureFixers need to rest. They’re staying at nearby hotels that share our commitment to sustainable practices.
?️ More Fixing, less waste
Waste isn’t what dreams are made of. We’re avoiding plastic and choosing recycled and/or recyclable materials with ecological labels that guarantee low impact.
Love a tote bag? We do too! But we’ve also discovered that each organic cotton tote needs to be used 20,000 times to offset its overall production impact. Still, we want you to have something to remember our 2-day fiesta: bring your own bag, t-shirt, or diary, and we’ll customise it during the festival.
And speaking of t-shirts, our volunteers will be wearing Ecoalf’s ‘There is no planet B shirts — each item is made of 50% recycled cotton to save 3,680 litres of water.
? Blue planet, green bottles
Help us keep Fixing the Future plastic-free! At CCCB, our certified sustainable venue, you’ll find water fountains offered by Aigües de Barcelona to refill your own reusable bottle. At the reception desk, we’ll provide you with a wristband so that you can re-enter the venue as many times as you wish and avoid queues, but don’t let it fool you — it’s made of 100% recycled material.
We don’t want our speakers to go hungry — our catering will offer local and seasonal products and we’ll do our best to order only what’s needed. We will also have washable cups and glasses and we’ll encourage our providers to donate any excess products to local initiatives.
? FutureFixing friends
We handpicked local, environmentally conscious suppliers and favoured FutureFixing businesses that can boast green certifications.
Have an idea to make Fixing the Future greener? Know of exciting solutions for more sustainable festivals? Let us know in the comments below. See you at CCCB!