PRESS RELEASE
SUSTAINABILITY PLEDGE TO MAKE A CLEANER AND GREENER PRIDE
Brighton & Hove Pride 2019 marks the beginning of a three year plan to improve environmental impact by reducing single use plastic waste and carbon emissions
10th June, 2019 : Brighton & Hove Pride are committed to improving our environmental impact and we are currently working with a sustainability expert to help us execute a three year plan. Focusing our energies on the areas we have control over – Preston Park and Old Steine – as well as working with the venues in the Pride Village Party footprint, we intend to reduce single use plastic waste and carbon emissions.
So, what are we doing and how will we do it?
Reducing single use plastic
For 2019 we will pilot a reusable cup scheme at the Preston Park and Pleasure Gardens with Green Goblet. Our aim is to lower the volume of single use plastic waste deriving from the festival bars. We expect the adoption of a reusable cup scheme to reduce up to 30% the volume of waste that has historically gone to incineration (waste to energy). A portion of the reusable cups will be ‘Pride’ branded but without a reference to the festival dates, meaning that those cups returned can be stored & reused the following year.
Plastic straws have been banned from all our on-site bars and we are encouraging all our food concessions to use compostable serving trays and cutlery.
Recycling & Waste Management:
This year, for the first time we will be introduce mixed recycling bins to the public areas in Preston Park. There will be clearly labelled separate bins for mixed waste and a team of volunteers will be stationed at each pod to ensure festival goers separate their rubbish properly. Our contractor will ensure that all recycled materials are sent to an appropriate refuse facility where they will be separated and recycled.
We are also seeking wood recycling partners, who will collect both general wood waste & pallets for repurposing.
Water
On sale bottled water for festival goers will be replaced with Aquapax cartons to help reduce the volume of single use plastic waste. We are also swapping plastic bottles for cans at all bars and concessions.
We are introducing water coolers to some areas of the Preston Park site for artists, crew and security, and will issue all staff, crew and volunteers a reusable water bottle to replace the single use plastic bottles used previously.
We will also install more taps in Preston Park for everyone attending the festival, to fill their water bottles.
Energy
We will be monitoring the energy production of the generators versus actual onsite consumption at both the Preston Park and Pleasure Gardens sites and will use this data to analyse the CO2e emissions with a view to optimising generator sizing’s and possible alternative configurations to reduce fuel consumption.
We will be asking all floats in the Pride Community Parade to send details of their vehicle engine specs in order to track the emissions associated with the parade.
2020 to 2021 Sustainable Development Action Plan
Brighton Pride recognises that this is the beginning of their sustainability journey. Much of what we do this year will focus on benchmarking, that is to say gathering & analysing data that will help us set realistic improvement targets for future years.
What You Can Do?
People and businesses create rubbish across the city. We urge everyone coming to Brighton & Hove for Pride weekend to dispose of their waste sensibly and take plastic cups back to the bars or venues, whether in the Pride events or at one of the many pubs, cafes and bars across the city and on the beach. Support venues and businesses that have signed up to City Angels and are working with Pride to reduce single use plastic.
The Big Pride Silent Disco Beach Clean
We are partnering with local organisations Ocean’s 8 Brighton, Pier2Pier, Brighton Watersports and the Bird & Blend Tea Co for a Big Pride Beach Clean this year. The initiative takes place on Sunday morning and volunteers will receive a free ticket to LoveBN1Fest. For more info and to sign up, visit Brighton-Pride.org/beach-clean
City Angels
This year, we launched the City Angels initiative to promote a closer working partnership between Brighton & Hove Pride with local retailers, restaurants, hotels and other businesses to promote shared benefits and shared responsibilities. To become a City Angel and receive official Pride merchandise and support, sign up at WeAreCityAngels.org
Help us to have a city we can PROUD of!
Respect · Pride · Unity
Brighton-Pride.org
