Can Fetes, Regattas and Festivals Be Greener Without Losing the Fun?

The Hidden Footprint of Summer Events

Can Fetes, Regattas and Festivals Be Greener Without Losing the Fun?

“A summer event should not need three skips, two generators and a small mountain of plastic cups to be considered successful.”

There is something wonderfully British about a summer event.

A school fair with bunting flapping in a slightly uncertain breeze. A village fete where someone has bravely agreed to run the tombola. A regatta with boats, flags, tea, cake, damp grass and at least one person carrying a clipboard with the seriousness of an air traffic controller. A sports day, an open day, a festival, a church event, a community barbecue, a charity fundraiser or a sailing club weekend.

These events matter. They bring people together. They raise money. They create memories. They give children something to look forward to and adults a chance to stand around saying, “Well, at least the rain held off,” even when it clearly did not.

But they also have a hidden environmental footprint.

Behind the cheerful stalls and smiling photographs there can be a less charming story: disposable cups, plastic plates, half-used banners, diesel generators, cars parked in long rows, piles of uneaten food, printed programmes abandoned on tables, and bins that quietly become archaeological layers of everything mixed together.

The question is not whether we should stop holding summer events. That would be miserable.

The better question is this: how can we keep the joy and reduce the waste?

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The Problem With “Only Once”

The great danger with events is the phrase “only once”.

It is only one afternoon.
It is only one stack of plastic cups.
It is only one printed programme.
It is only one temporary banner.
It is only one generator.
It is only one weekend.

Unfortunately, when hundreds or thousands of people attend, “only once” becomes quite a lot.

A single family picnic can be fairly low impact. A large event magnifies every decision. If each visitor uses a disposable cup, a disposable plate and a few bits of packaging, the bins fill quickly. If most people arrive by car, the car park becomes one of the biggest parts of the event’s footprint. If power is supplied by generators when batteries or mains electricity would do, the background hum is not just noise; it is fuel being burned.

The point is not to make organisers feel guilty. Anyone who has helped run an event knows that the main aim is often survival. Will the tea urn work? Has someone brought the extension lead? Where is the first aid kit? Why has the gazebo tried to become airborne?

Sustainability needs to be practical, not another impossible burden for tired volunteers.

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Start With the Bins: The Least Glamorous but Most Important Detail

Bins are rarely the glamorous part of an event. Nobody puts “come and see our excellent bin system” on the poster.

But bins matter.

At many events, recycling fails not because people do not care, but because the system is confusing. One lonely recycling bin beside three general waste bins is not a system. It is a decoration.

A better approach is to create bin stations. Each station has the same layout:

• General waste

• Recycling

• Food waste, if available

• Clear signs with pictures

• A volunteer or steward nearby at peak times

Signs should say what people actually have in their hands. Not simply “mixed recycling”, but:

Plastic bottles, drinks cans and clean cardboard here.
Food, napkins and dirty plates here.
Everything else here.

Children often love helping with this. A school fair could turn waste sorting into a mini eco-team job. At a regatta or sailing event, cadets or younger members could help visitors choose the right bins. It gives young people a real role and makes recycling visible rather than hidden.

The best bin system is not one that looks clever. It is one that tired people can understand while holding a cup of tea, a cake, a wet coat and a raffle ticket.

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Reusable Cups and Plates: Brilliant, but Only If Planned Properly

Reusable cups and plates are often suggested as the obvious solution. In many cases, they are.

But they need planning.

A reusable system needs:

• Enough cups and plates

• A washing-up area

• Volunteers

• Storage boxes

• Clear collection points

• A way to stop everything disappearing into the backs of cars

For smaller events, this can work beautifully. A sailing club, church hall, school or community centre may already own mugs, plates and cutlery. Instead of buying disposable items every year, the event can use what is already there.

For larger events, a deposit system may work. Visitors pay a small amount for a reusable cup and get it back when they return it. Some festivals already do this well. It feels strange the first time, then completely normal.

At club events, this could be even simpler. Members could be encouraged to bring their own mug or water bottle. A “bring a mug” culture is not exactly revolutionary, but it prevents an astonishing number of disposable cups.

There is also a social advantage. A proper mug of tea feels much better than a flimsy cup that collapses the moment you look at it.

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Food: Local Suppliers, Less Waste and Better Planning

Food is often one of the great pleasures of summer events. It is also one of the easiest areas to improve.

Using local suppliers can reduce travel, support nearby businesses and make the event feel more connected to its place. A local bakery, farm shop, café, ice cream maker or fruit grower may be more interesting than anonymous bulk catering.

There is also a waste issue. Events often over-cater because running out feels embarrassing. Nobody wants to be the person who promised cake and delivered three lonely biscuits.

But over-catering creates waste. Better planning helps:

• Sell tickets in advance where possible

• Use pre-orders for lunches or barbecues

• Offer smaller portions as well as standard ones

• Have a plan for leftovers

• Avoid individually wrapped items where practical

• Use clear labelling so food is not wasted through confusion

A school fair could invite families to bring reusable containers for leftovers. A sailing club event could arrange for surplus cakes or snacks to be used the next day. Community events could link with local food-sharing groups, where safe and appropriate.

The aim is not to make food joyless. Quite the opposite. A well-planned local food stall can be more attractive, more memorable and less wasteful.

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Travel: The Big Footprint Nobody Sees in the Bin

At many events, the largest environmental impact may not be the rubbish on site. It may be how people got there.

Cars are convenient, especially when people are carrying chairs, picnic blankets, children, dogs, musical instruments, sailing kit or a gazebo that has already developed a personal grudge against its owner.

But events can still encourage better travel choices.

Simple steps include:

• Clear information about walking and cycling routes

• Safe bike parking

• Car-sharing suggestions

• Shuttle links from nearby stations where possible

• Priority parking for shared cars

• Encouraging local visitors to walk

• Combining deliveries to reduce repeated trips

For a sailing event at Upper Thames Sailing Club, this is especially interesting. Clubs are often in beautiful places, but not always in the easiest places to reach without a car. That does not mean nothing can be done. Even a simple message saying, “Parking will be limited — please lift-share where possible,” can change behaviour.

For school fairs and village events, travel maps can help. Not just a postcode for sat nav, but practical local advice: where to walk from, where not to block residents’ drives, where bikes can be locked, and whether buses or trains are realistic.

Good travel planning also improves the event for everyone. Fewer cars usually means less congestion, less stress, fewer complaints and fewer people reversing nervously into hedges.

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Power Without the Constant Drone of Generators

Generators have their place. For some events, especially remote ones, they may be necessary.

But they are often used by default.

A modern event may need power for card machines, sound systems, lights, radios, cameras, laptops, phone charging, timing systems, safety equipment and livestreaming. That does not automatically mean diesel generators are the only option.

Alternatives include:

• Using mains power where available

• Battery power stations for smaller equipment

• Solar charging stations

• Rechargeable battery packs

• LED lighting

• Careful power planning before the event

• Turning off equipment when not needed

This links strongly to my own experience of filming, photography and livestreaming around sailing events. Cameras, radios, laptops, screens, microphones and battery chargers all quietly demand electricity. It is easy to think only about the visible event and forget the technical layer behind it.

When filming from the Whaly electric boat, the contrast is obvious. A quiet electric safety or camera boat feels much more suited to river filming than a noisy petrol engine. It is not only greener; it is also better for sound recording, wildlife and the general atmosphere.

Solar charging stations at summer events are a particularly good educational idea. They do not need to power the entire site. Even a small solar setup charging phones, radios or camera batteries can become a talking point. At a school open day, it could be a live science demonstration. At a club event, it could show visitors that practical sustainability is not just a poster on a wall.

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Reduce Printed Programmes Without Losing Communication

Printed programmes can be useful. They can also become instant litter.

A good event programme tells people what is happening, when it is happening, where to go, who to thank and how to stay safe. But not everyone needs a glossy multi-page booklet.

Greener alternatives include:

• Large display boards at key locations

• QR codes linking to schedules

• A simple one-page printed sheet

• Reusable signs

• Digital maps

• Emailing information before the event

• Social media updates during the day

The trick is not to assume everyone wants digital only. Some people prefer paper. Some visitors may not have a smartphone. Some locations have poor signal. A balanced approach works best: fewer printed copies, better signs and easy digital access.

For regattas and sporting events, results and updates can often be displayed online or on a central board. For school fairs, a simple site map and timetable may be enough.

The worst option is printing hundreds of beautiful programmes that are out of date by lunchtime because the dog show has moved, the barbecue is late and the face-painting stall has run out of tigers.

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Borrowed Equipment Beats Buying New

Events often create a buying panic.

We need more tables.
We need more chairs.
We need another gazebo.
We need signs.
We need cable protectors.
We need decorations.
We need a loudspeaker.
We need a large plastic thing that will be used once and then live in a cupboard for eleven years.

Before buying, ask: can we borrow it?

Schools, clubs, churches, scout groups, local councils and community organisations often own equipment that is used only a few times a year. Sharing makes sense.

Borrowing equipment reduces cost, storage problems and waste. It also builds community links. A local network of reusable event equipment could include:

• Gazebos

• Tables and chairs

• Signage frames

• Cable ramps

• Water containers

• Display boards

• Hi-vis vests

• Litter pickers

• Reusable cups

• Extension leads

• Portable battery packs

For sailing clubs, this culture already exists in many ways. People lend tools, ropes, trailers, radios, boats, straps, ladders and mysterious bits of stainless steel that “will probably do the job”. Extending that attitude to event equipment is natural.

The greenest gazebo is the one that already exists and does not need to be bought again.

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Make Sustainability Visible but Not Preachy

Nobody wants to arrive at a summer fete and feel they have accidentally entered a guilt seminar.

Sustainability works best when it is visible, friendly and practical.

Instead of saying, “Do not use plastic,” say:

Please return your cup here so we can use it again.
Help us keep the field clean for wildlife.
This station is powered by solar today.
Bring your bottle — free water refills available.
Lift-sharing helps us reduce parking pressure.

People respond better when they can see the benefit. Cleaner site. Less waste. Lower costs. Better atmosphere. Fewer overflowing bins. More money going to the charity, school or club instead of waste disposal.

At a school event, sustainability can become part of the learning. Pupils can measure waste, calculate travel emissions, design signs, build solar phone chargers, survey biodiversity after the event or compare disposable and reusable options.

At a sailing event, members could report how many disposable cups were avoided, how many batteries were charged from solar, or how much waste was separated for recycling.

Small numbers make the invisible visible.

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Leave the Site Better Than It Was Found

One of the best principles for any summer event is simple:

Leave the site better than you found it.

This means more than picking up the obvious litter.

It could include:

• A litter sweep before and after the event

• Protecting grass and sensitive areas

• Avoiding damage to trees and hedges

• Removing cable ties, tape and temporary signs

• Checking riverbanks, paths and car parks

• Creating wildlife-friendly corners

• Planting or improving the site afterwards

• Donating leftover materials for reuse

For river events, this matters especially. Rubbish near water has a habit of travelling. A plastic cup dropped near a riverbank does not necessarily stay there. Wind, rain and careless feet can move it into the water.

At Upper Thames Sailing Club, the river is not just a backdrop. It is the reason everyone is there. Keeping the bank, boat park and water clean is part of respecting the place.

A post-event litter pick may not sound glamorous, but it can become part of the event culture. The final job is not “fill the skip”. The final job is “make the place look as if we cared.”

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A Practical Green Event Checklist

A greener summer event does not need to be perfect. It just needs to be better planned.

Here is a simple checklist:

Before the Event

• Can visitors walk, cycle, use public transport or car-share?

• Can suppliers be local?

• Can equipment be borrowed instead of bought?

• Can programmes be digital or reduced?

• Can signs be reused next year?

• Can power needs be reduced?

• Can batteries or solar replace some generator use?

• Can food quantities be estimated more accurately?

• Can reusable cups, plates or mugs be used?

During the Event

• Are bins clearly labelled?

• Are recycling points easy to find?

• Is water refill available?

• Are lights and equipment switched off when not needed?

• Are volunteers briefed on waste and site care?

• Are announcements encouraging greener behaviour?

• Are visitors thanked for helping?

After the Event

• What was left over?

• What was thrown away?

• What could be reused?

• What did people ignore?

• What caused the most waste?

• What should be changed next year?

• Was the site left cleaner than before?

The most useful question is not, “Was it perfectly green?”

The better question is, “What can we improve next time?”

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The Hidden Benefit: Greener Events Are Often Better Events

There is a common fear that making events greener will make them more complicated, more expensive or less enjoyable.

Sometimes there is extra planning involved. But many sustainable choices also make events run better.

Reusable signs save money.
Clear bins reduce mess.
Local suppliers improve atmosphere.
Car-sharing reduces parking chaos.
Battery power reduces noise.
Digital updates reduce confusion.
Borrowed equipment reduces storage and spending.
Less waste means less clearing up.

A greener event is not necessarily a smaller event. It is a more thoughtful event.

The best summer gatherings are not judged by how much they consume, but by what they create: community, enjoyment, learning, friendship, fundraising, sport, music, laughter and memories.

If we can have all that with fewer skips, fewer generators and fewer plastic cups, that feels like progress.

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Conclusion: Keep the Celebration, Lose the Waste

Summer events are worth protecting.

We need school fairs, fetes, regattas, festivals, open days and sporting events. We need reasons to gather in fields, halls, playgrounds, clubhouses and riverbanks. We need the slightly chaotic joy of volunteers making things happen with trestle tables, extension leads and optimism.

But we also need to notice the footprint.

A successful event should not be measured by the size of the skip afterwards. It should be measured by the experience it gave people, the money it raised, the community it strengthened and the care it showed for the place where it happened.

The greenest event is not the one with no fun, no food and no bunting.

It is the one where people still have a wonderful day — and when they leave, the field, riverbank, playground or club looks as if the organisers loved it enough to look after it.

That seems a very good definition of success.