The Single-Use Free Culture Festival is back at the Street Food Festival again this year, this time in Bältespännarparken – a more defined area with even better conditions for a sustainable festival!

The project, Engångsfritt för klimate (Single-Use Free for the Climate), is a collaboration between Gothenburg Culture Festival, the Street Food Festival, and the organisation Light My Fire BORROW. It was launched last year with a large-scale effort. During that event, as many as 93,000 single-use items were avoided.

– This year, it’s about optimising and fine-tuning the method for the festival’s long-term sustainability work, says Filip Eklund, Sustainability Developer at Göteborg & Co.

Here’s how it works

Food at the Street Food Festival will once again be served on reusable plates that can withstand at least 400 uses. After their lifespan, they can be ground down and made into entirely new plates.

During the event, there will be staffed return stations for all reusable items, drink cans, food waste, and other combustible waste. Once visitors have finished eating, they bring the items to one of the stations, where everything is washed – just like in a regular restaurant.

From pilot to refinement at this year’s festival

Lessons learned from last year’s pilot project have shaped this year’s setup. Back then, the project was held in the food area around Basargatan, an open and unenclosed space. With the more contained area of Bältespännarparken, organisers hope to tackle challenges like reusable items being thrown away or lost.

– With new insights and continued dedication, we aim to lead the way and inspire the industry towards a more sustainable future, says Filip Eklund.