Green Initiatives
The Ottawa Folk Festival is committed to taking a leadership role in promoting greener festivals within the Ottawa area. We have taken many steps towards sustainable practices and programming. Here are some of our initiatives including the first ever bottle-water free festival in the region in 2009!
OFF / Jake Morrison
- Plastic bottle free zone with no plastic water bottles being sold or distributed on site in partnership with CUPE, the Ottawa Riverkeeper, the Council of Canadians, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. We diverted over 7500 plastic water bottles in 2009, using hydration stations to refill water bottles with clean, City of Ottawa drinking water.
- Reusable dish program , using solar-powered dishwater by Isolara Energy Services Inc, and saving over 20,000 disposable dishes and plastic cutlery from the landfill in 2009.
- Mr. Something Something concert powered through bicycle-generated power!
- Compostable Beer Cups and Cup Suckers on Garbage Cans to keep them out of the landfill.
- An amazing Green Team of festival volunteers that help keep the site clean.
- Promotion of green transportation through a ride share program, bus service promotion, and bike lock-up.
- EnviroTent and other environmental programming such as City Repair demonstrating cob house building, the Ottawa River Keeper presenting Professor Wetfoot in the Kid Zone, and more!
- Sharing our reusable dishes with other organizations, such as MEC Paddlefest, to promote sustainable community events made possible by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.
For more information about our green initiatives, take a look here for our TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Grant final report. Take a look here for information on how to green your festival!
Ottawa Folk Festival: Went Unplugged and Unbottled!
Clean water is the foundation of the health and well being of every community. The Ottawa Folk Festival the first Ottawa Festival to say no to plastic water bottles and yes to public water!
Without the expertise, dedication, and generous support of our water partners, this initiative would certainly not have been possible. A heartfelt thank you to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Grant, Ottawa Riverkeeper, CUPE, CUPE 503, Council of Canadians, The Water Store, and Life Without Plastics. We did it, folks!
Download and read the full Water Initiatives Report from our 2009 Festival:
Water Initiatives Festival 2009 (PDF 81kb)
OFF / Julie Stern
