Fritter Festival proves going green can be easy and delicious

A Northland festival, which attracted around 4,000 people, has kept over 80% of its waste from going to landfill, thanks in part to a grant from the Glass Packaging Forum (GPF).

The Northland Fritter Festival held in Whangarei for the first time since Covid, aimed not only to offer a first-class food and entertainment experience, but be a zero-waste event too.

The event featured top local bands, award-winning food and a host of breweries and wineries.

The GPF awarded the Northland Events Centre (2021) Trust (NECT) a grant so they could offer glass recycling, with the glass being colour-sorted and processed on site by volunteers. According to NECT General Manager Corina de Graaf they collected 461kg of glass for recycling.

This along with 484kg of plastic, cans, cardboard and compostable material, making for an 81% diversion rate. Organisers had originally aimed for 60% or better, says Carina.

“We’re absolutely thrilled. Achieving such a milestone requires great dedication and collaboration from a diverse spectrum of individuals and organisations, and we are truly grateful for the effort from all involved.

“Our commitment to minimising the environmental impact on events is paramount, and with partners like the Glass Packaging Forum on board, we’re excited to keep pushing for a greener future together.”

GPF Scheme Manager Dominic Salmon says the waste diversion rate is impressive, especially for an event of this size.

“It’s great that the festival could run again after the uncertainty and disruptions caused by Covid. The zero-waste commitment by the organisers, staff, volunteers, and as a result the festival goers, should be applauded,” he says.