Recycling & Waste

Our soul mission at Rainbow is to re-use and recycle as much as we possibly can. We abhor waste. To do this we go to immense lengths.

To minimise landfill we tip out each bin then separate and sort all useful things into different piles. We do this for ten hours per day, rain or shine. We recycle all aluminum cans. All cups, bowls and plates from food stalls are composted onsite and used to grow new trees. Piles of cardboard
are pulped and plastic bottles are compacted into cubes and eventually shipped to China. Hundreds of cheap broken camp chairs are stripped of their fabric, the frames given to a local scrap yard. Abandoned thongs are washed and given to charity and litres of used cooking oil are given to biodiesel producers. Phew!

But there are some things we can’t find a use for including carpet, broken lounges and tents which all, unfortunately, go to landfill.

Here's how you can help make this Rainbow the most sustainable yet:

The Rainbow culture has always embodied respect for each other, our selves and the land that is our playground. By bringing onto the festival site only what you intend to take home you contribute to a more sustainable festival. We have several initiatives designed to reduce landfill waste:

Bag Deposit Scheme

It’s simple. We take your deposit at the gate, then on your way out your $5 is refunded to you when you hand back
your recycling bag and token. Refunds available from Sunday to Tuesday.

Loot Ute

Have you filled your recycling bag already? But it’s only Friday! Empty it in the Loot Ute driving by your campsite in
the mornings. Listen out for the bell and bring out your fallen soldiers.

Canaconda

See the beast grow every time you deposit a can. The real Rainbow Slurpent can be found lurking in the undergrowth, ready to devour your aluminum. Watch out for his nasty little brother, Nangaconda, hiding nearby.

Use The Right Bins

Reduce our hand sorting and help us make more compost by putting your food and paper crockery into the green bins. Everything you buy to eat or drink from food stalls can be broken down, composted and used to plant and feed
trees around the site. Check signage on rubbish bins to help you determine which recycling or waste bin you use to bin it.

Environment

Leave No Trace

Make the grass green again when you finally leave - ‘Pick it up and pack it out’. 2011 festival goers left a total of 50 tonnes of waste that went to landfill.

Contrary to popular belief there is little we can do with broken camping equipment. No charities will take them. So choose wisely and buy yourself a keeper.

Offset Your Travel

Spend $10 on a Treecreds carbon car pass and offset 200kgs of your travel emissions through avoided
deforestation. Treecreds believe that halting
deforestation is the quickest, cheapest and most logical way to slow climate change. For Rainbow Serpent this year
carbon credits are being produced from the Protecting the Devil’s Forests project in Tasmania. More info www.treecreds.com

Revegetation Areas

Over 800 trees have been planted on site since last year, slowly growing to provide shade and protection from the wind. Please don’t enter or camp in the vegetation areas, so we can give the best start to our native mix of saplings.

Composting Toilets

We are sure you will all agree the composting toilets onsite are pretty awesome! Not only are they the most environmental option available, but they are nicer smelling and more comfortable than those horrible plastic chemical portaloos. Please leave them in the state you like to find one!

Water Wisdom

Many of our on-site showers have been converted to gas-fired hot water so after you purchase your tokens at the Info Tent you can enjoy one of the little luxuries of camping at Rainbow Serpent.

There are also water points dotted around the campsites, usually close to the toilets or showers. These are great to refill your bottle with drinking water.

Shuttle Bus Service

Using mass transit services are one of the best ways to reduce our festival’s carbon footprint, up to 70% of which is produced by traveling to and from the site. Do your bit and take the shuttle service into Beaufort instead of driving.