Environment
When a large number of people gather together to celebrate for several days, it always results in increased environmental strain, too. Ilosaarirock Festival wants to minimise the amount of waste by recycling, efficient cleaning, and not using any disposables. You should recycle, too – after all, "disposable" is clearly a four-letter word!
The bins you find in the festival area have labels so that you know what to bin where. We hope that all trash finds its specific home, as this also helps to protect the environment.
Biodegradable waste (Biojäte)
Includes:
• plates, cutlery, and napkins from the food stalls
• leftovers
• all other organic, decayable matter
Cigarette stubs do not belong to biowaste bins.
Mixed waste (Sekajäte)
This bin is for non-recyclable waste.
Metal (Metalli)
Includes:
• tins
• lids and tops from glassware
• crown corks
• all other metalware
Glass (Lasi)
Includes:
• glass jars
• glass bottles
• all other glassware
It's ok to leave paper labels and plastic rings on bottles and jars.
Cardboard (Kartonki)
Includes:
• brown cardboard
• paper bags
• wrappings from six-packs and twelve-packs
However, don't put in any wet or dirty material.
The Eight Environment Principles of the Ilosaarirock Festival
Ilosaarirock Festival is aware of the fact that organising large events affects the environment, both positively and negatively. Ilosaarirock wants to foster the festival surroundings by paying attention to environmental conservation and minimising the negative environmental effects of the festival.
Principle 1 - As little litter as possible
When large crowds gather together for several days of fun, one of the results is always waste and litter. The Ilosaarirock festival aims at decreasing the amount of waste by not using any unnecessary flyers or individual packaging materials, providing effective recycling facilities for biodegradable waste, and cleaning the festival area and its surroundings quickly and efficiently. The food sellers in Ilosaarirock will only use biodegradable plates and cutlery, so all waste produced by catering can be recycled as biodegradable waste. The amount of recyclable biodegradable waste has almost tripled in a year. Metal, glass, wood, and cardboard will also be recycled. The environmental aim of the festival is that after 5 years 50 % of all the waste produced by the event is recycled. The Ilosaarirock Festival is committed to the environmental aim.
Principle 2 - Reuse everything that can be reused
"Disposable" is a swear word in the Ilosaarirock Festival. In the licenced bar areas, only recyclable cans and reusable, washable plastic pints or cups will be used. The festival area decorations are made of recyclable materials, and the same decorations are used from one year to another. Ilosaarirock invites also the festival goers to participate in recycling! The Ilosaarirock festival promises to increase recycling and make it easier.
Principle 3 - Keep it neat
The Ilosaarirock Festival area comprises a park area and a beach, and it is important to treat these areas with care. More than 300 cleaners will be at work during the building of the festival as well as the during the festival itself. Cleaners will be out and about in the festival area gathering waste and advising the festival goers on recycling. After the festival the areas are cleaned meticulously, and the area that is cleaned stretches hundreds of meters from the actual festival area. Separate groups pick up bottles so that they too will be recycled not only on the soles of your feet. If there is any damage on lawns or greens, these will be fixed together with the gardeners of the city of Joensuu. The Ilosaarirock festival promises that the areas are cleaner after the festival than before the festival.
Principle 4 - Cut the carbon dioxide
According to the environmental aim of the Ilosaarirock festival, the carbon footprint of the festival will decrease considerably during the next 5 years. The carbon footprint will be assessed every year, and compensation will be paid for emissions. In 2010, the festival starts this work by compensating the emissions caused by air travel to and from the festival. The Ilosaarirock festival promises to diminish its carbon footprint.
Principle 5 - Green electricity
70 % of the electricity used by Ilosaarirock is green. The local electricity company Pohjois-Karjalan Sähkö Oy offers green electricity produced with hydropower, wood energy, and wind power. Of each kilowatt-hour consumed, one penny of the old Finnish currency will be used to benefit the environment. The Ilosaarirock festival promises to use more green energy.
Principle 6 - Less traffic
A large part of carbon dioxide emissions comes from traffic. The audience, banda, and subcontractors all travel to and from the festival area, often in their own vehicles. Ilosaarirock minimises emissions by favouring Joensuu-based suppliers and encouraging the audience to use public transport. During Ilosaarirock, regular trains have extra carriages and special Rokki trains also run in line with the festival timetables. From the Joensuu railway station you can go to the festival site in a free bus, and also take the bus back to the railway station. Local festival goers are encouraged to come to the festival by bike or on foot. There is a guarded bike park for cyclists. Parking spaces reserved for those arriving by cars are not free. The Ilosaarirock festival promises to reduce unnecessary traffic.
Principle 7 - Fair trade purchases
Ilosaarirock supports sustainable development. The festival chooses products produced within ethical guidelines, and uses primarily local suppliers. The main communication channel of the Ilosaarirock is internet instead of printed matter. The amount of unnecessary flyers and all other print matter that tends to end up lying on the ground has been cut to a minimum. The printed matter that is made is made to last, and to be kept. All coffee in Ilosaarirock is fair trade coffee. There is a Fair Trade café in the festival area where you can enjoy your coffee in a sustainable manner. The Ilosaarirock t-shirts are made of organic cotton, and only renewable energy has been used in their production process. The starting point in the production is minimising the ecological footprint. Ethics and ecology dictate all purchases. The Ilosaarirock festival promises to buy ethically and drink fair trade coffee.
Principle 8 - Green attitude
Ilosaarirock promotes a green attitude with its customers, workers and partners. Before the festival, advice for a greener festival experience is given in promotional material, the festival website, and the festival programme flyer. During the festival, the environmental point of view is brought out in short info films on the stage screens. The Ilosaarirock festival workers, organisers, and board are all committed to participate in the Ilosaarirock festival environment work and to put into effect the set environmental aims. The Ilosaarirock festival promises to be greener and gooder.
We will happily receive your suggestions on effective environmental protection!
Green'n'Clean
Ilosaarirock has been awarded the international Green'n'Clean environment certificate in 2008, which was the year the award was launched in Finland. The award is a concrete indication that the festival pays attention to enviromental friendliness and green values. The green values of the Ilosaarirock festival are using green electricity, enhancing recycling, encouraging people to use public transport and ride-sharing, and regarding purchases, preferring sustainably produced, fair trade, and local products and services. The objective of the award is to make both festival organisers and festival goers pay more attention to environmental conservation and to encourage a more open conversation on environmental questions.