Our Sustainability Report

Sid Vale CC

Sustainability is becoming a core element of events we organise or assist. For major events there is ISO 20121 code for Event Sustainability, first used for the 2012 Olympics, and the United Nations also have a sustainable event guide.

The image shows our Taunton 10k race poster near the carnival start. In 2019 following an online petitions against single use bottles at running events our volunteers provided runner’s water at the race end in compostable cups made of cellulose. You need a local mains water supply to make this work. However Covid 19 then appeared and the hygiene security of single use bottles was required to restart events.

This years 10k race saw a change from imported plastic medals to wooden medals made in England. We are masters of reuse, creating a new START sign from a waste acrylic panel and the finish straight cushion barriers to protect runners were once my sofa. Carnival too is responding to the need to reduce its carbon foot print. Clubs make use of old vehicles to form floats that have already had a busy working life. The biggest advance has been the change to lighting, LED bulbs replacing old filament or halogen lamps. A big reduction in energy consumed; smaller generators, so less weight to tow. We await an exact means to record our event carbon emissions, which can only be calculated on a Somerset wide basis; so each element can be shared out to the many Carnival towns. They each deliver a local mega entertainment night, free and accessible to local people.

Are you interested in sustainability, organising creative events with positive changes? Why not join a carnival club or our committee (www.tauntoncarnival.co.uk) to further help the process.

– Roger House

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