Don’t be a tosser! Festival of the Sun is calling all punters making their way to Port Macquarie Breakwall Park this December to explore all sustainable initiatives taking place in 2019.

FOTSUN was STOKED with last years attendees who made a massive effort to ditch single use plastic with amazing results. Post festival spring cleaning only found 28 plastic bottles among the grounds and sent 25,000 cans to Sydney’s not-for-profit group, Citizen Blue.

Founder, Dave West, was elated with last years involvement saying, “We aim to inspire patrons to dispose of their waste correctly and FOTSUN delivered. We do a lot of music festivals and this was one of the cleanest we’ve ever seen.”

On top of these efforts, a huge 1 tonne of cardboard was also recycled. This year FOTSUN is upping the anti, with plenty of new incentives for punters to think about waste.

FOTSUN will have cold water refill stations and biodegradable garbage bagcollection points for those that want to earn legend status by assisting with the clean up. FOTSUN is also proud to be supporting the community by using local businesses as suppliers – so you can bet that banana in your morning smoothie is coming from Port Maq’s infamous ‘Kenny’s Fruit and Veg’.

Captain Planet, aka Festival Director, Simon Luke is proud to announce a partnership with fellow mid-north coast planeteers, Coastal Warriors – a group of volunteers educating and raising awareness for our oceans and marine life.

“As a local and boutique festival with over 3,000 attendees, we’re stoked to join forces with Coastal Warriors,” stated Luke.

“It’s important for us to lead the way by implementing sustainable and environmentally conscious efforts for our guests to follow. We’ve been blessed to have our festival by the beach now for 16 years, so we’re thrilled to have Coastal Warriors on our side, educating and inspiring the community spirit which allows FOTSUN to return year after year.” 

Coastal Warriors will be spearheading the initiatives at this years FOTSUN, in particular by hosting eCANomy. FOTSUN is one of the longest standing BYO festivals, so this initiative encourages festi-goers to scour the grounds collecting cans in exchange for tokens at the eCANomy checkpoint tents, which will be setup on site. There’s bags of ice, coffee, meal vouchers, merchandise and even VIP tickets for FOTSUN 2020 up for grabs – so get hustling to claim your freebies!

“Being involved with FOTSUN this year is a great platform to engage with a different demographic from our usual volunteer base. It’s great to live in a progressive town where these initiatives are being pushed and making waves of change” says Meegs, President of the Coastal Warriors.

Sticking to the can theme, FOTSUN has also teamed with Wallaby Water, Australia’s most recyclable packaged water alternative. These legends will be set up on site, as well as providing all backstage water and to those being breath tested leaving the festival.

On top of implementing their own currency with eCANomy, FOTSUN is calling for patrons to do their bit by packing sustainably to reduce waste and minimise pack ups. We’ve all been missioned with having to clear up a campsite after a big one, and organisers understand it can be a tough time. This year FOTSUN wants to debunk the habit of ditching tents, airbeds, outfits and food scraps after a fun filled weekend. Campsites will be checked on the final day and clean sites will be rewarded and offered priority camping spot choice for FOTSUN 2020.

“We’ve done our bit, so we hope that our fellow FOTSUNNER’s acknowledge the efforts and take part in making the weekend a blast by being environmentally conscious and respecting our surroundings,” said Luke.

If your stuck on ways to pack sustainably, here’s a few quick tips:

• Book a pre-erected setup in the eco-friendly ‘Tent City’ instead of purchasing a multi-material, throwaway tent.

• Bring foods packaged in their own skin or with minimal packaging.

• BYO water bottle (hack: you can sub water for beer and it keeps it cooler).

• Op shop your ‘Ghouls and Glitter’ outfits. If you’re doing glitter – go biodegradable.

• Utilise the recycling and multiple waste facilities on site.

• Head to a Coastal Warriors tent and get educated on the ways you can make a difference.

FOTSUN is one of NSW’s longest-running BYO festivals and is an 18+ event. Families are welcome and children under 12 receive free entry when accompanied by an adult.