If you want to achieve zero residual waste as a festival, everything you use must ultimately end up in a clean, recyclable stream at the resource processor. The former waste processor.

But that doesn't start at the trash bin. That starts with purchasing. What you don't bring in, you don't have to deal with afterwards.

THE DECISION TREE
That is why we developed the circular purchasing decision tree. Anyone within the organization who rents, borrows, or buys something can use it to navigate the complex trade-offs involved.

That works. Our circular purchasing went from 16% in 2023 to 90% in 2025: second-hand, bio-based, or made from recycled material.

SPECIFIC DECISION TREES
We created separate decision trees for merchandise and site textiles. The merchandise decision tree is built on broad knowledge of sustainable purchasing of merch and on the choices we make ourselves. These are available together with all other Green Deal Circular Festivals decision trees on the Sustainable Culture Sector knowledge base.

THE WRISTBAND TRIAL
Sometimes the gain is in something small that you need hundreds of thousands of. Together with Dutchband, we are running a trial this year with crew wristbands made from bio-based material that is both affordable and scalable. If that works, it is good news for perhaps the entire sector.

GETTING THE WHOLE CHAIN ON BOARD
Circular purchasing does not stop at our own organization. So we also make agreements with suppliers, performers, artists, and partners: fossil-free transport (at least HVO, preferably electric), working residual waste-free on-site, and providing the data we need to calculate our footprint.

Those agreements work better when they are attractive rather than coercive. That is why we are building a system in which sustainable choices are also financially rewarded, just as we do with the Green Artist Touring Allowance.

In addition, specific decision trees have been developed this year for the purchasing of merchandise and site textiles. The merchandise decision tree was developed based on broad knowledge of sustainable purchasing of merchandise and the wishes and choices surrounding ITGWO. This is now also being applied within the Green Deal Circular Festivals (GDCF).

For site textiles, a decision tree was developed in a similar manner, in collaboration with various textile parties, ITGWO, and other expert parties, also for broader application within the GDCF.