As we’re all well aware, music festivals bring massive amounts of people and resources together in shared spaces to make the spectacle happen. But that doesn’t mean the spectacle has to be a complete strain or drain on the local and larger environment or the surrounding community.

In admirable fashion, Solshine Reverie, which is scheduled to run this weekend from Thursday through Sunday evening, is leading the charge in promoting and ensuring sustainability efforts surrounding their weekend event. In their own words on their website, Solshine says they are “taking the necessary steps to reduce our carbon footprint, support local Illinois businesses and reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as we can.”

The operation to do as such is both inspirational and immense. For this year’s event, Solshine will be once again partnering with Zero Waste Productions to help manage the festival’s recycling and composting efforts. 

If you are attending Solshine this weekend, one of the most important things to be in the know about with regards to this sustainability effort is the festival’s Waste Station system. We’ve all experienced the images: an emptied out concert area covered in trash, its crowd gone but the throwaways left behind? Well Solshine is making it much easier and more convenient for us all to work against that end. 

As they explain on their website: “‘Waste Station’” signs will guide you to your nearest waste stream receptacles. There you will find three different color coded bins: Blue for Recycling, Green for Compost, and Black for Trash.”

There’s a lot more in the works helping Solshine Reverie’s sustainability efforts, from the entirety of the serviceware from official Solshine vendors being compostable, to having a packed schedule of educational workshops, demonstrations and even musical performances planned throughout the weekend. These latter offerings will take place at the one and only SOULPATCH garden—a headiest of places that you will no doubt pass on your travels around the grounds this weekend.

**One of our favorite of Solshine’s initiatives returning this year is the “Leave No Trace” contest, in which any attending festival patrons can participate! Winners will receive 4 3-day GA passes to next year’s festival event. Find out more info here.**

To keep up with the Solshine’s sustainability momentum in general, you can follow their social media pages here and here. On a more personal level, the festival has provided the following tips about making one’s festival weekend experience as green as it can be.

In-Ground tips:

  • Properly recycle and compost. Read signage to make sure you know what is compostable, recyclable, and what is true trash. 
  • Bring a reusable water bottle. We have water refill stations. Bring your own bottle to help minimize single use plastic waste. 
  • Pick up your waste after the show. Leave the dance floor clean. Pick up after yourself and friends when the show is over. 
  • Don’t litter your cigarette butts. To go above and beyond, participate in the Field Day Game’s ‘Big Butt Challenge.’
  • Volunteer with our team! Sign up through our website to join the Zero Waste team. 

Campground tips:

  • Pack in – Pack out. Make sure to take all of your camping equipment and supplies with you when you leave. 
  • Sort your waste! Use the provided blue recycling bags to collect plastic bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard, and glass. 
  • Stake down your pop ups! To avoid turning a good tent into trash make sure to fully stake or weigh down your pop-up tent.
  • Take full bags to a waste station. Tie off full bags of trash and recycling and bring them to the nearest waste station. 
  • Clean up your campsite before you leave. Every piece of micro trash counts! Please leave your campsite immaculate out of respect for the land, the locals, and all of Earth’s critters and friends.
  • Encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same! Sharing is caring and caring for the earth is cool! Turn your Waste Conscious Campsite into a Waste Conscious Campground!