We’ve all see the pictures of waste strewn post event sites, mainly from music events where tents, sleeping bags, plastic bottles, food containers, plastic glasses and cutlery and even human ‘waste’ are left for others to clean up.  However, this affects any event where traders and the public meet one another. Post Covid there's been a shake up on this front.

Many organisers have already implemented a greener events policy, from a clamp down on disposables, to waste streaming and recycling introductions. Even Glastonbury have changed its stance on the throw away tent debacle. A UK report issued in February 2025 that 

"The Green Events Code of Practice (GECoP) was developed to establish consistent expectations across the UK for event organisers, licensing authorities, Safety Advisory Groups, local authorities, event suppliers and voluntary certification providers. The first draft version released October 2022, was the result of extensive consultation across the outdoor live events sector, and was developed in alignment with existing frameworks and initiatives – global, national, and sector specific.

The code has been endorsed in principle by LIVE, the trade body for the UK music industry, and is supported by the Local Authority Event Organisers Association (LAEOG). Development of the code has been financially supported by; the Purple Guide Grant Fund (managed by the Events Industry Forum), the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), Festival Republic and Superstruct."

I'm all for event organisers highlighting their pledges to ensure their event is as green as possible, and aplore those win awards such as the Green Festival Award.

The BSI ISO Standard 20121 is an accreditation your event could attain.  Run by the British Standards Institute.