Litter free river
To keep from trashing down and be able to restore the river, we have taken measures. We have continuous contact with Uppsala municipality to plan how to keep the river clean and discuss what waste options are available for visitors. On the rafts, there can't be anything that does not float, in order to prevent possible littering of the bottom of the river. To prevent the litter from going further into the river, we have bilges to catch it.
Choice of styrofoam and disposables
Since the rafts are built from styrofoam, we prioritize that they are constructed as stable as possible. If the bottom of the raft is still intact after the rafting, we can keep using it in the years to come. To achieve this, we buy styrofoam with higher density, among other things. There is also a small reward for the rafters that build intact rafts. All of this makes sure that we reduce the usage of styrofoam as well as the amount of litter. We also reuse as many paddles as possible.
Reduce the amount of trash during the festival
To reduce the the risk of styrofoam and other rubbish from spreading to other areas, fences with construction fabric enclose the area to catch anything that can easily blow away. Furthermore, the rafters must rasp on their rafts in large containers, so that we can collect and throw away the styrofoam. There are also several recycling stations available across the festival area so that the visitors and the builders can easily recycle their trash. Lastly we have a container for dangerous waste, for example paint, which Uppsala Vatten och Avfall takes care of.
Reduce plastic and disposables
We try to reduce the amount of dishes that require a lot of disposable items. We also encourage visitors to bring their own cutlery and water bottles, to avoid having to use disposable items. The disposables we offer are wooden cutlery, cardboard cups and cardboard plates. We also don´t sell drinks in plastic bottles or hand out flyers or inedible giveaways.
Sustainability
We try to have a long-term mindset in our work, for example by thinking of how we can reuse the material that we buy. We evaluate continuously the products/materials that we use so that we can find the best alternative. Moreover, we try to maintain good contact with companies and associations in order to maintain a continued good cooperation for the future.
The committee also works with making so-called environmental analyses. An environmental analysis is formed by having everyone on the committee evaluate their work and how it affects the environment in a bad way. This is for everyone to think about sustainability and take measures if needed and possible.
We have been reusing rafts for several years. In addition, we avoid ordering new things, instead, we borrow from other committees and rent things. An example of this is the wetsuits, life jackets and helmets that are reused from previous years or rented.
In 2019 the committee expanded with one more person, a person who is extra responsible for the sustainability work.
Do you have any questions about the committees sustainability work?
Contact "Håll":
hall@forsranningen.utn.se
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