Chewstick Releases “Beachfest Green” Report

A waste impact report on Bermuda’s Beachfest Emancipation Celebration has been released, outlining some of the key findings surrounding the environmental challenges and successes of this popular annual event.

“When we officially started Beachfest in 2006, it was as a response to the longstanding Bermuda tradition of going to Horseshoe Bay for Emancipation Day,” said Chewstick Foundation’s Executive Director, Gavin Djata Smith.

“Our goal was to create a unified celebration of this major holiday pastime, adding entertainment, sports and activities, and amenities like concessions, trash cans, porta-loos, and site management to make a vibrant event that would celebrate the local tradition, as well as attract attendees from all over the world and be a great addition to the Cup Match season.”

Chewstick said,  “Beachfest has somewhat become a victim of its success, attracting thousands, who routinely bring an entire picnic campsite and leave behind a lot of debris. No other public event sees attendees bring the level of personal infrastructure that is seen at Beachfest”.

The slideshow below contains almost 100 photos from this year’s BeachFest:

“After several years of managing waste in conjunction with the Department of Parks, this year The Chewstick Foundation sought input and some assistance from local environmental experts. Volunteer Antonia Issa led the group, focused on a plan which included waste management practices, and branded this year’s event as Beachfest Green

“The collaborative effort brought together several organizations, including BEST, the Department of Works and Engineering’s Waste Management Section, Catlin End-to-End, Greenrock and Keep Bermuda Beautiful [KBB] alongside The Chewstick Foundation and the Department of Parks.

“Albeit with several significant challenges along the way, the end result was not only that Horseshoe Bay was ready for public use the following day, but also the formation of a new collaborative body The Green Cooperative. This new initiative evolved out of Beachfest Green with a commitment to focus on raising awareness and best practices for waste management for public events in Bermuda.

“Founding members of The Green Cooperative are BEST, Greenrock, KBB, The Chewstick Foundation, Catlin End-to-End, W&E Waste Management Section and the Department of Parks.”

KBB Executive Director Anne Hyde, acting as spokesperson for The Green Cooperative stated, “We applaud The Chewstick Foundation for their efforts to make environmental improvements to the annual Beachfest Emancipation Day celebrations and are thrilled to assist them in issuing their Beachfest Green 2014 Waste Report.”

Chewstick added that this is the “first time that a report, in consultation with community organisations, has quantified the environmental impact of Bermuda’s celebrants at this annual event and seeks to combat the lack of awareness and personal responsibility that would help lessen the environmental impact of large scale public events such as Beachfest.

“The results of this report can help inform people and assist with key decisions to shift the beliefs that have resulted in increased waste and a lack of personal responsibility across events on the island.

“The Chewstick Foundation urges Government and community stakeholders to take heed of the information in the report, and to lend their voices to eliciting a much needed change in waste management and personal responsibility for events island-wide.”

View the Report at www.beachfestbermuda.com or below [PDF here]

#Beachfest

Category: All, Environment