We know it has taken a while but it takes some time to fully evaluate all the elements and effects of this exciting festival. For those of you who take the time to go through it you will see just how comprehensively and how seriously we take the concept:
Play Hard, Tread Lightly
Eco Audit Report for Rocking the Daisies
By Steadfast Greening (Nov 09) 1
Rocking the Daisies Eco Audit
1. Introduction
This reports provides an independent overview of the environmental performance of Rocking the
Daisies, a music and lifestyle festival, held from 9 to 11 October 2009 at the Cloof Wine Estate just
outside of Darling.
Although the event has had a “green” focus since it’s initiation in 2006, this was the first year that an
external eco audit was done. The festival organizers, Complete Events, appointed Steadfast Greening
to do the eco audit to enable them to determine where they can improve and to take stock of their
current actions. Part of their brief was to do a carbon footprint of the event to determine the best
way for offsetting the emissions created. Grace Stead was the team leader and Andy le May, Belinda
Mills, Wiehahn Diederichs, Gwyllion Stead, Tracy Adams and Carla Brandt assisted her.
1.1. Methodology
The main purpose of the eco audit was to get feedback about the actual implementation of the event
from an environmental point of view, as well as to get feedback on the perceived implementation
from festival‐goers. To enable this two pronged approach, the team was split into two groups.
Grace and Gwyllion focused on checking on the actual implementation as was discussed at the
preparation meetings and getting data around actual consumption of resources and waste
production. The rest of the team did interviews with festival‐goers to get their input around how
they experienced the event. Wiehahn also did some additional interviews with some key people
behind the scenes to give some feedback on their experience and their reason for getting their
fingers green.
The report will combine the feedback and some additional statistics are provided at the end of the
report. The report format is based on the green goals of the event for easy reading. Many
photographs were taken throughout the event by the audit team to document the situation and these
are also available.
1.2. Environmental Policy
The motto of the event is “party hard, tread lightly” and this was emphasized in the media leading up
to the event and at the event itself. The intent was there and the implementation supported this very
strongly. The green goals were not clear initially, but this was clarified prior to the event and
published on the internet and festival magazine.
The environmental strategy for Rocking the Daisies included their aim and objectives as outlined
below, as well as the green goals they were trying to achieve.
1.2.1. Aim:
The Rocking the Daisies team aims to host a premier music and lifestyle festival in an
environmentally and social responsible manner under the motto of ‘Play Hard, Tread Lightly’.
1.2.2. Objectives:
The objective of hosting the festival in an eco‐friendly manner is to minimize the negative
environmental impact that the event will have and simultaneously to maximize the positive social
and economic benefits through effective resource management.
1.2.3. Green Goals:
The green goals are reflected through the actions at the festival and we believe that these were met
in a practical way. It is however suggested that a more formal environmental policy is developed for
next year to assist with providing clarity to more role players and be used as an opportunity for
creating awareness.
The green goals are a core part of implementing Rocking the Daisies in an eco‐friendly way:
• Procurement of goods and services should be done in a sustainable manner, including the
use of local products that have a minimal negative effect on the environment.
• The generation of waste should actively be reduced during the planning and implementation
of the event. Provide waste separation at source to encourage recycling and reduce waste to
landfill.
• Use of water at the event should be done in a responsible manner. Participants and subcontractors
should be encouraged to implement water conservation principles.
• Energy efficiency should be encouraged through energy saving technologies, management
systems and responsible behavior. The use of natural light and ventilation should be used
whenever possible, as well as the use of renewable energy such as wind or solar energy.
• Air pollution should be reduced through encouraging non‐motorized transport and efficient
management of all vehicles on‐site.
• The natural environment should be protected to reduce any negative impact on the
biodiversity.
• Economic growth should be promoted within the host region and the organizers should try
to encourage the local community to assist with provision of services required on site.
• Participants should be informed about the greening goals and should be encouraged to
actively participate in achieving these goals with the view of behavior change towards more
sustainable living.
• The implementation of the green goals need to be monitored and evaluated so that lessons
learnt can be captured and improvements made. An open and transparent report should be
made available.
2. Event Feedback
2.1. Procurement
Procurement of goods and services should be done in a sustainable manner, including the use of local
products that have a minimal negative effect on the environment.
The procurement of goods and services is a key aspect in the greening of an event and has an impact
on many other aspects such as economic growth, waste, energy usage and much more. This is
essentially the point at which the battle for greening is won or lost.
2.1.1. Venue
Cloof Wine Estate is a biodiversity champion in the Biodiversity &
Wine Initiative (BWI), contributing to the re‐growth of indigenous
fauna and flora unique to that area. Cloof Wine Estate works very hard
at contributing to this natural environment through protecting rare
and endangered flower species such as the Renosterveld. This is a
highly threatened vegetation type, mostly because the soil on which it
grows is very fertile and therefore these were the first areas in the
region to be ploughed and used for agricultural purposes. The 105ha of
pristine Renosterveld protected at Cloof and Burgherspost is therefore
an important contribution to local and global biodiversity. To ensure
that this was protected, an eco‐officer did and Environmental Impact
Assessment prior to and after the event.
2.1.2. Merchandise
The festival t‐shirts and caps sold on‐site were made from hemp, which was a collaboration effort
between Hemporium and Levi’s®. Festival branded sandals by OceanMinded were made from
recycled material including plastic bottles and although the concept is great, it is a pity that they
were made in China and not manufactured locally.
2.1.3. Electronic Media
Focus was placed on electronic communication (website, facebook, webticket) to reduce the amount
of paper required (www.rockingthedaisies.com). The number of printed flyers was reduced from 20
000 to 10 000 in comparison to previous years. The festival also had a policy of not distributing any
promotional flyers on cars during the event, which is generally common practice at festivals such as
these.
Reusable Webticket cards (www.webtickets.co.za) were produced to eliminate further printing of
tickets as future shows can be loaded onto this card ‐ a first for South Africa. The only other option
was buying your tickets online. Another exciting web based initiative that was launched just before
the event was LiftSplit (www.liftsplit.com) and this assisted 33 people to connect up and share lifts
to and from the event.
2.1.4. Print Media
All posters and flyers for the festival were printed on fully recycled paper (Reviva), while the festival
magazine was printed by Tenfour Media on acid‐free recyclable paper, made from using chlorinefree
wood pulp from sustained forests. The posters that were put up on street poles were all done
on standard wooden backing that can be re‐used,
instead of cardboard that is disposed of after the event.
2.1.5. Bioware
All participating restaurants / food suppliers on‐site
were requested by the festival organizers to serve their
products using 100% biodegradable and fully
compostable packaging and utensils from Greenhome
(www.greenhome.co.za). Unfortunately some of the
suppliers were more diligent than others and only four
(Portabella, Knead, Arnolds and the Campsite Kitchen)
of the restaurants really complied with the
requirements, based on the orders placed with Greenhome and the products found on‐site. Some of
the others procured their cups and serviettes from Greenhome, but this was just on a small scale.
Refer to the waste section for more information on the waste generated.
2.1.6. Soap
The shower blocks were all supplied with 100% biodegradable soaps and shampoos provided by
Hemporium (www.hemporium.co.za). This was well received, but a suggestion was made that
biodegradable products are sold at the entrance to the campsite and the green village to create more
awareness and encourage lifestyle change. It was also found that many of the showers did not have
soap in by the end of the weekend, either because it had all be used, or the
container had been taken away. It was suggested that the availability of soap
be managed to avoid the use of non‐biodegradable soap during the event.
All participating restaurants were given 100% biodegradable detergents
(EarthSap), which they were expected to use at the event. It was however
found that this was not sufficient in quantity or strength for some of the oilbased
utensils that had to be cleaned. Most of the restaurants had run out of
the biodegradable detergents and some other detergents were found on‐site.
It is proposed that additional soap be made available to address the needs to
the restaurants and to explain to them why this is being done.
2.1.7. Ablutions
A total of 174 toilets were provided on‐site for the weekend and the majority of these (128) were
standard chemical toilets provided by Sanitec. In addition to this Sanitec provided 13 units (26
toilets) VIP toilets, which look similar to the Woshbox concept, but no additional information was
available on them. Some of these toilets had to be pumped out and the sewerage had to be disposed
of at a sewerage treatment plant. It was intended that this be done at Malmesbury, but they closed
by midday on Saturday and thus the trucks had to drive all the way to Vissershok to safely dispose of
the sewerage, which had a negative impact on the carbon footprint of the event due to the additional
travelling requirements.
Woshbox provided 10 units (20 toilets) on‐site at an
additional cost for the festival‐goers. These toilets are
based on an eco friendly modular design with LED
lights running on solar power. They use no
formaldehyde and the fact that they have a venturi
system the chemicals requirement are in line with the
sewerage treated. No external pumping was required
for the duration of the event, which also saved on
carbon emissions related to transport costs. They
claim that it saves 5000 liters for every 1000 flushes.
2.1.8. Energy
With an event of this nature it is inevitable that
generators are needed on‐site, however in this
case the generators were powered by bio‐diesel,
produced from used cooking oil. In addition to
this renewable energy was purchased with
renewable energy certificates from the
Umzimkulu Mill bio‐energy generator and
provided via the Eskom grid in terms of an
estimate done prior to the event. The Lemon Tree
Theatre only uses LED lighting. More details
given below under the section dealing with
energy.
2.1.9. Auditing and evaluation
The event organizers appointed specialists to do an Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) prior to and after the event to ensure that
the natural environment was not degraded in any way. An eco officer
was on‐site for the duration of the event. In addition to this the Eco
Audit team did an audit during the event to check on the actual status
of the implementation of various greening initiatives.
2.1.10. General
Outdoor direction signs at the event were made from untreated scrap
wood that was sustainably harvested. The event organizers focused
on the procurement of durable and re‐usable goods to reduce
wastage such as re‐using shade netting from last year. Some of the
restaurants did not sell any meat products to encourage people to eat
less meat and the Campsite Kitchen even gave away free fruit.
2.2. Waste Management
The generation of waste should actively be reduced during the planning and implementation of the
event. Provide waste separation at source to encourage recycling and reduce waste to landfill.
The waste generated at an event often has the most visible impact when hosting a green event,
especially when separation at source is encouraged. It was initially intended to have a three‐bin
process in place for separation at source (recyclables, non‐recyclables and organic waste), with
additional sorting back of house.
The disposal and treatment of waste can produce emission of several greenhouse gases (GHGs),
which contribute to global climate change. The most significant GHG produced from waste is
methane. It is released during the breakdown of organic matter in landfills. Other forms of waste
disposal also produce GHGs but these are mainly in the form of carbon dioxide (a less powerful
GHG). Even the recycling of waste produces some emission (although these are offset by the
reduction in fossil fuels that would be required to obtain new raw materials). Waste prevention and
recycling help address global climate change by decreasing the amount of GHG emissions and saving
energy. (Environmental Protection Agency).
2.2.1. Reduction of waste
The first aim was to reduce the amount of waste created during the
event and this was done through conscious procurement
requirements such as biodegradable cups and plates at the
restaurants and that no water bottles were sold on site. General
festival management included aspects such as no distribution of
flyers onto cars (although some flyers were distributed without
permission). The hay bales that were used during the event for
seating were taken back by the farmer and used for cattle feed after
the event.
2.2.2. Bin labeling and placement
Unfortunately the bin labeling and placement was not done optimally, which led to confusion and
contamination of waste. During the interviews this was the biggest concern from festival‐goers as
many people felt that they wanted to “do the right thing”, but they were unsure which bins to use.
The first main aspect that needs to be kept in mind for next year is the clear labeling of the bins for
the duration of the event; this requires clear labeling of the bins in such a way that people know
what bins to use and that this is visible and practical even when bins are rotated. The second aspect
that needs to be addressed next year is the placement of the bins, because it is important to always
clump a set of bins together at a recycling station and not have bins on their own.
A few people commented that there were more bins last year and if
possible additional bins should be provided next year. In an
interview with the farm manager he mentioned that he was very
impressed with the waste management compared to previous
years, but would also recommend that there should be more bins
and that they should be better labeled.
2.2.3. Recycling
We are pleased to confirm that although the separation of source
was not very well managed during the event, the back of house
separation and recycling was very well done. All the waste that
was received was sorted on‐site. Glass, tin cans, cardboard and
plastic was separated from waste going to landfill, which mostly
included contaminated waste. Clean organic waste was kept one
side and made into compost.
The surface
of the
recycling area was however not appropriate
as it was gravel stones which could not be
cleaned easily. It is proposed that a flat
surface area that could be swept be provided
in the future; with suitable wastewater
drainage systems as is a standard requirement
with refuse collection stations. It is also
recommended that additional shade cloth be
erected to avoid the wind blowing waste
away.
The following parties helped make the recycling a reality:
Vernon, Joseph and their Team
They were responsible for the main arena, restaurants, kids
and main recycling area. They had a team of 43 people plus a
bakkie and trailer to move bins around. Their roaming team
moved between the festival goers and also coordinated the
bins. They wore t‐shirts from Give‐it‐Bag and the ladies wore
a decorative “skirt” made from scrap pieces of t‐shirt
material. They wore hats that they made themselves from tin
cans during a preparation workshop. During this workshop
they were also encouraged to decorate the bakkie with plastic
bottle tops so that it would be colorful.
This team also interacted with Heather around the ten
restaurants and 30 traders to ensure that the back of house
recycling was collected (glass, tin cans, plastic,organic, non
recyclable, cardboard). They also worked with Foena around
the four bar areas that recycled glass, tin cans, plastic behind
counter, as well as non recyclable, cardboard back of house
and needed additional back‐up storage for glass, tins, cans and plastic.
An important aspect in the success of this team was that Joseph selected the team members and
made sure that they were all reliable. Previous years local farm workers were used to do this, but
apparently they started drinking early in the day and were not effective. This team must however be
complimented for their good behavior and continuous effort to clean up around loud festival‐goers
throughout the day and night.
Warren and the No Standing Team
They were responsible for the campsites, car parks and around the dam. They had a team of 16
people and one vehicle (combi and
trailer). They also provided
assistance to the Campsite Café
and Kreef hotel. Noel from the
Campsite Café took all the organic
waste for inclusion into his worm
farm so that it could be composted
instead of going to landfill.
The Combi was not very practical
for waste collection, as it had to be
used for transporting waste when
the trailer was full. It is
recommended that a bakkie rather
be used next time and if possible
that the bakkie runs on bio‐diesel.
WasteMan
The waste removal was done by WasteMan who supplied three skips (10m2 each) and 170 bins (240
liters) with yellow and green lids. They confirmed that the following recyclables / waste was
removed at the end of the event:
Waste generated at event
Glass 11,32 tons 57%
Metal / tin cans 3,28 tons 16%
Plastic 2,57 tons 13%
Cardboard 1,2 tons 6%
General Waste 1,62 tons 8%
TOTAL 19,99 tons
In comparison to last year1 the total amount of waste and the amount of waste recycled is very
similar. It is however interesting that both glass, plastic and cardboard is a bit higher, while the
amount of tin cans is a lot lower. The plastic that was recycled was separated as Polyethylene
Terepthalate (PET = 0,67t), high Density Polyethylene (HDPE = 0,84t) and Low Density Polyethylene
(LDPE = 1,06t), which reflect the policy of no bottled water sold at the festival.
2.2.4. Refuse bags
Each festivalgoer received a set of plastic bags made from 100% recycled material (Tuffy) and there
was an insert saying that the green bag was for recyclables and the black bag for refuse. Although
this was a great idea that supported the concept of waste separation at source, it was not as practical
1 Waste removed during 2008 RTD Festival: 20 tons (150 cubic meters) of waste was collected; of which 19.32 tons was
recycled and 0,68 tons went to landfill. The recyclables included 8.7 tons of glass; 9 tons of metal; 1.2 tons of plastic and
420 kg cardboard.
to implement. Many empty or unused bags were found at the end of the event and fewer bags could
have been distributed (one per tent) or provided as required from a central point in the campsite.
2.2.5. Goody Bags
The goody bags handed out at the entrance were
made from brown paper bags (biodegradable and
recyclable) and the contents were generally
limited to the festival magazine, refuse bags from
recycled material (in a plastic bag with
advertising for Tuffy the sponsor on a slightly
glossy paper), Levi’s condoms (in recyclable card
packaging) and McNabs Energy Tablets (in a nonrecyclable
foil sachet). Some of the festival‐goers
also received give away’s such as a plastic water
gun made in China which was not in line with the
spirit of the event. The idea of the goody bags was
to add value to the festival‐goers, but this should
be weighed up against the actual impact and the
possible related effects such as waste generated.
2.2.6. Cups
There was a big discussion around the use of recyclable versus PLA (compostable) cups because all
the drinks in glass had to be decanted from glass. Due to the additional cost implication it was
decided to go for normal plastic cups that can be recycled. It was considered having a deposit on the
cups, but this was not implemented. The bar
managers felt it was not practical to have a
deposit system as it is not easy to manage the
quantities and rate required for large bar areas.
They also did not have the ability to wash the
cups on‐site and felt it was not worth their while
to recycle the cups for future use. It would be
great if a deposit system could be implemented at
future events, but the logistical implications
would have to well managed, to avoid chaos. It is
very important that this is prepared well in
advance with the input from the bar managers.
2.2.7. Banners
Larger banners were made for promoting the event that was put up at different areas around the city
such as at Rafiki’s. Large banner maps were also made for the event to help people get around and
to inform them about the greening initiatives. These banners were all kept and will be made into
useful products for next year, such as bags or furniture.
2.2.8. Food Containers
Although all the restaurants were requested to only use
biodegradable products (Greenhome) on site the
following was found:
Butlers Pizza provided their pizza’s in
cardboard boxes and although it is indicated on
the box that it is recyclable, it can’t actually be
recycled if it is contaminated. It was felt that
boxes were not really needed because most of
the people ate their pizzas immediately and Greenhome plates could have been used. The
used cardboard took up a lot of space in the recycling depot and could have been avoided.
Hudson’s Burgers said during an interview
that they had not been informed about the
Greenhome requirements and provided
white cardboard boxes with a thin
lamination. There is in our opinion no
reason why Greenhome products would not
have worked as well as the cardboard boxes
provided.
Tong Lok brought polystyrene containers
for their pasta, but when concerns were
raised around this they arranged to have
aluminum containers brought in. Their sushi
was however provided in plastic containers
and although it is indicated as being recyclable, it did not have a poly‐logo.
Seattle Coffee came on as a sponsor and was not requested to use biodegradable products
as they “slipped through the cracks”. They used standard paper coffee cups with a plastic
coating.
Other: In addition to this there was also polystyrene and other packaging material of which
the source is unknown.
It is recommended that stricter guidelines be implemented in the future to ensure that suppliers are
fully aware of what is expected from them, and why. It is important that the type of and
requirements for the food containers be considered.
2.3. Water Conservation
Use of water at the event should be done in a responsible manner. Participants and subcontractors
should be encouraged to implement water conservation principles.
2.3.1. Water Consumed
The farmer confirmed that the water used
at the event came out of the local dam and
made no difference to the overall water
requirements on the farm. The only
additional water was the 50 000 litres that
was required for the showers due to the
showers not being managed appropriately.
2.3.2. Dam
Many of the festival‐goers had a swim in the
dam and this was very well received due to
the warm weather. Lifeguards were on
duty in case of emergency and the dam was cleaned up after the event.
2.3.3. Bottled Water
A specific decision was made that no bottled water be sold at the festival due to the fact that bottled
water has a huge environmental impact2. As an alternative branded reusable sports water bottles
2 Although statistics differ, Pablo Päster at Triple Pundit finds 1 liter Bottled Water uses 26 Liters Water, 1 Kg Fossil Fuel
and 1 Pound CO2 in the manufacturing and transportation. Triple Pundit is one of the world’s most well read websites on
the subject of responsible business with over 100000 unique readers a month.
were sold at R40 each and festival‐goers could refill their bottles with tap water purified on‐site or at
the normal water tap points. Although this was generally well received, many people commented
that there should have been more water points throughout the venue and felt that the bottles were
too expensive. Some people that did not buy bottles complained that they were not allowed to re‐fill
their bottles with the purified water. The bottles did not have a poly‐logo on, which makes it difficult
to recycle afterwards.
It is proposed that for next year the bottles should have a poly‐logo on, that the taps should be better
marked as drinking water, that there should be more filtered water points and that the bottles
should be sold at a cheaper rate.
2.3.4. Grey Water at Restaurants
Last year the grey water from the restaurants caused some problems, but this year it was all under
control with all their wastewater collected into two 1000 liter IBC containers and disposed of
responsibly after the event.
2.3.5. Grey Water at Showers
The shower water also caused some concern last year, but this year it was better managed. The
showers were piped into temporary pipelines, which went into the storm water drains on site as the
grey water will not have a negative impact on the
environment. Hemporium supplied 100%
biodegradable soaps and shampoos in all
showers blocks.
2.3.6. Runoff Water at Taps
There was a bit of a concern around the run‐off
water from taps used by the general public and
specifically in the campsite. The water was not
very well managed and ended up being a bit of a
muddy mess. Although this would not have a
negative effect on the environment, it could be
managed better in the future.
2.4. Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency should be encouraged through energy saving technologies, management systems and
responsible behavior. The use of natural light and ventilation should be used whenever possible, as well
as the use of renewable energy such as wind or solar energy.
2.4.1. Biodiesel Generators
The event organizers arranged a total of seven large generators on site for the effective management
of the event, with two back‐up generators at the concert areas. All nine of these generators ran on
bio‐diesel.
The Biodiesel Centre has developed many techniques for converting waste vegetable oils, crude high
fatty acid oils, lard & various animal fats into high grade Biodiesel. It is a diesel fuel substitute
produced from renewable sources such as vegetable oils, animal fats, and recycled cooking oils. It
can be used in neat form, or blended with petroleum diesel for use in diesel engines.
Biodiesel is biodegradable, non‐toxic and reduces emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) by
approximately 50% and carbon dioxide by 78% on a net lifecycle basis because the carbon in
biodiesel emissions is recycled from carbon that was already in the atmosphere, rather than being
new carbon from petroleum that was sequestered in the earth’s crust. (Sheehan, 1998)
In addition to this one very large generator (150
KVA) was on‐site as a back‐up, which was
unfortunately needed on Sunday due a power
outage scheduled for routine maintenance in the
area. This generator used a total of 120 litres of
normal diesel.
2.4.2. Electricity
A total of 6338kWh electricity was provided by the
farmer (Eskom) for the duration of the event,
during which time normal farming activities were
stopped. One mega watt‐hour (MWh) renewable energy was purchased with renewable energy
certificates (REC) from the GreenX Umzimkulu Mill bio‐energy generator and provided via the
Eskom grid in terms of an estimate done prior to the event. Additional RECs will be purchased to
cover the shortfall.
The LED lights in the Greenhouse were run from
renewable energy generated from wind turbines.
Two stationary bicycles were connected to LED
lights so that when people peddled the bicycles the
lights would light up. This gave people a hands‐on
experience about the effort that goes into the
generation of (kinetic) energy. Some of the toilets
and showers had LED lights that were powered by
built in PV solar panels.
2.4.3. Lighting
The Lemon Tree Theatre used only energy efficient lights, with the majority of the lights being LEDs.
Some of the trading stalls also used LED, while others mostly used energy efficient compact
fluorescent lights. On the first evening it was noted that some of the traders were using
incandescent lights and it was brought under their attention that energy efficient lights would be
better; by the second evening most had managed to change their lights to CFLs.
Unfortunately the lights in restaurants and bar area were all incandescent lights as these were
provided by the stand builders and could not easily be replaced. There was a concern raised around
the use of CFLs due to their mercury content and the fact that they are expensive and tend to get
stolen at events such as these. It is recommended that energy efficient lighting be considered for
next year in the general usage areas however,
it is understood that the stage lights have
special requirements.
2.4.4. Other
Over and above the electricity (Eskom),
generators (biodiesel and diesel) and
renewable energy (wind and solar) used on
site; a total of 357 litres of petrol was
purchased from the farmer for general usage
during the event.
2.5. Air pollution
Air pollution should be reduced through encouraging nonmotorized
transport and efficient
management of all vehicles to and from the event.
2.5.1. Shuttle Bus
It was the first year that shuttle busses were provided from five locations around Cape Town to and
from the festival to reduce the number of vehicles needing to drive to the festival. Apparently only 29
people took the bus that was arranged by Cape Xtreme. Although it was advertised, it was not very
well received and many people were not aware of it. It could have been perceived to be a bit too
expensive and many people like the convenience of flexibility. Initially five pick up points were
planned, but in the end only two pick‐up points were implemented (Newlands and Rafiki’s on Long
Street).
2.5.2. LiftSplit (www.liftsplit.co.za)
An online portal for car‐pooling was launched three
days before the event for getting to and from the
festival to reduce single occupancy vehicles and to
encourage car sharing. Many people commented that
this would be a good idea, but was not aware of it. It is
however something that should be encouraged in the
future and arranged in advance.
2.5.3. Walking the Daisies
A total of twenty‐four people walked to the festival as
an awareness campaign and to highlight the Cape’s
natural Fauna and Flora. It took them two days to walk up and they slept over in Silverstroom and
they got their entrance tickets for free. Food and snacks were sponsored by Fruit and Veg City.
Hemporium sponsored hemp caps and socks, while OceanMinded sponsored sandals. A support
vehicle accompanied them on their trip up and they returned with friends or the Cape Xtreme
Shuttle.
2.5.4. Cycle the Daisies
A total of seventy‐eight participants cycled to the event to promote cycling as an eco friendly and
healthy activity. These participants received their entrance tickets at half price and Loaded
sponsored their t‐shirts. A total of 104 cyclists registered, but only 78 actually rode and it took them
between 3 and 6 hours to get there. Four people cycled home after the event, while the others got
lifts back with friends or the Cape Xtreme Shuttle. The cyclists that were interviewed indicated that
they did it because they enjoy cycling, because
of the environmental impact, because it was fun
and because they got their tickets for half‐price.
2.5.5. Flights
A total of 34 artists were flown in to
participate in the event and two meetings
were held up in Johannesburg in
preparation for the event. This will be offset
through the planting of trees with Food
and Trees for Africa as outlined in section
four of this report.
2.6. Biodiversity
The natural environment should be protected to reduce any negative impact on the biodiversity.
Cape Lowlands Environmental Services (“CLES”) were appointed by Rocking the Daisies as the
independent biodiversity assessment specialist for this project to ensure that the natural
environment was not degraded in any way. Their findings were summarized as follows:
The proposed site is suitable for the activity as the site has low conservation value.
The report finds that the activity did not impact negatively on any listed fauna or flora species.
No significant breeding, roosting or habitat on the site has been impacted upon.
The waste removal and recycling
system was effective during and
after the festival.
The demarcated wetland area was
not impacted upon.
There were no visible signs of
sewage or wastewater pollution at
ablution and or restaurant facilities.
Mr. Peter Duckitt (Estate Manager)
advised during the site visit on 14
October 2009 that there were no
complaints concerning the
environmental aspects and impacts
of the festival on Cloof Wine Estate.
CLES is of the opinion, and based on the survey and study done, that the activity did not impact
significantly on the biodiversity of the area.
2.7. Social and Economic Development
Social and Economic development should be promoted within the host region and the organizers should
try to encourage the local community to assist with provision of services required on site.
2.7.1. Social Development:
Since its initiation Rocking the Daisies has had a strong social
responsibility which has grown over the years. This year a total of
5000 pairs of used jeans were collected from the public through the
“Get rid of your jeans for good” coordinated by Levi’s. These denims
will be distributed to disadvantaged communities in Darling and
Alexandra (Johannesburg).
During last year a total of 250 trees were planted in Koringberg in
association with Food and Trees for Africa. This year trees will be
planted in the Darling community once again in association with
Food and Trees for Africa to offset the carbon emissions created due
to the festival.
2.7.2. Economic Development:
Rocking the Daisies approached the Malmesbury Lion’s Club to assist with the management of the
parking requirements during the event. Learners from the local school were also roped in to assist
festival‐goers with taking their luggage between their cars and tents for tips. The learners indicated
that they enjoyed doing it and the money that they received was spilt between their school and the
learners that did the work.
The Kreef Hotel also has a principle of getting at least half of their casual staff from the local
community. Prior to the event they visited the community to get to know some of the locals through
whom they could make arrangements for casual staff. They have a practice of always buying a gift
for the local community such as a guitar. A
proposal was made to do some additional
environmental training with the casual staff so
that they can take this back to their
communities and this should be followed up
on next year.
In an interview with the farm manager he
mentioned that they generally sell only about
50% more wine compared to a normal
weekend on the farm. What they did however
find was that their wine sales in Cape Town
increased since Rocking the Daisies moved to
Cloof Wine Estate.
Although the event organizers promote the purchase of local economic growth through purchasing
products made in South Africa, they have no dedicated procurement policy and this could be
formalized. Most of the building material is purchased in Cape Town due to having preferred
suppliers with agreed terms of payment.
2.8. Inform Participants
Participants should be informed about the greening goals and should be encouraged to actively
participate in achieving these goals with the view of behavior change towards more sustainable living.
The event coordinators went to a lot of trouble to inform the participants about the fact that this was
hosted as a green event. Information was provided on the website and festival magazine about the
greening initiatives to encourage active participation. Large banners were made with the Festival
Green Map to showcase the green initiatives to the festival‐goers at the event.
The Daisies Greenhouse was dedicated to informing festival‐goers about environmental and social
initiatives. It included a conscious cinema, information stands for WWF and Food and Trees for
Africa and the Hemporium shop.
PARK(ing) Day is a one‐day, global event where artists, activists and citizens collaborate to
temporarily transform metered parking bays into park areas on 18 September. It started in 2005 as
a temporary art project to raise awareness about the lack of green spaces in San Francisco’s
downtown. It’s based on the idea that feeding a parking meter is like “renting” a space. But instead of
parking a car, why not park something better! Every September, people around the world are now
transforming ‘car parks’ to ‘people parks’. These PARKs are fun and visual symbols of communities
wanting to improve urban quality.
The event organizers of Rocking the Daisies
participated in this event by converting a parking bay
in front of their office on Long Street into a park. This
highlighted the importance of:
Calling attention to the importance of urban
public spaces
Rethinking the way we use our streets
Creating diverse conversations about how we
make sustainable cities
Volunteers from UCT known as the “Green Police”
attended the festival to assist with raising awareness
around the greening of the event. A suggestion was
made to take festival‐goers on tours to showcase the greening initiatives “behind the scenes”.
2.9. Monitoring and Evaluation
The implementation of the green goals need to be monitored and evaluated so that lessons learnt can
be captured and improvements made. An open and transparent report should be made available.
Besides the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which focused on the monitoring of the
biodiversity, the event organizers also appointed an Eco Audit team to specifically monitor and
evaluate the greening aspects of the event. The Eco Audit team did an audit during the event to check
on the actual status of the implementation of various greening initiatives and also held interviews
with festival‐goers.
During the festival some of the eco audit team
members did interviews with the participants
about how they perceived the importance of the
environmental initiatives and their feedback is
indicated in section three of this report.
3. Feedback on Interviews
Interviews were conducted with approximately 50 people during the festival to ascertain their
sensitivity, awareness and actions in relation to green issues and the festival organizers greening
initiatives. Not all questions were asked off all respondents because of the time it would take.
3.1. The survey
The questions for the survey were broken down into 9 main areas. These were:
• Travel
• Recycling
• Bio‐degradable products
• Energy
• Education
• Social initiatives
• Water
• Biodiversity
• Festival
In each area we tried to establish the respondents sensitivity to the issue, aside from the festival,
then their understanding of what was happening at the festival and, where relevant, their own
opinion of how much of a difference they thought they were making. The respondents were asked to
rate their response on a scale of 1‐5 where 1 was low and 5 was high. They were also asked if they
had any other comments to make.
3.2. Result summary
The main highlights of the results are as follows:
• Sensitivity to green issues was high.
• Knowledge of what was being done at the festival was low. Very few people knew little or
anything about the measures being taken. Most had not taken the time to read the
information in the booklet or on the web site
• Everyone agreed with not selling bottled water but found the water bottle price high and felt
that they should be able to refill their other bottles too.
For the detail on the average scores to all the questions please see Appendix 1.
Main comments:
• Lack of signage on the bins. This was a very common comment. Very few people were able
to tell which bins were for what rubbish or even knew that recycling was happening.
• Better solution for cigarette butts required
For a complete list of the comments please see Appendix 1
3.3. Recommendations
• Use the main stage for more announcements of green issues and information
• Use green team to educate folks around the event. Bins, water points etc.
• More signage especially on the bins.
• More education as to green initiatives.
4. Carbon Footprint
The calculation of the carbon footprint for the event included the energy usage, print media and
transport for the preparation and implementation of the event. A total of 10256 people attended the
event over a period of three days (Fri to Sunday)
with an estimated total of 277 ton CO2eq.
The estimated carbon dioxide equivalents can be
summarized as follows:
Total Carbon Dioxide Equivalent
Energy 11 013 kg CO2eq
Print Media 1021 kg CO2eq
Transport 265 054 kg CO2eq
TOTAL 277 ton CO2eq
4.1. Energy
The energy consumption was based on the following inputs:
Electricity provided by Eskom during the event;
Electricity provided by Eskom to the event coordinators offices prior to the event;
Petrol, diesel and bio‐diesel used during the event.
Description Quantity CO2eq Comment
Electricity 6338 kWh 6274,6 kg Measured by farmer for duration of event
Electricity 990 kWh 980,1 kg Estimated for office during preparation
Petrol 357 liters 832,1 kg Provided by farmer during event
Diesel 120 liters 320,3 kg Provided by farmer for red farm generator
Biodiesel 1630 liters 2606,4 kg Provided by Biodiesel Centre (B50 Blend)
Total carbon equivalent in kg 11 013,5 kg CO2eq
Total carbon equivalent in ton 11 ton CO2eq
Total number of RECs 11 RECs
Equivalent in trees 8 trees
It is calculated that a total of
eleven ton of carbon dioxide
equivalent (CO2eq) was created
through the use of the energy as
outlined above. This has been
offset through the procurement of
eleven renewable energy
certificates (RECs), which provides
11 MWh of renewable energy onto
the grid.
4.2. Print media and transport
The print media considered all the paper required for the print media (festival posters, flyers and
magazine) as well as the paper needed in the office, which translated into a total of 547 kg of paper
and 1021kg of CO2eq according to the Food and Trees for Africa Carbon Calculator. This will be
offset through planting 28 trees.
The transport included an estimate of the
number of cars, busses, trucks and flights
directly related to the preparation and
implementation of the event, including
performers, suppliers, crew and festivalgoers.
The estimated carbon equivalent
for the transport is 265 ton, which will be
offset through planting 193 trees.
4.3. Offset of carbon emissions
The total carbon dioxide equivalent is estimated at 277 ton CO2eq, which is offset through planting
222 trees in partnership with Food and Trees for Africa, and purchasing 11MWh of renewable
energy from GreenX Energy.
5. Other Feedback
The following additional feedback was received from the Eco Audit Team members:
5.1. The Rocking behind the Daisies; Wiehahn Diederichs
Yes, indeed the daisies have been rocked! Darling’s Green Festival, Rocking the Daisies was an
absolute success in my eyes. It presented a strong presence of unity between mankind and nature,
true passion for the well being of our Mother Earth and the determination and commitment to
uphold the reason the festival was created in the first place. It was my first year visiting Rocking the
Daisies and my experience was nothing short of mind‐blowing.
The motto ‘Play Hard, Tread Lightly’ was brilliantly out in motion. A round of applause is owed to
the public for they took the green aspects of this festival seriously. Many shared rides, minimizing air
pollution, and many took to walking or riding bicycles. So the event went on with everyone doing his
or her part. The waste management was done awesomely. The waste was separated into their
categories and every second bin had large ashtrays for all the smokers.
A bicycle on a stand was stationed near the food court area where you could exercise while you
generated environmentally friendly electricity for the event. A wind turbine also pierced the sky,
catching the high blowing winds and almost taking off as it produced massive amounts of natural
energy. Of course solar power was integrated very well too. And those who thought they could get
away with ecological surliness; they were well monitored by the Eco Audit team.
I was so impressed by this event mainly because people came to create and not to destroy. But I
think it’s important to get to know the people that contribute to this festival and their input into this
breathtaking event. This is a ‘behind‐the‐scene’ look at Rocking the Daisies 2009.
Say hi to Levi’s
Levi’s played a big part in Rocking the
Daisies as they were one of the event’s
biggest sponsors from the start. This is
also the only green event they have
sponsored. Among the festivities Levi had
a stand and there I talked to Curt Marshall
on behalf of Levi’s.
The Levi’s shack was built entirely out of
recycled materials including oriented
scrap boards for the walls and wooden
crates for the floor. It took 4‐5 people to
build it in a week. Interesting objects to be
seen in and outside the shack was a desk
made out of old school lockers and a bath
converted into a funky bench, designed by Aiden Bennets.
Curt told me about a jean exchange system they had put in place as their respect for the event’s
purpose. You could bring any pair of old jeans, regardless of brand and you would receive a voucher.
With this voucher you can get discount on any purchase made at a Levi’s store until the end of
November. The collected jeans will then go to various charities within South Africa. Loop cards could
be purchased exclusively at Rocking the Daisies with which you became part of a Levi’s SMS service
which informs you about sales and discounts; you get discount on your birthday; with every
purchase you get points on your loyalty card and it notifies you of future events. One of Levi’s
upcoming events is a HIV charity event.
I asked Curt about his personal perception of Rocking the Daisies and he answered: “Gee wiz,
Rocking the Daisies is a real eye opener. The event is growing and I really think it’s working as a
green event.”
Vernon and Joseph – recycling our waste
This year was the first time Vernon Pendlebary attended Rocking the Daisies where he acted as the
overseer of the waste management. Although he admits he isn’t a ‘waste man’, he says: “My love for
Mother Earth is greater than my dislike for waste.” His love for nature was inspired by his father
who he regularly spent time with in the outdoors. “Nature was and still is my biggest teacher” he
says. He also adds that he doesn’t have to do this because waste doesn’t have to exist. Read these
words carefully: WASTE DOESN’T HAVE TO EXIST.
So Vernon took the job knowing that last year the Cloof Wine Estate owner, Peter Cloof, had the
problem of ankle deep waste occupying his beautiful farm. Although this year was more successful,
waste still filled one 30t container, 170 wheelie bins a number of times and three 10t skips in a
single weekend. The good thing is however that most of this waste was sorted out on‐site with cans,
glass, tins, cardboard and organic waste being recycled.
But Vernon isn’t always spending his time among the waste of our world. At festivals such as Vortex,
Origin and Earthdance he hosts Peace Camps. These camps consist of drum circles and focuses on
healing through meditation and ceremonies such as the Vedic Agnihotra. At Earthdance he also held
a Saturday carnival parade with drummers, clowns, stilt walkers, clowns and costumed performers.
“I do things because of my passion for people and the environment and not for the money.” Vernon
says.
Joseph Dlamini works with Vernon and he managed the waste separation at Rocking the Daisies. He
explained to me that the waste he handled is divided into the categories of cans, plastic, glass,
organic and cardboard. He has been working with
waste since last December. But his story doesn’t
start there. He had done merchandising for a large
company in Johannesburg but due to financial cutbacks
he lost his job. He came to Cape Town and
had many difficulties finding work, but being a
devoted Christian, he prayed each day for a job and
went to church each Sunday. The church realized
that within Joseph there was a very special man.
After much praying, he one day received a call from
the Church offering him a job to paint the Church
walls and so began his life in the Western Cape.
Even though it might seem that his problems were disappearing, Joseph has many things to keep his
mind on. He has four kids to look after, their ages ranging from 7 to 21. He lives in Houtbay and says
that in his life, where each day’s earnings is a blessing, he still, at least, doesn’t work for 14 days a
month. He is a man of many talents, as I realized, after him telling me he is also an artist in water
painting and enamel. “My jobs change as much as Cape Town weather” he says. He has experience in
painting (walls and artworks), waste management and plant transplanting. He knows he struggles
but he says he would rather “struggle than go to jail.”
He asked me to add that the team he worked with at Rocking the Daisies 2009 was absolutely
awesome seeing that at previous festivals, a team not chosen by himself, was only interested in
drinking the leftover beer in the cans and by eleven o’clock in the morning couldn’t work anymore
because of intoxication. After hearing this I knew that Joseph was also a very good judge of character.
Everyone I talked to about Joseph confirmed that I was right. So if you are ever looking for an
extremely hard and committed worker, call Joseph Dlamini at 073 165 2514. You won’t be
disappointed!
The Wonder of the Campsite Kitchen
Noel Marten ran the Campsite Kitchen for the second year in a row, which operated in the camping
area 24 hours a day. After eating quite a few butternut soups and enjoying many coffees I can tell you
their food and drinks were absolutely mouth‐watering. But it’s what went on behind the counter that
really interested me. His contribution to Rocking the Daisies and ultimately the environment was
taking the organic waste and turning it
into compost, preventing the waste from
releasing harmful methane gasses into the
air. He practices the same process at home
where he grows his own vegetables and
says he has been doing it for years. “My
father and his father and his father before
that were all gardeners.”
He and his partner Natalie also started a
company called Earth Shine that is run
from the comfort of their home. The
purpose of this company is to provide
training and assistance for those who
wish to transition to a lifestyle which is
both healthy to you and the environment. They take in about fifteen people at a time. Their teachings
include permaculture, raw food preparation classes and consultation on starting a food garden. If
you wish to know more visit Earth Shine on Facebook. He’s also working on an “integrated eco food
system” at his Pinelands home. He says it’s still a work in progress but it incorporates growing
vegetables, medicinal plants, home
composting, gray water management and
worm farming. All of the organic waste
gathered at the event also went into this
system, especially the worm farm.
I asked Noel what the main reason was for
living a healthy lifestyle and he told me that
“healthy food is one of the keys to awaken
your consciousness. The fresher, the better. It
provides you with a relaxed mind, clarity and
helps one to focus.” Noel asked me to add that
he thinks the biggest improvement at Rocking
the Daisies was a new staff member called
Ofir. He wishes to thank him for “seeding many elements of the Euro green scene in South Africa.”
He’s reaction towards the festival seemed very positive. “There is a huge difference between last
year and this year. The public are reacting a lot more to the goals of the green event. I take my hat of
to Brian and Craig (the event organizers), because it now has a more natural environment and it’s a
lot more organized.”
My bru, it’s May Bru
Sadly I couldn’t meet Robin Fletcher Evans in person but Tim Stark from Ocean Minded was kind
enough to speak on his behalf. Robin is a surfboard shaper that works and lives in Jeffrey’s Bay. But
what separates him from many board shapers in the world is the fact that he still makes wooden
surfboards, called Alaia boards.
It’s a solid piece of wood and it has no fins. Tim Stark is a surfer himself and feels that these “boards
ride better and are more reliable.” These boards are known to be “super fast” and best of all they are
eco‐friendly, unlike modern conventional surfboards. In my opinion Alaia boards just look cooler
too. They take about half an hour to shape and are then covered in Linseed oil and left over night to
dry.
It’s a dying art seeing that time is money and these boards are shaped by hand and aren’t produced
in mass quantities. I think it’s pretty lame that surfers would support the conventional surfboard
industry that could one day destroy the very oceans the riders surf on.
A new board made by Evans, called Sarah Jayne (interesting story about that and can be found on the
web at www.thebombsurf.com), can be won. Whenever you spot somebody with the Sarah Jayne
board, take a picture and the best picture wins the competition with the proceeds going to the Shark
Spotters. More details can also be found on the above mentioned website.
Cooking for the Crew
Nkululeko Dyantyi was the cook for the staff and crew of Rocking the Daisies. This was his first year
at the festival and he feels it is very well organized. “I’m glad to see people are becoming aware of the
threats that waste poses towards our planet.”
Nkululeko lives in Greyton and his life revolves around
working with the earth. “Work is my therapy, my way of
meditating. It is my form of medicine. Working with a
positive mind cleanses you and creates a positive
environment around you.” His house is made out of mud
and various natural materials. His electricity comes entirely
from solar power, which feeds his lights and music
entertainment system.
He grows his own vegetables such as lettuce, green rock
heads and kale. He propagates bushes and collects plants
because he “loves diversity.” He also makes his own
compost and pesticide and feeds his ground with ash he
gets from the fires that keep him warm at night. His loving
and caring nature has produced 30 cm long beans and it all
comes from working with a positive mind he says. Nearly
everything Nkululeko has he receives from the earth
without spending a cent. He is proof that money is not
needed to survive. He ends off by saying: “Live naturally
and work creatively and you will never be sad.”
5.2. Belinda Mills
5.2.1. Greening: Public Comments
Dustbin sign posting & waste recycling (I think we’ve covered that one!!), in short: people
wanted to do the right thing, but were confused by signage/ lack of, as well as the different
types of packaging (what can/can’t).
Blog (on the official website) – specifically for green issues – where people can discuss /
comment / ask questions – this will also help the organisers to then explain why they’ve
done things in a certain way; i.e. after explaining to one guy why bottled water wasn’t sold on
site (initially he wasn’t too impressed with the idea) he commented: ‘well, when explained in
that way, it makes a lot of sense…I didn’t realise’. It’s a one‐on‐one opportunity for awareness
to filter through. (commitment from the organisers vital)
Biodegradable
/ Organic products – there should have been at least one stand
selling/promoting BD/organic products i.e skin care, detergents etc.
Cycling/walking initiative was an excellent idea and very effective.
Water bottles – excellent idea, but thought to have been over‐priced (especially since there
was only one water station)
Hydration station – needed another one at the campsite (by the time you’ve walked back
from the station to your tent, the water was finished/hot)
100% of the people where aware that RTD was promoted as a green / ecofriendly
event;
however very few knew of the measures (RE, tree planting, use of BioD. products etc.) put in
place to achieve this. As one lady said when we spoke about the fact that everything is on the
web page: ‘People don’t read anymore!’ (unless you have a specific interest in the greening
topic, it’s not likely that you’ll open that section). However, once the measures were
explained, the responses were entirely positive, words like ‘wow’, ‘awesome’, ‘that’s
incredible’ and ‘did you hear that Honey!’ came up a lot.
Some of the dustbins had actual cans/bottles posted over them showing what should go into
that bin. A lot of people liked that, and it relates back to p.7 – people don’t want to think (or
don’t know) – visual effects are very effective.
Most people are very clueless re. biodiversity
and many don’t see the need / understand
why we should try and save (the habitat of) a particular specie.
‘The organisers can be commended.’
‘Event of high quality’
No water on Saturday morning for showering – not cool.
In between musician sets ‐ when
the crew is setting up for the next
muso – how about bringing in the
comedians to do 5/10 minute
(unofficial) sets (preferably before
their actual set – this would give
them the extra exposure and
advertising) to entertain the
crowd.
VERY SAFE AND VERY CLEAN.
WELL RUN AND ORGANISED –
DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT ON
LAST YEAR.
AWESOME LINEUP
OF SOUTH
AFRICAN TALENT!! Don’t need to
travel anywhere!
OVERALL THE FEELING TOWARDS GREENING THE EVENT WAS RESOUNDINGLY POSITIVE;
but people are not generally interested in the (how) details.
5.2.2. Personal Feedback
I guess the general idea of greening is a lot like spirituality/religion – most people are aware of the
concept in one way or another, however until a person personally gets to the point where he starts
questioning & believing in it, no amount of preaching/flogging is going to convert them!
What CAN be done is simply putting the message out there (for picking) and leading by example.
Which is exactly what the RTD team is doing and for which they can be commended 100times
over! Of course there is room for improvement – it is a continuous ‘work in progress’ – but they have
the key ingredients to succeed – passion and commitment.
5.3. Gwyllion Stead
My name is Gwyllion Stead and I helped with the eco audit for 2009 Rocking the Daisies.
My experience with working at this event was
really educational and interesting to find out
lots about recycling, biodegradable products,
social initiatives, the use of a renewable energy
source and how much of this people know about
and actually used in their daily lives. I really
enjoyed myself meeting new people and finding
out how much they knew about the whole event
being a greening event to make people aware of
the different ways to help save out future.
I noticed that a lot of people we interviewed are
really keen and would like to learn and do
recycling, but lack the knowledge how and the resources to be able to take part. The event was well
organized except for the recycling bins. They didn’t have enough or even the right types of bins but
they did such a good job of sorting out all the rubbish. I think personally that the greening event was
a success and I hope they keep up the good work. One thing that bugged me was the fact that none of
the artists made any speeches about the greening to make people more aware about the greening
and how they can contribute.
6. Conclusion
The eco audit takes into consideration the actual measurable facts (such as kWh electricity used or
waste produced), as well as the operation of the event (such as the process for recycling and
procurement of goods and services) and general feedback based on interviews (such as the festival
goers and traders).
The conclusion is that the event was planned and implemented as a green event and that the event
organizers did this with integrity. Their commitment to their motto of “party hard, tread light” is a
true reflection of what they set out to achieve. As with any event of this nature there is always
something to improve on, however the overall consensus was that Rocking the Daisies 2009 was a
success and an improvement from previous years.
We would like to commend Brain, Craig
and their whole team for the dedication
in hosting Rocking the Daisies as an
environmentally friendly lifestyle
festival and urge them to keep this up.
Grace Stead & Andy le May
Steadfast Greening
11 Nov 2009
grace@steadfastgreening.co.za
www.steadfastgreening.co.za
0767 80 70 10