SUSTAINABILITY

OUR SELF-IMAGE  

For us, sustainability is not a state, but a process. We set out on the path to more sustainability many years ago with the MELT ECO initiative because we believe that music and festivals play an important role in social change. At MELT we want to create special moments and bring people together, while at the same time showing attitude and taking responsibility. Our vision is to create experiences that change the world positively and sustainably.

When implementing live experiences, we work in a resource-intensive area that has an impact on the environment and people. Music and culture, on the other hand, are essential to life – they empower us and can be a mouthpiece for a whole movement. Keeping our ecological footprint as small as possible and at the same time promoting social aspects of sustainability is a central concern of the MELT team. 

We are constantly working on critically examining our processes and procedures and improving them with regard to ecological and social responsibility. Whenever possible, we opt for the more sustainable alternative as part of our event planning. We see systemic and financial limitations as challenges that spur us on and can serve as a driver for innovation. MELT should serve as a role model, source of inspiration and creative place - for example through our FAIRopolis Area directly on the camping site. Since 2019, we have created a place there where we raise awareness of various sustainability issues and give NGOs and initiatives a platform.

Our values of openness, passion, respect and responsibility should not only be lived within our team, but also at our festivals. MELT is a colorful and diverse place, a place that primarily leaves traces in the form of beautiful memories and not mountains of rubbish, polluted water or destroyed forest and meadow areas. You are the most important part of our festival, so we need your support and help. On this page you will find tips on what you can do yourself to make our festival more sustainable. 
 

WHAT WE ALREADY DO

We're already doing a lot to be more sustainable - and we're always trying to improve our efforts.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is a holistic topic that not only affects ecological issues, but also social aspects. We keep an eye on both, because: everything is connected. 

ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY

We've started a lot of measures to make our festival more economic friendly.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

• Respect your fellow human beings and treat each other and our nature fairly so that everyone can have fun at MELT and we can all enjoy our festival location for a long time to come.
• Take care of each other! If you become aware that someone else has been the victim of abusive behavior, do not hesitate to reach out to our awareness team or security and ask for help.
• Arrive by train or bus.
• If you're coming by car, carpool – it's better for the environment, saves money and is more fun.
• Buy camping gear that you want to use long-term and take all your gear home with you.
• Use the rubbish bags provided and take your rubbish to the return stations at the end of the festival.
• Respect our lake and the creatures in it: do not use shampoo or shower gel when swimming in the lake and only apply sunscreen after swimming.
• Wild pee damages soil, plants and animals – please use the fixed and mobile toilets on site.
• Support us as a volunteer and get exciting insights into the festival organization. This is how you can actively support us in the implementation of sustainability strategies.
• Try our dry composting toilets
• Take part in Meatfree Friday or don't eat meat at all on the festival weekend.
• In general, only buy as much food and drinks for the campsite as you can use up. Remember that there are plenty of delicious food and drink options both on the festival site and at the campsite.
• Saves water and keeps shower time short.
• Does not use disposable tableware.
• Get to know great NGOs and initiatives in our FAIRopolis Area at exciting workshops, talks or live podcasts. Here you can find out how you can get involved easily and directly.

OUTLOOK & GOALS

We are aware that we will always be on the right track when it comes to sustainability, as it is about continuous improvement. Therefore, we would also like to share transparently which topics we would like to work more on in the future. The end of the pandemic was also a new start for us, which we are currently using to create a climate balance for our festival. On this basis, we can derive even more concrete goals and measures for the coming years and better understand our levers for more sustainability.

Furthermore, we would like to work more on the following topics in the future: 

• Expand waste separation on the entire site, increase the recycling rate and make the material flows more visible
• complete renunciation of diesel-powered generators 
• Reduction of car journeys and expansion of alternative travel options 
• Train journey to the festival site with the “MELT Train” enable again 
• Green Camp expansion
• Accessibility of our websites
• Code of Conduct for Service Providers
• Social ticketing