Image by Ian Laidlaw //

Yours & Owls have just announced a range of environmental initiatives.

Often we forget about the amount of waste that a festival can generate while we’re heading from stage to stage enjoying great music. The math is pretty simple; say 10,000 people, times a few drinks, plus food, equals a shitload of rubbish. So it makes sense that festival organisers are looking for ways to minimise the environmental impact of their events, and Yours & Owls is leading the way.

Introducing their “Party with a Purpose” philosophy, Yours & Owls have stated they will be trialling reusable cups and water bottles, composting food waste, plates and cutlery this October. You can also catch people from Ocean Space Collective, Plastic Free Wollongong, Fair Food Forager, and Useless Wooden Toys upcycle initiative roaming the North Gong armed with information to help you party sustainably.

And that’s not all, they’ll also be launching #partywithapurpose at the North Gong Pub on August 4th with performances from Big White, Babey, Paradise Club, Fierce Mild, Tuffence Meringue for FREE (RSVP here). $20 from each Y&O ticket sold on the night will be donated to Plastic Free Wollongong plus you’ll get a free Useless Wooden Toys t-shirt (until they’re gone!).

Lastly, Yours and Owls, Open Life Designs, Plastic Free Wollongong and Wollongong Bush Care will be hosting another community day on Thursday August 22 at Puckey’s Reserve. Puckey’s Estate is next to the Yours and Owls festival site at Stuart Park, and supports a diversity of bushland communities, three of which are declared Endangered Ecological Communities. The day will also involve planting native species such as Spinifex, Native Spinach, Pigface, Banksias and Coastal Tea Trees (sign up here).

General admission tickets to Y&O are still available – here.