Mullum Music Fest Unveils Awesome Green Initiatives For 2016

Next month's Mullum Music Festival is going green from the ground up by way of some awesome new initiatives created in collaboration with Green Music Australia and Renew Fest.

In addition to the festival having recently planted its 6000th tree as part of its annual planting efforts, chief among the ways in which MMF is bolstering its environmental awareness is its plans to reduce the amount of plastic waste at the event by making the transition towards becoming a disposables-free event. It's a mission MMF is taking seriously, with director Glenn Wright championing the Green Music Australia-led effort in a statement, asking "all festival-goers, crew and artists to bring reusable drink bottles" along for the festivities.

"Water refills will be offered at all festival venues and a filtered-water station will be in place outside Santos Organics," Wright said in a statement. "Reusable drink bottles and cups will also be available for purchase at the Renew Fest stall for the duration of the festival."

Speaking of Renew Fest, the sustainability organisation's presence at Mullum will go well beyond its stall, with the company being the programmer for this year's Community Program. The spread of talks, walks, workshops and more put the community of Mullumbimby front and centre, canvassing issues of area impacts and sustainability to ensure the festival engages with the townspeople to achieve positive outcomes for both as they work to move forward together.

This year's Renew Fest-curated program includes Plastic Pollution Solutions, presented by Mullum Cares and The Plastic Free Byron Coalition; the Heritage Park Walk, hosted by Dave Rawlins; the Weaving Workshop, hosted by Kim Tait and at which attendees will be able to whip up their own sustainable water-bottle holders (pictured main image); Introduction To Permaculture, with Sharon Gibson; Community-owned Renewable Energy, presented by Community Owned Renewable Energy Mullumbimby; Metamorphosis Within Community, presented by Bianca & Cyrano;  First Light Community Mental Health Peer Support, presented by Ella Rose Goninan and Jamie Ford; Community Land Trust Discussion, presented by Laura Targett & Gabi Bohnet; and Waste, Sustainability & Festivals, presented by the folks at Renew Fest itself. That panel also features speakers including Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson, Woodfordia deputy general manager Kim Pengelly, North Byron Parklands GM Mat Morris and Green Music Australia chief executive Tim Hollo.

For more information about the Mullum Music Festival Community Program, including times and venues, see the event's website. All events are included in the price of a festival ticket — available now — or cost a gold-coin donation for non-ticket-holders.

The ninth Mullum Music Festival returns to the town of Mullumbimby from 17-20 November, with performances from Eilen Jewell, Julien Baker, Tash Sultana, Skunkhour, Nattali Rize, Olympia, Lior, Henry Wagons & The Only Children, Gareth Liddiard, Suzannah Espie, Sahara Beck, Jordie Lane and many more.

For more information, see theGuide.