Water: Flushing Out the Bad and Keeping the Good
The world’s water resources are limited. And with an increasing population and the effects of climate change, water scarcity is only becoming a bigger problem. The average person uses about 120 liters of clean water each day – and 30% of that daily consumption goes down the drain. Literally: we use it to flush the toilet. At DGTL, we want to treat water like the invaluable resource it really is. So, we reduce and reuse. This is the fifth of five articles about DGTL's five pillars of sustainability.
On top of those 120 liters a day, the production of food and drinks costs another 3480 liters per person. Distribution and heating costs a lot of energy, and so does treating wastewater, leading to significant CO2 emissions. That’s more than enough reason for us to focus heavily on responsible water use and prevent waste on all fronts. Reduce intake, repurpose wastewater, and make sure we create zero pollution in the festival’s wetland environment.
Our goal? Treating water like the valuable resource it is by optimizing our use. And that’s what we’re doing by reducing freshwater consumption, recovering nutrients from wastewater, and sourcing all water for non-essential activities from alternative solutions – like water treatment systems and greywater recycling systems.
On the Grounds
Apart from using water systems that are as efficient as possible and generally reducing the amount of water we use, we try not to waste anything. And that’s a challenge we’re undertaking on two levels. The first? We use grey water, wherever it’s possible. That means we use surface water from the IJ at the festival site to flush our toilets, instead of wasting valuable clean drinking water. To optimize that process, we’re continuously studying its effects and researching better options.
By redefining urine as a valuable resource, we have created a second part of our sustainable approach: a circular urine chain. We collect urine at strategic locations on the festival site with well-marked urinals and specialized collection systems. Then, the urine is responsibly treated and purified before its nutrients are converted into compost or fertilizer and used to make the site greener or in local gardens. This way, we both prevent waste and contribute to a circular approach to water and resource management. It’s a difficult process to manage and improve, with each step taking considerable time and energy, and even to get legal approval to use nutrients in this manner. Together with the municipality of Amsterdam, Waternet, and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water, as well as Green Deal Circular Festivals, SAIL Amsterdam and suppliers, we inch our way forward, step by step. To put to good use at DGTL, and in the city’s own water systems.
Beyond the Fence
Whether you’re on stage, in the crowd, or behind the scenes – we all contribute to making DGTL sustainable. And since a festival pretty much operates like a small city, we hope that what we learn here can be of use beyond the fence. For visitors to implement at home, or organizations in their sustainability strategies. By showing off and sharing all our innovative applications, we hope we can open some eyes and encourage more and more people to join us on the road to sustainability – both in the festival industry and in the wider world.
What's Next?
The more we learn, the more we realize we still need to do. And that’s ok. Every edition, together with our partners from all over, we continue to find new and better ways to run the most sustainable party we possibly can. And with our visitors pitching in more and more, it truly becomes a collaborative effort. Let’s get the crowd moving to the beat while joining us in making a big sustainable impact.
Your Impact
By participating in all of DGTL’s sustainable solutions, and even by simply being part of the crowd, you make a positive impact on the world
What we’ve been talking about here is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to everything that’s involved in running a completely circular festival. Want to know more about what goes on behind the scenes, year-round? Click on through.