Evaluating your eisteddfod’s environmental impact

An eisteddfod brings people together through music, dance, poetry, craft and the Welsh language. It can also bring significant environmental costs: journeys to and from the venue, electricity use, printed materials, temporary equipment, catering, waste and the purchase of goods that may have travelled long distances. Understanding those impacts gives organising committees a practical route towards a more sustainable event.

Environmental responsibility does not require every local eisteddfod to make expensive changes at once. A clear assessment can show where the greatest effects occur and which actions will deliver the most benefit. The process can also strengthen community participation, reduce operating costs and demonstrate that Welsh cultural traditions have a positive future.

The most useful evaluation combines measurements with local knowledge. A rural event may have limited public transport but plenty of outdoor space, while a town-centre eisteddfod may benefit from rail links but face restrictions on deliveries and recycling. The right approach reflects the character, scale and resources of each festival.

Set a clear boundary for the assessment

Begin by defining which parts of the eisteddfod will be included. The assessment might cover the main competition, concerts, workshops, parades, rehearsals, committee meetings, accommodation arranged for performers and any associated fairs or food stalls. Establishing this boundary prevents important activities from being overlooked and makes future comparisons fairer.

It is helpful to divide impacts into direct and indirect categories. Direct impacts come from activities controlled by the committee, such as venue energy, water use, waste collection and purchased materials. Indirect impacts include audience travel, performer transport, food supply chains and the environmental cost of hired equipment. Although these may be harder to measure, they often make up a substantial share of an event’s footprint.

Record the dates, venues, attendance, number of performances and approximate duration. Note whether the venue is owned, hired or shared with another organisation. Keep copies of invoices, booking records, waste reports and travel surveys in one place. These documents create a baseline for environmental monitoring and can reveal savings that are useful to the treasurer as well as the planet.

Measure travel and transport patterns

For many community events, transport is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Audience members may travel from several villages, performers may carry instruments or costumes, and volunteers may make repeated journeys for rehearsals, deliveries and set-up. A short survey can identify how people travelled, how far they came and whether they shared vehicles.

Ask attendees to select broad categories such as walking, cycling, bus, train, car sharing, private car or taxi. It is usually unnecessary to collect precise addresses. The survey can also ask whether a journey was made specifically for the eisteddfod or combined with another purpose. Anonymous responses are sufficient for estimating patterns while respecting privacy.

Use the findings to improve access rather than criticise individual choices. Publish public transport information in Welsh and English, provide a clear walking route from nearby stops, create a designated lift-sharing point and schedule activities to reduce repeated trips. Where a venue has limited transport options, coordinate group travel from neighbouring communities or offer a minibus for performers and volunteers.

Transport planning should include freight. Count deliveries of staging, chairs, instruments, refreshments and printed materials. Ask suppliers to combine deliveries and avoid unnecessary return journeys. Hiring equipment locally can reduce mileage and support businesses within the community.

Examine energy, water and venue operations

Request energy information from the venue whenever possible. Electricity and heating bills, meter readings or a usage estimate based on opening hours can provide a useful starting point. Record the equipment used for sound, lighting, refrigeration, cooking, projection and temporary heating. An event held during daylight hours may need less lighting, while an evening concert may have a higher energy demand.

Check whether lights, heating and appliances are switched off between sessions. Assign responsibility to a named volunteer or venue contact rather than relying on memory. If the venue allows it, use timers, LED lighting and zoned heating. Avoid heating empty rooms, and ensure doors are closed when temporary heating or cooling is operating.

Water use may be less visible but still matters, particularly where the eisteddfod provides catering, welcomes large numbers of visitors or hires portable facilities. Ask the venue about low-flow taps, leaks and toilet systems. Choose cleaning products with lower environmental risks and use refillable containers for staff and performers. A simple count of bottled drinks purchased can highlight an immediate opportunity to reduce plastic and spending.

Outdoor events need additional care. Protect grass and verges from vehicle damage, plan routes for temporary infrastructure and monitor weather-related risks. Matting, reusable ground protection and a clear restoration plan can prevent lasting damage to public or privately managed land.

Track materials, food and waste

List the main materials purchased or hired for the event: programmes, tickets, signage, certificates, decorations, costumes, badges, packaging, stationery and stage materials. For each item, record whether it was reused, hired, recycled or disposed of after one use. Reusable signs with changeable dates can replace large quantities of event-specific printing.

Digital promotion can reduce paper, but printed information remains important for accessibility and for people who do not use social media. Print only the number needed, select recycled or responsibly sourced paper and work with a local printer where practical. Use concise programmes, shared notices and durable directional signs. Make sure Welsh-language materials are planned from the beginning rather than added as an afterthought.

Catering should be assessed through purchasing records and leftover food. Ask suppliers about seasonal, local and plant-based options, portion sizes and packaging. Reusable crockery is generally preferable where washing facilities are available. If disposables are necessary, choose items that match the waste facilities actually provided; a compostable item is not automatically beneficial if it cannot be processed locally.

Place clearly labelled waste stations where people naturally pause, and keep the number of disposal choices understandable. Weighing or estimating residual waste, recycling, food waste and reusable items gives a stronger picture than simply counting bags. Record contamination, since poorly sorted recycling may be rejected. Food donations or redistribution should follow appropriate food safety arrangements.

Consider purchasing and the wider footprint

A sustainable procurement policy gives volunteers a consistent basis for decisions. Before buying, ask whether an item is necessary, whether it can be borrowed or hired, whether an existing item can be repaired, and whether a nearby supplier can provide it. Consider durability, repairability, packaging and end-of-life arrangements alongside price.

The environmental effect of an eisteddfod extends beyond its own site. Instruments, costumes, trophies, temporary structures and merchandise may have been manufactured elsewhere. Committees cannot measure every supply chain in detail, but they can ask straightforward questions about materials, origin, labour standards, packaging and take-back schemes.

Merchandise deserves particular attention because unsold stock can become waste. Order conservatively, use designs that remain relevant beyond one year and offer made-to-order options. Reusable cups, cloth bunting and durable banners can become part of the eisteddfod’s shared equipment rather than annual purchases.

Procurement is also linked to community resilience. Choosing local tradespeople, food producers, printers and hire companies may shorten transport distances and keep expenditure within the area. Environmental value should not be reduced to carbon alone: supporting local skills, fair access and long-lasting community assets contributes to a stronger cultural event.

Use a practical scoring system

A small committee does not need a complex carbon-accounting platform to identify priorities. Assign each impact area a score for scale and control. For example, rate travel, energy, waste, food, purchasing and land use from one to five, then note the quality of available evidence. A high-impact area with weak data becomes a priority for improved monitoring.

The following framework can be adapted for an annual review. The figures are not intended as universal targets; they help committees decide what to measure and who should take responsibility.

Impact area Useful evidence Possible indicator First action
Travel Visitor survey, performer schedule, delivery records Percentage arriving by shared or lower-carbon transport Publish travel information and coordinate lift sharing
Energy Bills, meter readings, venue opening hours Energy used per event day Switch off unused equipment and review heating times
Water Venue records, catering activity, facility checks Water use or reported leaks Repair leaks and provide refill points
Materials Purchase invoices, print quantities, hire records Share of items reused, hired or responsibly sourced Create a reusable signage and decoration store
Food Catering invoices, menu details, leftovers Proportion of local or plant-based choices; food waste volume Improve portions and plan redistribution
Waste Contractor report, weighed bags, contamination notes Waste per attendee and recycling rate Simplify sorting points and reduce single-use items
Nature and land Site inspection, ground protection plan Damage incidents or restoration tasks Protect grass, trees, verges and drainage routes

Repeat the same assessment after each major eisteddfod, using the same units where possible. Waste per attendee is more informative than total waste when visitor numbers change. Energy per event day can show progress even if the programme becomes larger. Keep a short explanation beside each figure so that future committees understand how it was calculated.

Turn findings into shared action

The results should be communicated in a way that invites participation. A short environmental statement in the programme or on the website can explain what the eisteddfod is measuring, what has changed and where further work is planned. Specific information is more credible than broad claims: state that signs were reused, food waste was weighed or a lift-sharing scheme was introduced.

Volunteers need practical instructions. Give the recycling team a simple guide, tell the stage manager who controls lights, and provide caterers with agreed requirements for packaging and leftovers. Include environmental duties in the event timetable and volunteer briefing. Responsibilities that exist only in a policy document are easily missed during a busy festival.

Use the Welsh language throughout public-facing environmental communication, with terminology that is clear and welcoming. Environmental action can connect naturally with folk singing, folk dancing, cerdd dant and other cultural activities. For example, a workshop might explore local landscapes, a display could celebrate traditional materials, or young competitors could contribute ideas for reducing waste.

Prioritise two or three changes for the next event rather than publishing an unmanageable list. Good priorities are measurable, affordable and relevant to the largest impacts identified. At the next committee meeting, review what happened, record any barriers and update the plan. This creates a cycle of evaluation, action and learning that can be passed to future organisers.

Actions that make the biggest difference

A well-run environmental review is an act of care for the community, the landscape and the cultural tradition itself. Begin with the information already available, improve the quality of records gradually and share responsibility across the organising team. Use the society’s guidance and development resources to shape a realistic plan for your local event, then report the results so that each eisteddfod can build on the last.