Title: Green Eurovision
Pilot for sustainable large-scale events through reducing environmental impact
Country: Israel
Population: 438,820
Date of start: 05/2019
SDGs: 11, 12

ABSTRACT

The Green Eurovision (GE) initiative worked to find solutions to the environmental impacts of food festivals and aimed to create a guideline for running sustainable large-scale city events in the future. Using the Eurovillage as the setting for the initiative, GE worked with various Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality departments, private organizations and more than 50 vendors to reduce the environmental impact of the event.

We encouraged restaurant owners to reduce their environmental impact and add a “green dish” to their menus to amplify the success of our project. A green dish, one that took environmental considerations into account in its preparations, was one that met 3 out of 5 of the following points: vegan, locally sourced proteins and vegetables, zero use of plastics, local ingredients (including seasonings), and locally caught, fully grown fish.

For the event we collaborated with over 60 chefs in order to shape the menus of the 50+ food vendors that served in the Green Eurovision (GE). The chefs worked with vendors on portion control, especially for vegan dishes, limiting the amount of potential food waste. By portioning meals correctly, the unused food was donated to those in need.

Along with the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality, various organizations played integral parts in helping in the disposal of food waste and nonorganic waste produced as by-products of the event.

Additionally, in order to make Israel’s largest food festival as inclusive as possible, all the dishes on the menus could not exceed 35 NIS (8.5 EUR).

The event (with 500 thousand visitors in 5 days) successfully diverted 17 tons of waste from landfills. Organic waste was sent to an anaerobic digestion plant to be transformed into biogas. This proved that the actions taken towards Tel Aviv-Yafo’s first attempt at a zero-waste event were effective, and the practices employed can be replicated in a larger and more successful way in the future.

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For its commitment to find sustainable solutions to the environmental impacts of food festivals and create guidelines for sustainable large-scale events.
Its initiative involved 50 food vendors, diverted 17 tons of waste from landfills, saved and donated food losses, collaborating with 60 chefs during an event with 500.000 visitors.

Motivation of the MPA 2019 Evaluation Committee

More resources

• Video of C40 City Solutions Platform Tel Aviv-Yafo workshop
• Facebook page Tel Aviv-Yafo Green Eurovision