Every August bank holiday, Notting Hill Carnival brings party vibes and celebration to the streets of one of London’s most famous postcodes. But this year, the two-day event, which is one of the world’s largest street festivals, will be making a few sustainable changes to reduce its environmental footprint, so that the partying will be better for the planet.
Partygoers will be able to refill their water bottles at a designated bar called the Thames Water Tap Bar (located on Shrewsbury Road). Selected local Notting Hill cafés and restaurants will also be offering free refills, as part of a collaboration project between plastic pollution campaign group City To Sea and Thames Water. Participating refill stations will put stickers in their window to invite visitors in to top up their water.
Food vendors at the festival will also be trialing food waste bins. Food scraps will be recycled at a north London plant and generated into electricity to power homes. The recycled product also produces a fertiliser which can be used in farming.
Green energy company Ecotricity will be powering Notting Hill’s local centre The Tabernacle, which is central to the organisation of the Carnival, for the whole of August as well as offering workshops for children on the day about green electricity.
“Carnival isn’t just a spectacular street celebration – it’s a chance for people to see how much their recycling helps save energy and protect the planet,” Cllr Gerard Hargreaves, lead council member for The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Communities and Culture committee, said. “We’re committed to helping make Carnival a green and sustainable event, including recycling all we can during our mammoth overnight clean-up work.”