Sustainability

Since the first edition of Waterworks in 2021, we have had the honour of creating an immersive festival space nestled in Cedar woodland. With no traditional headliner structure, our ethos is rooted in investing in the diverse local electronic music scene and empowering people to express themselves authentically.

Waterworks is committed to making our event as sustainable, accessible and inclusive as possible. We believe we need to act urgently on the climate and nature emergency, in a way that is fair for everyone. Reducing the impact we have on the planet is a priority in every element of the festival, from planning and production to partnerships and marketing. We are actively working on reducing our environmental impact each year, whilst maximising our positive impact. We want everyone to arrive with an open, curious mind and an attitude of respect and care toward each other and our environment. 

We strive to amplify our social impact through our charity partnerships with Create Define Release, Big Team CIC, The Right To Dance and more. We are passionate about providing inclusive placement and employment opportunities, prioritising accessibility and outreach within the local area to ensure that young people and underrepresented groups have equal opportunities to work with us.

We pledge to:

• Create a safe, inclusive and fun environment for everyone, on and off the dance floor

• Develop purposeful partnerships with organisations, charities, and community groups

• Invest in the electronic music scene and work to diversify the people who create, attend and perform at festivals

• Celebrate the beauty and biodiversity of Gunnersbury Park through our production

• Be an environmentally responsible event, committed to measuring, reporting, and innovating toward mitigating our impacts

What can you do?

• Walk, cycle, or catch the tube, bus or train

• Shop your festival outfits second hand, make or borrow them

• Compost your plate, napkins and cutlery in our food bins

• Bring a reusable water bottle, fill it up for free on site

• Be kind, and don’t be a bystander

• Use the bins, bin your butts

• Eat a plant based meal 

• Leave no trace

What are we doing? 

• Powering the show using HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), and continuously scoping other renewable energy sources. This year we have new data monitoring equipment and solar panels on site, to increase our energy efficiency. 

• Composting leftover food and serveware, including plates, cutlery and napkins, removing approx 2 tonnes of serveware from general waste. 

• Balancing unavoidable transport emissions from production, through ecosystem regeneration and protection with Onboard:earth.

• Providing placement and employment opportunities for local 18-30 year olds

• Circular use of creative build and production materials, prioritising materials that can be continually reused and refurbished, so your favourite stages come back each year

• Supporting nature and habitat restoration projects for local wildlife at Gunnersbury Park 

• Eliminating single use plastics and using only re-useable, washable crockery and cups back of house for crew and artists

• Surveying our audience each year to get your feedback on our initiatives

For more information: read our 2023 sustainability report here