Zero Waste

The SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia Festival is the first event in the world to have achieved TRUE Zero Waste certification for three consecutive years, with a spectacular recycling rate of 99.3 per cent and a landfill rate of 0.7 per cent in 2025. We have improved from 60 ‘platinum’ credits in 2024 to 62 ‘platinum’ credits in the 2025 edition.

The aim of the festival is to further its commitment to the circular economy by promoting an environmentally-friendly festival model and responsible tourism.

TRUE certification has made it possible for the festival to strengthen its ‘zero waste’ strategy, highlighting its commitment to the local area and setting it apart from other festivals. At each edition, measures are put in place to prioritise waste reduction, the reuse of materials and raising public awareness before, during and after the event.

The most notable measures include:

Event redesign: there are no bins for the public, and waste is managed at a station where materials are separated and sorted.

Reduction: use of reusable crockery, cutlery and napkins, as well as a monitoring system to track waste.

Reuse: return of beer bottles and kegs by Estrella Galicia distributors, with high reuse rates. Elimination of temporary structures. Food surplus policy.

In addition, an external waste management audit is carried out, a procurement policy is implemented to reinforce the Zero Waste strategy, and innovative activities are undertaken, which in this year’s edition will focus on responsible consumption.

The festival has become a benchmark for a culture of sustainable development and a model of good management in its commitment to the environment and responsible tourism.

ZERO WASTE SON ESTRELLA GALICIA POSIDONIA.

The world’s first festival to be TRUE certified (Total Resource Utilisation and Efficiency).

RECYCLING RATE 2025, 99.3 % | DISPOSAL CHARGE 2025, 0.7 %.

TRUE certification has allowed us to:

• Align ourselves with our business strategy and the B Corp KPIs.
• Assess our commitment to the local area and our respect for its biodiversity.
• Set ourselves apart from other models of music events.

It has also helped us to implement a different production model and focus on reduction and reuse, rather than recycling. We have achieved a high level of public participation and raised awareness through information campaigns.

REDESIGN. There are NO waste bins accessible to the public at this festival, as we have redesigned the event so that all waste generated is sorted and recorded in an area supervised by staff: the ‘Waste Station’, which provides all the necessary categories for waste separation.

REDUCTION. We have implemented many positive practices over the years, but in terms of reduction, the use of reusable crockery, cutlery and cloth napkins stands out, in addition to a monitoring system to keep track of them.

REUSE. The core business of Hijos de Rivera SAU is the production and distribution of beer under the Estrella Galicia brand. One of its most notable zero-waste initiatives is reuse. Estrella Galicia incentivizes its distributors with rewards and cost reductions for returning empty glass bottles. Having operated under this business model for many years, the company has achieved very high bottle reuse rates.

The SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia festival is a prime example of effective management in the collection and return of empty bottles and beer kegs, as well as in the use of reusable packaging for transport. Introducing the collection of glasses, plates, cutlery and table linen during the festival marked a very significant change. We are currently working to raise awareness and promote responsible food consumption, whilst redesigning the festival’s catering offering.

RE-GENERATE. We have successfully demonstrated that 100 per cent of waste is analysed before being recycled. These materials fall into the following categories: paper, organic/food waste, polymers, glass, etc.

RECYCLING. We have also established full traceability of the waste managed. We have specified who is responsible for the final treatment of each type of waste. With this in mind, the local authority has produced a very comprehensive report containing the necessary evidence.

ZERO WASTE DIVERTION RATE. Thanks to all the measures taken and the commitment of all staff, members of the public and businesses, the results were exceptional.
RECYCLING RATE 2025 99.3% | WASTE TIPPING RATE 0.7%

ZERO-WASTE PROCUREMENT. The company has established a procurement policy ensuring that external contractors are fully informed about our strategy. This procurement policy is in line with the Zero-Waste policy and contains a series of guidelines to help procurement officers identify the suppliers most committed to this objective.

LEADERSHIP. At every edition of the SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia festival, the management team issues a leadership letter setting out the objectives and innovations to all stakeholders (customers, suppliers and partners).

TRAINING. The company holds meetings with the festival’s organisers, suppliers and staff to inform them about the ‘Zero Waste’ programme. Training is provided and the content of the Zero Waste policy is explained. At the end, the results achieved are shared, and both the positive findings and the areas for improvement are communicated.

ZERO WASTE ANALYSIS. Throughout the three days of the event, the organisers have engaged an external auditor with a proven track record in waste management assessment.

The audit covers the following key areas:

• Assessment of existing container types.
• Review of correct waste sorting.
• Mapping of waste generation points.
• Verification of the contents and weight of each type of waste.
• Determination of the level of contamination in each waste stream.
• Comprehensive review of the involvement of all event participants, including organisers and attendees.

PARTNER MANAGEMENT AND PROTOCOL MONITORING. Hijos de Rivera SAU carries out an assessment of suppliers, evaluating their commitment to Zero Waste. The evaluation criteria are set out in the Procurement Policy. It also has a document that indicates whether or not suppliers comply with the Zero Waste criteria established by the Festival.

This document helps them select the most suitable supplier.

CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEM. The Procurement Policy also sets out guidelines for coordination areas outside the physical festival site. For example, we require that any paper purchased must contain at least 30 per cent post-consumer recycled content. In the offices, we recommend using digital formats, sharing documents online and limiting printing to essential production documents.

INNOVATION. The festival featured a series of innovative activities that demonstrated the company’s firm commitment and highlighted the continuous improvement in its Zero Waste commitments. The latest initiatives carried out include:

• The production of vinyl records by pressing plastics and other synthetic materials collected from the sea.
• Installation of ‘pop art’ murals using industrial waste collected or generated at the festival.
• Artistic intervention on reusable glass bottles featuring scientific illustrations.
• Production of guitar picks from recycled plastics.
• Redesigning bracelets in collaboration with local leather craftspeople.
• Industrial design of furniture giving a second life to organic materials: for example, wood from mussel rafts.
• A collective art project using wooden jigsaw puzzles with the aim of minimising food waste.

SON ESTRELLA GALICIA POSIDONIA WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN

In this 2026 edition, the SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia festival will take place in various locations around Formentera between 2 and 4 October.

This communication is intended to inform the Formentera Island Council, suppliers, partner organisations, staff and the public of the ‘Zero Waste’ commitment adopted by the festival organisers.

The event advocates and embraces a ‘zero waste’ philosophy and promotes sustainable tourism, responsible consumption and a programme of side events that encourage the protection and care of the local area.

To fulfil this commitment, we have developed a Waste Management Plan (WMP), whose success will depend on the cooperation and involvement of all stakeholders: the organisation, suppliers, the authorities and, above all, the public.

For this reason, this WMP establishes a series of measures designed to prevent, avert and, in any event, minimise the environmental impact that an event of this kind may have on the island of Formentera..

All the measures adopted will also be monitored and evaluated before, during and after the event, with the aim of correcting any undesirable practices.

In this edition, SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia is expanding its partnership with accredited local hotels that have the necessary facilities to accommodate guests and attendees. This expansion demonstrates our commitment to the region and allows us to broaden the scope of our collaboration and raise awareness of this Waste Management Plan.

The contents of the WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN (WMP) are detailed below:

1. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. The organisation undertakes to comply with all local and national regulations governing waste management, such as:

MUNICIPAL BY-LAW ON THE COLLECTION AND TRANSPORT OF URBAN SOLID WASTE AND THE NETWORK OF PUBLIC ROADS TO MUNICIPAL LAND IN FORMENTERA

Royal Decree 553/2020 of 2 June, regulating the transportation of waste within Spanish territory.

Law 7/2022 of 8 April on waste and contaminated land for a circular economy.

2. Waste management during the event. The organisers will implement the following measures:

Materials: minimising waste generation by providing cutlery, crockery, cloth napkins, glasses and other reusable items.
Note: Single-use items and packaging are prohibited. Suppliers are required to avoid unnecessary waste and opt for reusable packaging.

"IImplementation of the Waste Collection Point’: At each venue, a designated area will be set up with the necessary bins, where all types of waste generated during the event will be sorted. Attendees will go to this area to dispose of their waste.

At all times, this station will be run by the organisation’s staff, who will also be responsible for informing and raising public awareness of the correct procedure for separating and sorting materials.

Waste will be stored in designated areas and monitored to prevent contamination and the loss of value of raw materials. Furthermore, each fraction generated will be recorded and weighed in order to analyse the data, which will allow for improvements to be made in future editions.

Ensuring that waste is collected under the best possible conditions and managed at authorised recycling facilities until full traceability is achieved.

Raising awareness: Throughout the event, via mobile apps and the website itself, there will be ongoing communication with all attendees and partners, with the main aim of generating as little waste as possible.


3. Waste management and collection. Waste collection and management will be carried out by the municipal service of Formentera Island Council.