Around 2,000 people attended the inaugural Renew Fest sustainability festival at Mullumbimby Showground on Saturday (June 18) , exceeding even the organisers’ expectations.
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People flocked to see the electric vehicle display with two Teslas, a Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Nissan Leaf and BMW i3, along with the latest in solar battery technology – Tesla Powerwall, Enphase, LG Chem and Aquion supported by a program of talks.
At a more home-grown level, the Greens’ ‘ban the [plastic] bag in Byron’ campaign also received a boost.
There were activities for children, expert panels, information sessions on renewable energy, food sovereignty and biodiversity and produce and information stalls ranging from Rainforest Rescue to TOOT.
The crowd was entertained with music throughout the day, powered by The Solar Sunflower from Southern Cross University.
The bring your own cup and plate, zero waste policy proved its worth with just 240 litres (1 Sulo bin) of recyclable waste being created for the entire event, no landfill was produced. The Water Lily Wash Pod was kept busy washing crockery and utensils.
Festival director Ella Rose Goninan said she was ‘heartened and absolutely thrilled by the response’.
‘Together we all stood strong on Saturday for climate action. I have great faith, in seeing the attendance, in our community’s ability to transition to a renewable future,’ Ms Goninan said.
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