Les Ardentes attaches particular importance to limiting its impact on the environment. Through several axes, the whole festival team is mobilised in a collective responsible approach and commits itself to persevere from year to year.

It is with all these small actions that we will manage, together, to concretize great commitments and to make our festival better.

CONTRIBUTING TO THE PLANTING OF TREES IN WALLONIA

In order to participate in the development of sustainable projects in Belgium, Les Ardentes has developed a partnership with PlantC, an association that acts in favour of the climate and biodiversity by allowing the territory to adapt to global changes. A system of voluntary donations from the cashless remaining on the wristbands of festival-goers has been set up.

In 2022, 1033 trees were planted, which represents 148.23 tons of CO2 sequestered over 30 years. We are convinced that this year we can do even better!

For more information on the association: PlantC

ENCOURAGE SOFT MEANS OF TRANSPORT

Mobility is the main source of pollution in the organisation of a festival. The transport linked to the logistics of the event, the arrival of the festival-goers and the artists on the site have a considerable impact on the environment.

To limit this impact, we propose to the STAFF of Les Ardentes to travel by bicycle during the assembly, the event and the dismantling thanks to Decathlon.

For festival-goers, we have set up a large alternative transport system: free bus shuttles, a car-sharing platform, discounts on train tickets, parking for bikes and scooters in the immediate vicinity of the festival, etc. Moreover, if you come by bike, Decathlon will give you a voucher worth €5!

Go to the mobility tab to find the soft means of transport that suits you!

MANAGING AND SORTING WASTE

No more excuses for not sorting your waste! To keep the site clean and to manage the waste flows as well as possible, we have reinforced the sorting system in 2023 with the help of our partner Intradel. In concrete terms, this is what it means:

• In all, there will be 500 sorting islands, i.e. 500 PMC bins and 500 OM bins.
• You will also find 8 recycling cup stands. Bring 15 cups and win 1€ cashless, for the most determined, bring 50 cups and win 3,50€ cashless!
• In the backstage, we are taking sorting even further with 10 waste fractions: waste, PMC, cardboard, glass, metals, food / compostable, edible oils, wood, paint / aerosols, WEEE!
• Food bins on site for caterers and foodtrucks and others on the campsite in the BBQ areas
• In the streets surrounding the festival, dozens of waste bins are placed along the road to avoid littering. The streets around the festival and the car parks are cleaned at night. 
• Behind the scenes, an eco-team of 350 people is mobilised for the festival. This eco-team is trained in waste sorting via a visit to a factory to understand the necessity and the process of waste sorting. 
• To go further, we have established a charter to involve our partners so that they commit to respecting the cleanliness of the site and the management of waste generated by their activity. It also raises awareness of food and water waste and respect for equipment.

COLLECTING AND SORTING CIGARETTE BUTTS

In 2022, we have collected a lot of cigarette butts, this year we will redouble our efforts to reduce this problem and reinforce the collection and sorting of cigarette butts.

Throwing a cigarette butt on the ground may seem like nothing, but the damage is frightening! Cigarette butts are difficult to pick up and are thrown on land used for haying cows. So to keep these areas clean and safe for the cows, throw your cigarette butts into the pocket ashtrays that will be distributed and into the many ashtrays placed around the site and the campsite.

The collected butts will then be recycled and we are looking for the perfect box for this project.

Every year we call on the Butt Busters team to collect the butts every day!

COMMUNICATE MORE RESPONSIBLY

We want to continue the dematerialisation of communication materials to avoid producing single-use materials. We have drastically reduced paper posters and stopped printing programmes in favour of screen-based communication. We also favour digital channels: social networks, newsletters, mobile applications, etc.

Flyering on the site and in the surrounding area is forbidden, and we are reducing the amount of goodies offered by partners.

IT ALSO HAPPENS ON THE CAMPSITE!

Like last year, the forbidden objects that will be confiscated on the campsite will be recovered and redistributed to several associations. Read the rules of the campsite carefully if you want to keep all your stuff until the end of the festival!

If your mattress deflates, Decathlon is there to save your night! On their stand, you can benefit from their democratic prices to repair your equipment and avoid buying new. For €1 to €15, you can take advantage of their repair service.  

Operation Seconde Vie, created by Les Ardentes and supported by Decathlon, is a project which aims to recover, recondition and distribute camping equipment.

Don't abandon your tent or your equipment on the campsite! If you really need to get rid of it, you have several options.

When you leave the campsite, you have the choice:

• Donate your equipment in good condition to associations. The list of associations to which the abandoned equipment will be distributed will be communicated shortly.
• Drop off your equipment at the Decathlon stand. You will receive a voucher worth between 1€ and 30€ depending on the type of object (tents, chairs, coolers, ...)

Déchet-nez vous !

The "Déchet-nez vous!" competition, based on the collection and sorting of waste, has been organised on the campsite since 2022.

The principle is simple, go to one of the 4 recycling points on the campsite, collect your points grid, collect and sort the waste and cigarette butts. You can win cashless, merchandise, tickets for the 2024 edition, etc. We're waiting for you in 2023 to get rid of your waste on the campsite!

EATING ETHICALLY

In terms of catering, we favour restaurateurs from Liege and Wallonia as well as local, seasonal and organic products (production excludes the use of chemicals, GMOs, limits the use of fertilisers, insecticides, etc.). Thus, we create label stickers to be displayed next to the stands so that festival-goers can orient their choice of catering.

The foodtrucks present at the festival are obliged to offer at least one vegetarian option on their menu.

The use of plastic containers is also prohibited.

OUR PARTNERS GO GREEN!

• Decathlon will be present to raise awareness about the use of bicycles. They will lend bikes to the STAFF. By the way, if you come to the festival by bike, Decathlon will give you a voucher worth €5! Decathlon is also supporting Operation Second Life and will be offering a repair service for equipment on the campsite. 
• Fruitz who will distribute pocket ashtrays on the campsite. 
• Proximus via their recycling action of old phones against 10€ cashless on your bracelet. These phones will be collected and recycled. For more information, go to their website and discover their action valid all year long! 
• Intradel with their awareness stand and the distribution of waste bags. 
• Payconiq with a "short circuit" activity in the campsite with a mobile stand where the project is to make the best sandwich possible using local products. 
• SNCB and its low prices on train tickets to come to the festival.