Leaving no trace at WOMADelaide 2026

Century-old trees, endangered flora, and 34 hectares of protected parkland

Clean Vibes is partnered with WOMADelaide to deliver cleaning and waste management at Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla in Adelaide, home to lush greenery and gorgeous naturescape, which is why the four-day festival takes enormous pride in returning the site in near-perfect condition after each event. Our dedicated team works alongside theirs to ensure every decision is aligned with that vision - training our staff thoroughly, collaborating with volunteers and vendors, and making sure our approach is both realistic and executable on the ground.

At A Glance

• Location: Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia/Tainmuntilla
• Bump In: 25th Feb - 5th March
• Event Days: 6th - 9th March
• Bump Out: 10th - 16th March
• Attendance: 90,000 patrons

The Results

• 99.86% waste diversion rate across the four-day event
• 10 dedicated waste streams operating across front and back of house with minimal contamination
• 14.09 tonnes of organics collected through compostable packaging and a well-managed organics stream
• 160,000+ single-use cups prevented from entering the waste system, representing over 870kg of plastic waste
• 90%+ cup return rate by WOMADelaide patrons across the weekend

The Successes

Site Management:

Managing waste at scale across protected parkland requires structure from day one. To make the site manageable, we divided it into three operational zones, each with staff looking over bin and waste management, litter picking, and waste sorting, giving each team a clear, focused remit and ensuring nothing fell through the cracks.

Breaking down Waste into Waste Streams:

The foundation of our approach was specificity. We implemented 10 dedicated waste streams across both front and back of house:

• Reusable cups
• Organics
• Containers
• Nappies
• Dry waste
• Soft plastic
• Timber
• Cooking oil
• Cardboard
• Scrim

By breaking materials down into their specifics, each stream had a clear pathway for processing. This meant that we were able to send away each stream to our recycling partners so they could be properly processed to be transformed into recycled resources.

All food packaging on site met compostability requirements, which meant it could be disposed of directly alongside food waste in the organics stream - simplifying the system for patrons and strengthening the circular outcome. This lead to 14.09 tonnes of organics collected and most of it was food packaging - we noticed not a lot of food was actually being wasted, which is amazing.

Vendor Partners:

Strong diversion outcomes start well before event day. We worked closely with WOMADelaide and vendors ahead of time, providing clear guidelines, presentations, and on-site signage so everyone was aligned from the outset.

The volunteers stationed across the site helped patrons navigate waste disposal, answering questions, and reinforcing why it matters.

Armed with tongs and big smiles, they made doing the right thing approachable and easy.

In 2025, over 160,000 single-use cups - representing more than 870kg of plastic waste - were prevented from entering the waste system entirely. Facilitated by the dedicated WOMADelaide Cup Squad and supported by Bettercup, the program worked because the audience showed up for it: patrons returned over 90% of the cups they used across the weekend. The results reflect the clear communication, great on-the-ground support, and an audience that genuinely cares about the place they're celebrating in.

Auditing and Reporting:

Our team actively monitored waste stations and vendor areas throughout the event, catching contamination early and addressing it in real time rather than at the end of the day. Every observation was documented to prevent repeat issues and keep standards consistent across all three zones.

Post-event, a full report captures the data, the insights, and the opportunities - so each year we come back sharper than the last.

Waste Sorting:

Even with the strongest systems in place, some contamination is inevitable. When it happens, we step in. Our team hand-sorted collected materials on site, carefully recovering 10c containers, recyclables and compostables to make sure everything ended up in the right stream for proper processing.

The Clean Vibes Crew:

And of course, our people on the ground. Our crew worked collaboratively across the site - supporting each other, keeping operations running seamlessly from bump-in through to bump-out, and maintaining the standard that a site like Botanic Park deserves.

If you have an event, venue or asset, reach out to us!