Heineken going green at Electric Picnic in Laois

Heineken will be showing up at Electric Picnic in Stradbally this year in what they say will be very different and exciting way.

The Greener Bar will make its debut at EP as what the drinks giant claims will be the most sustainable activation Heineken has ever made. The bar has been developed with reuse-led design values, circular materials are used throughout the build, everything at the bar will have a life after the festival.

The brewer says the ground breaking Heineken Greener Bar will result in a smaller carbon footprint, and a new system of reusable cups will mean less waste. 

While the bar is greener, the organisers say it will still offer the same entertainment and festival experience that music fans know and love. The Greener Bar will host some of Ireland’s best loved, local talent.

Heineken says the world has changed radically since the last Electric Picnic in 2019 and so too has Heineken. For Electric Picnic, Heineken says it has reimagined how the festival experience can be greener by taking a new, innovative approach to Design & Construction of The Greener Bar and also Artist and Entertainment Production.

It says The Greener Bar uses the best innovations in circular design and building methods, materials and technologies to reduce waste, water and energy use. Heineken® Greener Bar, by design, will: 

• Save up to 9,760kg of plastic event waste - the equivalent to the daily waste of 11,132 average Irish individuals**. 
• The utilisation of Reusable Cups at The Greener Bar means a reduction in the amount of single use plastic cups - 2022 will see at least 20,000 less cups than 2019. 
• Utilise circular and recycled production. All materials used for The Heineken® Greener Bar have had a life before, or will have a life long after the festival. From the structure of the bar; the selection of organic, recyclable staff uniforms and the reclamation of festival-planting for a local horticulturist, the contents of Heineken’s® Greener Bar are recycled, upcycled or reused where possible offering music fans a planet friendly destination both day and night. 
• Outside of the Greener Bar, all cups throughout the rest of the event will be made with recyclable PET

In organising the music experience, Heineken says it focuses on creating a lighter, more sustainable production for music fans without compromising on world-class lighting and sound.

It aims to do so by:

• Cutting international travel. For 2022, all musicians booked by Heineken are local. This marks the first year the brand has cut international travel in preference for 100% local artists. 
• The exciting lineup includes  PrYmary Colours, George Feely, Stevie G, DJ Safari & Sing Along Social.
• Embracing alternative energy sources to regular diesel fuel. This is estimated to achieve an emissions reduction over 90% (v’s regular fuel) and over 60% less emissions than previous years (v’s 2019). The Greener Bar uses bio generators and a customised smart power plan to reduce unnecessary waste. The plan is inspired by the MyZap Smart Power Planning (an exciting new lower energy solution currently being trialled by Coldplay on their most sustainable world tour yet.) 
• Creating a custom built lower emission LED lighting rig (which can use up to 85% less electricity than traditional light bulbs) and LED screens (which can achieve an energy saving of up to 50%). 
• Encouraging responsible consumption over the festival weekend by making Heineken® 0.0 available on draught at The Greener Bar. 

Ronan McCormack is the Marketing Manager, Heineken Ireland: “We wanted our festival comeback to be ambitious and to reflect who we have become as a company. As part of “Brew a Better World” we’re working on brewing our beer here in Ireland with zero emissions by 2030.

"Festival activations like The Heineken Greener Bar demonstrates how our sustainability commitments are being delivered impactfully through our brand activities. It’s taken a lot of unlearning and reworking how we do things - the effort has been enormous and now that we’re festival-ready; we can’t wait to welcome revellers to the Heineken® Greener Bar where they can experience our great beer (including Heineken 0.0); our passion for sustainability and the stellar line up we have planned for the weekend.”

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Melvin Benn, MD, Festival Republic: “Heineken has been the official beer of Electric Picnic for many years, a long term partner who has brought a stellar experience to Electric Picnic year after year. We work hard to deliver the most sustainable experience to festival goers and we’re delighted to see how Heineken has innovated and created an exceptional experience for this year’s festival.”

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Electric Picnic runs from SEPTEMBER 2 -4 at STRADBALLY HALL, CO. LAOIS, IRELAND