How can waste collection become part of the festival experience rather than a disruption?

At Tomorrowland, the Love Tomorrow Recycle & Cup Return Backpack Initiative explores a practical approach to on-site waste collection by integrating mobility, visibility and participation directly into the crowd.

About the initiative

The Backpacks are worn by volunteers who move through the festival grounds collecting empty cans, lightweight waste and reusable cups. Designed in line with the festival’s visual theme, the backpacks function as mobile collection points, making disposal accessible without interrupting the flow of the event.

Rather than relying solely on static bins, the initiative focuses on proximity and ease, reducing the distance between consumption and disposal during peak crowd movement. Additionally the Cup Return Backpacks serve as mobile return stations, motivating the People of Tomorrow to return as many reusable cups as possible. This limits loss rates, increases deposits for visitors and helps maintain a cleaner surrounding.

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Approach

  • More than 70 volunteers were deployed across the festival grounds and DreamVille at Tomorrowland Belgium.
  • Around 20 volunteers walk around the festival's and mountain stages at Tomorrowland Winter.
  • Volunteers carried specially designed backpacks used for collecting reusable cups, cans and small waste items.
  • Collection took place directly within high-traffic crowd areas.

This approach was developed to complement existing waste infrastructure and test alternative ways of engaging festival visitors with responsible disposal.

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Outcome

The presence of mobile collection points helped limit visible litter in high-density areas and increased awareness around waste handling during the event. Beyond collection, the initiative functioned as a visible prompt, encouraging festival visitors to dispose of waste consciously in real time.

Context

Large-scale festivals present unique challenges when it comes to waste management. The Recycle Backpack Initiative forms part of Love Tomorrow Projects’ broader exploration of practical, on-site solutions that can be tested, evaluated and refined in real festival conditions.