Sustainable Latvian Festivals 2025 Edition

After a successful implementation of the cup deposit system in the Valmiera City Festival in 2024, where a reduction of  29% of the collected waste was reached, Valmiera Municipality Government decided to continue the initiative and implement a reusable cup system in eight events in 2025.

On 17 May the summer event season kicked off with the Festival for the Rafters of River Gauja in Strenči. Strenči is a small town in the Valmiera region, which is located right next to the river Gauja. In the past, Strenči was home to forestry and rafting – floating timber down the river Gauja. During the festival, people had the chance to learn more about different types of plastics and their impact on the environment and health through an exhibition “Plastics in everyday life”. Additionally, an activity called “live statistics” was carried out during the event where people had the chance to answer questions related to waste sorting, plastic use, and eco-friendly habits.

The same activities were brought to Rūjiena – known as the ice cream capital of Latvia. Rūjiena is known for the production of “Rūjienas saldējums” (Rūjienas ice cream), which is rich in flavour, tastes great, and can be found in nearly every citizen’s fridge. On 24 May Ice Cream Festival was held in Rūjiena. Despite the cold and rainy day, people came to the event from Rūjiena and the region to celebrate the ice cream festival. One of the main activities of the event is eating the ice cream fresh out of the production line. And if we look from the sustainability perspective – that is the most eco-friendly way you could eat an ice cream – in the place where it is produced, and without any packaging or waste produced in the process.

In both of these events, a reusable cup system was implemented. When speaking to visitors and caterers, as well as, the company organising the system, mostly good feedback was received. Visitors understand the use of the system and the need for one. Additionally, the caterers are more willing to participate in the new system as it does not require a financial contribution before the event. Overall, all involved sides are satisfied with the new, improved reusable cup system.

Altogether, we, the municipality, could see that people living outside Valmiera are also aware of climate change, the environment, they care about the products they use every day, and what impact plastic has on human health. People were also eager to know what is municipality’s role is in the BALTIPLAST project and what activities have been done and will be done throughout the project.

On 5 July, we will celebrate Festival of King Tālivaldis in Trikāta, where the reusable cup system, exhibition and “live statistics” will be implemented!

Elizabete Brūvere,
Valmiera Municipality Government

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