Yackandandah is a town deeply committed to sustainability, with a strong community focus on environmental action and renewable energy. From grassroots initiatives like Totally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY) to local land revegetation, waste reduction programs, and solar-powered public spaces, the town leads by example.
We’ve set out to integrate better environmental practices throughout the festival and continue to actively build on this each year. Got a suggestion? Send it our way.
Total Renewable Yackandandah (TRY)
A portion of every festival ticket sold goes directly to supporting Totally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY) supporting the ambitious goal of running our whole town entirely on renewable electricity.
Waste Management
We’re reducing waste with clear bins, info boards, and cheerful ‘Bin Fairies’ to guide you. Follow the 4 Rs—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—by bringing a Keep Cup, refilling water bottles, choosing reusable crockery, and making sure everything else goes in the right bin.
Earth Hour
One of our festival highlights is the Unplugged Concert. A 60-minute acoustic set with artists, no amps, no lights, just pure, raw music. The local hall is lit by solar-charged LEDs, making it a magical, low-impact celebration of sound and sustainability.
Plastic-wise Dishpig
Our food vendors use reusable bamboo plates and bowls, washed by Green Team volunteers in the ‘Dish Pig’—a commercial dishwasher in a converted horse float. Support vendors doing the right thing for the planet. They’re ‘Dish Pig Champions’—reducing waste and landfill, one meal at a time.
Re-usable crockery
Thanks to a grant from Indigo Shire Council, we have invested in lightweight bamboo plates and bowls, as well as keep cups, that can be washed and re-used over and over for many festivals to come.
Energy use
In 2018, Yack Folk Festival became one of Australia’s first carbon-neutral festivals — and now we generate 6x more power than we use over the weekend.
Proudly in partnership with Totally Renewable Yackandandah.
Like banjo to bluegrass, great partnerships are remarkable. Such is the longstanding collaboration between Totally Renewable Yackandandah and the Folk Festival – working together toward a 100% renewable festival and district by switching to clean, local power.
In 2013, Yack’s community-owned petrol station installed 12 kW of solar, which included 3kW funded by the Folk Festival.
In 2019 the festival helped fund solar systems on ten public buildings, which now generate about 10 times more power annually than is used in the main festival venues.
With financial support of the Folk Festival and many others, TRY has activated many community-focused energy activities:
- Solar, battery and hot water programs,
- 2 community battery energy storage systems,
- 3 trial microgrids,
- A virtual power plant with more than 210 properties,
- Helped establish social enterprise, Indigo Power,
- Built energy resilience on key public buildings, and inspired projects across Australia.
A community partnership. Together reducing emissions, flexibly using power, increasing comfort and striving to address the threat of worsening climate change. To learn more about energy efforts in Yack visit the TRY website.