Sustainability at Estéreo Picnic 2025: A Journey of Innovation, Collaboration, and Environmental Commitment

Páramo Impacta
May 1
5 min read

At Estéreo Picnic 2025, sustainability wasn’t just a buzzword — it was a guiding philosophy that touched every part of the festival. From the early planning stages to the final goodbye, every decision was made with our planet in mind. Our goal wasn’t just to throw an unforgettable party — we set out to show that large-scale events can be leaders in environmental consciousness and care. Along this journey, we worked hand-in-hand with strategic partners, creative minds, and a passionate community to ensure every action made a meaningful impact.

Here’s how we brought our sustainability vision to life at FEP 2025.

Kicking Things Off: The Sustainability Picnic Session

Long before the gates opened, our sustainability strategy was already in motion. We launched with the Picnic Session de Sostenibilidad, an innovation-focused event featuring a creative challenge: student teams from EAN University competed to design sustainable solutions for festivals. The winning team, Mariana Bautista and Ana Sofía Girón, was celebrated in a vibrant event at the university plaza, packed with eco-activations from partner brands.

Highlights included cat adoptions with Fundación Gatu Perrio, recycling exchanges with Coca-Cola and PEP+, info talks from our nonprofit partners, and a special performance by Oh La Ville. It was the perfect kickoff — full of energy, action, and a deep commitment to the planet.

Building Green: Eco-Efficient Setup and Operations

Our sustainability operations officially began on March 10, during the massive festival build-out. A dedicated cleaning crew handled waste collection, while we installed 6 waste sorting hubs and 2 wellness zones across the site.

We launched our waste classification system with recyclers from the Bogotá Recyclers Association (ARB), set up 144 eco-points for attendees, 90 points for production, bars and merch, and built unique areas like the Aldea Verde, Granja Solar, and dry toilets.

Zero Waste Goals: A Circular Economy in Action

We crafted a robust waste management strategy in partnership with NOMO WASTE and Regenera-Cemex. With the help of ARB, we recovered all recyclable materials, converted what would have gone to landfills into Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), composted organic waste and foliage, transformed cooking oils into biodiesel, and repurposed wood into composite materials.

Our goal was simple: Zero waste to landfill. The results?

30.1 tons of recyclables
7.9 tons of organic waste
68.8 tons of general waste repurposed

From Awareness to Action: Environmental Education

Education was one of our core pillars. Guided by NOMO WASTE, our Ecoguardians helped attendees properly sort waste throughout the festival.

We partnered with Fundación Pazósfera to train formerly incarcerated women as Ecoguardians — turning second chances into real impact. With support from McDonald’s, we also ran educational campaigns at the food court to teach festivalgoers the value of recycling.

Waste Sorting Points: Scaling Up Our Impact

We installed 144 eco-points across the venue — beyond those provided by the park — and 90 additional ones in high-traffic areas like bars, merch stands, food courts, and dressing rooms. All were monitored by Ecoguardians to ensure proper waste separation.

Wildlife Monitoring & Biodiversity Protection

Throughout setup, the event, and teardown, we worked with IDRD, the Bogotá Environmental Department, IDPYBA, and Fundación Aves SOS to monitor and protect local wildlife.

We identified active bird nests, mapped sensitive zones, and adapted our operations to minimize disruption — lowering stage volume on the weekend, eliminating bird sounds in our décor, and modifying lights.

We communicated these measures through signs, stage screens, and social media with the support of WWF. These efforts helped protect park wildlife and taught us how to create more eco-conscious festivals in urban nature spaces like Simón Bolívar Park.

Solar Power on Stage: An Energy Breakthrough

For the first time in Colombia, a festival stage was powered by solar energy. Thanks to Coca-Cola Colombia, SETIE, and Páramo Impacta, the Coke Studio stage ran for 183 hours using 48 solar panels and a battery system — only 23 of those hours required backup fuel.

The Páramo Impacta Village also ran on hybrid energy for 108 hours. Altogether, we saved 1,012 gallons of fuel — a major step toward energy transition in live events.

Eco-Toilets: Smart Water Solutions

We installed sawdust-based dry toilets and bio toilets powered by microorganisms. These reduced water consumption and eliminated odors, creating a clean, eco-friendly experience. Traditional festival toilets use about 50 liters of water per use — our alternatives saved around 1,230 liters in total.

The Páramo Impacta Village: Where Action Meets Awareness

This was the heart of our sustainability movement. Organizations like WWF, NOMO WASTE, Fundación Por Amor a Rocky, Pazósfera, Parques Nacionales, and Live Happy hosted educational and immersive experiences.

We danced with May and Los Curanderos del Ritmo, left our mark on a GWS mural, and charged up at Klik Energy solar stations — all in the name of a greener future.

The Sustainable Stage Pilot: Heavyweight Innovation

Stages require weight loads to anchor gear safely — usually via water tanks. But this year, we did it differently. In partnership with Cemex, we swapped out 7,500 liters of water for 320 bags of dry mortar as a sustainable counterweight.

We met all our goals except one — operational cost, which increased due to staffing. Still, we proved it’s possible to rethink traditional practices for greener alternatives.

Hydration for All

With Agua Brisa, we rolled out free hydration efforts. At the gates, we handed out water to fans in line, and inside the venue, we set up two minimum vital hydration stations for everyone to refill and refresh.

Well-Being for the Planet’s Heroes

Together with VISIÓN CIRCULAR, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, PEP+, and Gatorade, we created a wellness zone for our sustainability team — the backbone of this operation.

This space offered snacks, drinks, and motivational talks to encourage and support the tireless work of our recyclers and cleaning crews.

Measuring & Offsetting Our Carbon Footprint

From planning to teardown, we partnered with Carbon Box to measure our full carbon footprint — including artist travel and attendee transport (Scope 3 emissions).

Once the final numbers are in, we’ll offset emissions through certified carbon credits via The Community Forest. The festival also underwent a full audit by ICONTEC to obtain our Carbon Neutrality certification.

Aiming for B-Greenly Certification

We’re currently undergoing the B-Greenly certification process — an international audit that recognizes sustainable efforts at festivals. Our goal: earn both certifications this year and keep raising the bar.

Reusable Cups: Drink. Refill. Reforest.

We sold reusable cups made from recycled FEP cups from previous years. In partnership with Mastercard and the Priceless Planet Coalition, fans who reloaded their cashless wristbands with Mastercard received one free cup — and helped plant a tree in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta.

We planted 5,000 trees in total through this initiative.

Conscious Vendors, Partners & Restaurants

Sustainability only works when everyone’s aligned. That’s why we trained sponsors, vendors, restaurant staff, managers, and production crews on waste reduction, water conservation, and eco best practices.

We created sustainability manuals, set up accessible sorting stations, and encouraged veggie-friendly menus to promote healthy, mindful eating.

From Festival Grounds to Forests

We partnered with Fundación Live Happy to plant 120 trees at the Reserva La Serrana, while also installing a waste-catching net in a nearby stream. The tree-planting day ended with a gratitude meditation and a live set by Piel Camaleón — a heartfelt tribute to nature and the páramo ecosystem.

Thank You to Our Incredible Partners

None of this would’ve been possible without our rockstar partners: Coca-Cola Colombia, LATAM Airlines, Mastercard, Priceless Planet Coalition, GWS, Diageo, PEP+, Gatorade, Cemex-Regenera, NOMO WASTE, Vision Circular, SETIE, Parques Nacionales Naturales, Pazósfera, The Community Forest, B-Greenly, and WWF. Thanks to you, we made the planet our one and only dance floor.