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Waste Management & Nutrient Circularity

Waste Management &
Nutrient Circularity 2022

Content

  1. Overview and problem statement
  2. Our Benchmark for Tempelhof Lab
  3. What worked well, what can be improved?
  4. Findings and recommendations
  5. Service Provider Contacts
  6. Further inspiration from the industry

The ‘Waste & Nutrient Management’ chapter of Labor Tempelhof 2022 can be found here.

1. Overview and problem statement

Did you know…?

In 2022 in Germany, around 13% of all materials were reused as part of the circular economy. For this portion, no new raw materials had to be extracted. In countries with a more advanced circular economy like the Netherlands, the rate was 33%. 33

Properly used, waste serves as a nutrient again and again and can be used as a resource for something new. The problem: most products today are not designed to circulate continuously in our economy. So at some point they become waste, whether in everyday life or at major events.

On average, 1.5 kilograms of waste are produced per person per day at a festival. Extrapolated to 80,000 people in a field that generates huge mountains of trash. In addition, there are the significantly larger and invisible quantities of waste generated during the production of conventional products, which are often accompanied by further negative environmental impacts. Event organisers can influence both streams, although this is easier in the case of the visible waste generated on site. The separation of these materials by type and returning them to the cycle as resources is the central role of a professional waste management concept. 

The bigger the event, the more visible the waste generated onsite and the more complicated the separation of the waste, both for participants before and behind the stage. At the same time, there is a great opportunity to avoid waste and promote awareness that waste can be a reusable resource in a circular economy.

2. Our Benchmark for Labor Tempelhof

At Labor Tempelhof, we attempted whenever possible, to consider waste as a nutritional substance for something new and not as worthless garbage. Unfortunately this is still not 100% achievable today, so a good waste management system is still required to properly separate the resulting waste. 

  • Use as many recyclable products as possible throughout the project: In the production of the concerts, in the audience area, but also in the other project components.
  • Where waste is unavoidable: Separate in such a way to make reuse, recycling, and composting possible. Avoid garbage destined for a landfill as much as possible.
  • Recycle food scraps through onsite composting projects, food sharing initiatives and industrial composting. 
  • Recycle nutrients from solid and liquid toilet waste to produce phosphorus fertilizer and humus as part of a research project. (This measures and its implementation is described more in detail in the Sanitation & Water chapter. It is also listed as an objective in this chapter, as the recycling of resources contained in manure and urine is part of nutrient management from a holistic perspective.).
  • Collect as much waste and material as possible before the concert site to reduce the complexity of separation on site. For example, by collecting glass and PET bottles in front of the entrance.
  • Ideally, implement reusable dishes and cups everywhere with a fund deposit system to avoid single-use waste.
  • Visibility, education and gamification: well-placed, visible waste stations with simple and understandable signage and, ideally, gamified elements. Proper waste separation should be made as easy as possible.

3. What worked well, what can be improved?

At Labor Tempelhof, various measures were taken to address waste, circular economy and reusing resources:

Waste Disposal in Public Areas:

What worked well?

  • Creation of a comprehensive waste system in cooperation with Remondis. In public areas waste was separated into the following categories: Food waste, residual waste, reusable tableware and cutlery, separate cigarette disposal containers (tobacco and e-cigarettes separately). 
  • Extension of the waste separation concept to the area in front of the entrances, e.g. for glass disposables (white/coloured).
  • The ‘Pfandgeben’ initiative set up collection points (so-called “deposit islands”) for e.g. returnable bottles in front of the entrances for free collection by deposit collectors.
  • Advance communication with the public via website and ticket about which materials were permissible to bring onsite.
  • Raise awareness onsite through 25 personally supervised waste stations (so-called “nutritional substance islands”). Voluntary ambassadors of C2C NGO and the initiative mehrweg.einfach.machen supervise the waste stations at peak hours to minimize improper disposal and clarify correct garbage separation and the circularity concept/C2C goals for concerts.
  • Reusable deposit mug for beverages and the free drinking water stations. 
  • Briefing of the catering contractor about the waste disposal system for further communication to the food vendors.

What can be improved?

  • Continued revision of the concept of the so-called ‘nutritional substance islands’ for improved functionality and integration into the site design.
  • Standardised implementation in familiar colours of household waste bins.
  • Continue to improve recyclables logistics to avoid catering waste being dumped in ‘nutritional substance islands’ by vendors.
  • Improve direct communication with food stands about the sustainability concept prior to the event.
  • Better adapt the integration and organisation of voluntary initiatives such as ‘Pfandgeben’ to the size of the event.
  • Optimise accessibility of containers/bins for waste disposal personnel.

Disposal Concept Production, Gastronomy & Merchandise:

What worked well?

  • Creation of an extensive waste disposal system in cooperation with Remondis. The separation categories in the backstage-/ production area were:
    • Food: PPC (paper, paper board, carton), plastic bags, glass, food waste, used grease, residual waste
    • Production: PPC, plastic bags, glass, electrical waste, residual waste
    • Merchandize: Residual waste, PPC, plastic bags
    • Immediately in front of the event site: PPC, plastic bags, glass (white/coloured), residual waste.
  • On-site commercial yard with staff supervision and multiple trash compactors, in order to ensure separation by type in the presses.
  • Separation in the commercial yard into nine categories:
  • Residual waste, reusable material, organic waste, PPC, glass (white/colorful), food leftovers, used grease, compostable waste, wood.
  • Recording of materials and material flows, subsequent evaluation and oversight by Remondis.

What can be improved?

  • Further reduce or completely eliminate plastic packaging for merchandise.
  • Personally addressing employees in production, food stands and other service providers about the waste separation concept instead of just a written briefing.
  • Some reusable coffee cups in the backstage area were thrown away or not returned (loss of almost 67%). Stronger focus on self-brought reusable cups or personalised cups on site.

4. Findings and Recommendations

  • Waste disposal system in public areas and back stage-/ production areas was comprehensive and accompanied by educational exhibits for the audience. In 2024, adjustments to the waste separation concept made it possible to reduce the waste category ‘residual waste’, which ends up in thermal recycling to 10 tonnes, thus halving it compared to 2022. This has enabled significantly more resources to be kept in the cycle. Nevertheless, even the best waste system for one event cannot eliminate the structural problems with waste disposal or completely avoid improper disposal by individuals.
    • Public area: Allow only fully recyclable materials to be brought in (e.g., PET bottles), as these can be collected and recycled. Do not allow non-recyclable products such as tetra packs. These measures must be communicated clearly and broadly to the public in advance. The fewer problematic materials that are brought to the event, the more effective the waste system.
    • Backstage/ production: The crew should be informed in advance exactly which materials/products are recyclable and which materials should be avoided. This can be done through individual discussions, briefings, material checklists, sustainability principles, etc. and is the responsibility of the event organizers and the venue. Inform all employees in multiple ways about the requirements for waste separation. It is advisable to have a contact person on waste disposal for each industry involved. It is also a good idea to connect all onsite service providers with one contact person for any questions about the waste system.
    • During the set-up and dismantling phase, construction materials are gathered that can still be recycled, but are often thrown away for logistical reasons. Here it is a good idea to contact local associations, schools/universities at an early stage and have the material collected. There are now companies that buy up leftover/old/used etc. building materials and resell them as building materials.
    • When designing the waste disposal system, always consider the outdoor area in front of the entrance and do not underestimate the volume of waste there in the form of glass bottles, deposit bottles, PET bottles and tetra packs. A residual waste garbage bin with proper labeling, distinguished by color, should also be placed next to each glass recycling bin.
    • Waste can be easily collected from the public both before entering and when leaving the site. If these areas are well structured and supervised, littering and waste on the ground can be minimised.
    • The better the waste stations in the audience area and backstage/production area are labeled (by lettering, colors, pictograms at eye level…), the better waste separation works. The key is to stick to the already familiar bins and assigned colour codes from household waste separation.
    • Staffing the waste stations further reduces the rate of misplaced waste. It can be worthwhile to combine the waste system in the public areas with educational exhibits, if there is sufficient personnel. NGOs can also be approached for support.
    • For the waste system design, strategically place waste bins and make them visible, especially  in darkness on evenings. For example, near the food stalls, and marked with high-flying flags.
    • In the commercial yard: ensure continuous oversight to prevent misdirected waste. If no qualified personnel are onsite, close the commercial yard.
    • Cigarette butts should be collected separately; there are collection systems already available with gamification elements.
    • E-cigarettes should also be collected separately and disposed of as toxic waste.
    • By evaluating the waste quantities after the event, important conclusions can be drawn for improving the waste disposal at future events.

 

  • The question of how much waste is generated from the food service industry is directly related to the question of how food and beverages are served.
    • Priority should always be for a reusable system.
    • Reusable systems for tableware must be planned in advance with all service providers.
    • Setting up a waste deposit fund system for food vendors can motivate them to separate waste.

 

  • Additional waste often arises in places that are hardly considered in advance. Not every well-intentioned solution is really good from a resource and climate perspective.
    • In the case of paper admission wristbands with adhesive strips, the covering film of the adhesive strip generates waste. This must be taken into account and collected at the issuing points, otherwise this waste ends up in the environment.
    • RFID chips in festival wristbands are electronic waste and therefore hazardous waste – which is why separate collection and processing is necessary.

5. Service Provider Contacts

Disclosure on completeness

6. Further inspiration from the industry

The Futur2 Festival in Hamburg (capacity 5,000) has strict sustainability standards and produces – after sorting out recyclable material such as glass bottles – only 36g of waste per day per visitor. The festival’s goal is to become 100% waste-free. However, it must be mentioned that the Futur2 Festival does not have a camping area and thus the amount of waste is generally lower than at multi-day festivals with camping. 34

Since 2022, the Roskilde festival (capacity 130,000) has been using partially pre-installed tents, in order to avoid the waste of left behind camping equipment. In addition, the festival uses a large-scale communications campaign to ensure simple and correct waste disposal, with slogans like ”Leave No Trace” or “Clean and Loud Campsite.” 35

German Protestant Church Day (capacity around 300,000) has consistently used reusable materials since the 1980s, avoiding 280,000 single-use plastic cups, plates and cutlery each year. All items used are provided with a deposit system and are either washed onsite by the reusable tableware service provider or transported back to the manufacturer if it is located close enough to the washing center. 36

What might also interest you

Sanitation & Water

Event Technology & Production Materials

Event Technology &
Production Materials

Energy

Labor Tempelhof is a project of Cradle to Cradle NGO, KKT GmbH – Kikis Kleiner Tourneeservice, Loft Concerts GmbH, Side by Side Eventsupport GmbH

side by side eventsupport gmbh

Supported on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag by

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C2C-Qualität

Das bedeutet, dass die Textilien kreislauffähig und materialgesund sind. Das Textil ist recycelbar und die beim Waschvorgang ausgewaschene Fasern unschädlich für die Umwelt. Neben dem Gewebe sind auch auch Farbstoffe, Druckfarbe und bei der Produktion verwendete Prozesschemikalien auf Materialgesundheit optimiert. Bei der Herstellung werden soziale Standards eingehalten und erneuerbare Energie verwendet.

Textilmaterialien

Ein Großteil aller heute hergestellten und verkauften Kleidungsstücke besteht aus synthetischen Fasern. Alleine Polyester hat einen Marktanteil von rund 50 %. Und auch Textilien aus Naturfasern, also Fasern aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen, sind in der Regel mit umweltschädlichen Farben gefärbt oder bedruckt. Bei der Herstellung werden zudem chemische Stoffe eingesetzt, zum Beispiel zur Fixierung der Farben, die nicht nur die Umwelt, sondern auch die Gesundheit der Menschen gefährden, die in der Herstellung arbeiten. Ob ein Kleidungsstück also wirklich nachhaltig ist, hängt nicht alleine vom Gewebe ab, sondern auch von allen anderen verwendeten Materialien. Denn bei jedem Waschgang verliert das Kleidungsstück automatisch tausende Mikrofasern, die dann in den Gewässern landen. Und genau dafür müssen diese Fasern dann auch geeignet sein. Das bedeutet: Egal, ob das Gewebe synthetisch hergestellt oder aus Naturfasern ist – es dürfen bei der Textilproduktion ausschließlich Materialien eingesetzt werden, die dafür geeignet sind, dass wir Menschen bei der Herstellung und beim Tragen mit ihnen in Berührung kommen und die biologisch abbaubar sind, wenn sie als ausgewaschene Faser in der Umwelt landen. Nach diesem Prinzip sind C2C-Textilien designt.

Phosphorgewinnung

Ab 2029 sind Kläranlagen – je nach Größe der versorgten Gemeinde – dazu verpflichtet, Phosphor aus Abwasser, Klärschlamm oder Klärschlammasche zurückzugewinnen.

C2C Zertifizierung

Die Zertifizierung nach den Kriterien von Cradle to Cradle wird vom Products Innovation Institute (PII) mit Sitz in San Francisco und Amsterdam durchgeführt. Die Organisation zertifiziert Produkte anhand von fünf Kriterien, in denen jeweils vier unterschiedliche Levels erreicht werden können. Das PII und Cradle to Cradle NGO sind voneinader unabhängige Organisationen.

Saving Water

To make this amount tangible: A person needs an average of 2 litres of drinking water per day – with 259 million litres of water you could supply the entire population of Germany with drinking water for 1.5 days.

NPK-Dünger

Liquid fertilizer containing the nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K).

FLINTA*

FLINTA* steht für: Frauen, Lesben, intergeschlechtliche, nichtbinäre, trans und agender Personen. Der * bezieht als Platzhalter alle nicht-binären Geschlechtsidentitäten ein.

Schwarz- und Grauwasser

Schwarz- und Grauwasser sind unterschiedliche Kategorien von Schmutzwasser. Unter Schwarzwasser versteht man fäkalienbelastetes Wasser. Grauwasser ist gering verschmutztes, fäkalienfreies Wasser, wie Regenwasser oder das Abwasser aus Handwaschbecken.

Canceln

Als Canceln (Cancel Culture) bezeichnet man das Ausschließen von Personen oder Organisationen, denen unter anderem beleidigende, diskriminierende oder rassistische Aussagen oder Taten vorgeworfen werden. Der Begriff wird auch von Personen verwendet, denen dieses Verhalten vorgeworfen wird. Der Begriff und die dahinter stehenden Handlungen werden öffentlich stark diskutiert.

Sir David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough ist ein britischer Naturforscher, Schriftsteller und Tierfilmer, der vor allem für seine vielfach preisgekrönten Naturdokumentationen bekannt ist.

Leichte Sprache

Leichte Sprache ist eine einfachere und weniger komplexe Form der Alltagssprache. Die richtet sich an Menschen, denen es schwer fällt, einen Text in Alltagssprache zu lesen oder zu verstehen. In Texten in leichter Sprache kommen beispielsweise keine Fremdwörter oder Abkürzungen vor. Das Regelwerk wird vom Netzwerk Leichte Sprache herausgegeben.

Initiative Barrierefrei Feiern
(IBF)

Nationwide collective of people with disabilities and their allies who campaign for barrier-free cultural events.

Inklusion

Unter Inklusion versteht man die Akzeptanz, Einbindung und gleichberechtigte Teilhabe aller Menschen an einer Gesellschaft.

Awareness

Awareness means being aware of problems and conflicts. Awareness concepts are used to create spaces in which everyone can feel comfortable because no assaults or discriminatory behaviour are tolerated in these spaces. The definition of what is offensive or discriminatory behaviour for a person or group is not called into question. The definition of what is assaultive or discriminatory for a person or a group is not questioned.

Conventional products

Conventional or linear products are products whose design and production do not take into account the circularity of the raw materials used. In supply chains and after use, linear management generates waste and other negative environmental impacts. With circular products and especially with products designed and produced according to Cradle to Cradle, this recycling of resources after the first use is taken into account. This means that at least less waste and negative environmental impacts are produced. If C2C is implemented consistently throughout the entire supply chain, positive environmental impacts can ideally be achieved, for example by using osmosis filters to purify water used in production before it is returned to nature.

invisible waste

Waste and the associated negative environmental impact do not only arise at the end of a product’s life when it is disposed of. They occur along the entire supply chain, starting with the extraction and processing of raw materials. Today, ecosystems are overburdened or destroyed for the extraction of many raw materials (for example, the deforestation of rainforests to build mines or the leaching of soil through monocultures in agriculture).
During transport (additional transport packaging, emissions, microplastics from tire abrasion from trucks/cars, etc.), during use (microplastics from the washing out of plastic fibers in textiles, water pollution from the use of cleaning agents containing chlorine, etc.) through to disposal, further waste streams or environmental and health damage occur.
Only when a material can be attributed a value again by making it usable again through recycling or direct recirculation does its status as waste end in purely legal terms.

resource-positive

This means that the cultivation of a plant has an overall positive impact. A plant from regenerative agriculture has been grown in such a way that the cultivation increases the nutrient content in the soil, the biodiversity in the cultivation area or the quality of the water in the region. The cultivation of the plant therefore has a positive impact on all the resources that are needed in the cultivation process.

Reale Preise

Reale Preise entstehen dann, wenn die bei der Produktion oder beim Konsum eines Produkts entstehenden sogenannten externen Effekte in den Preis eingerechnet werden. In der Regel handelt es sich dabei um negative externe Effekte. Das sind beispielsweise Umweltschäden oder gesundheitliche Schäden, die durch die Produktion oder den Konsum eines bestimmten Produkts entstehen, für die der Verursacher jedoch nicht haftet oder “zahlt”, sondern in der Regel die Allgemeinheit. In diesem konkreten Beispiel ist gemeint: Den Ressourcenverbrauch und die CO₂-Bilanz, die bei der Produktion einer bestimmten Menge Fleisch anfallen messen, beziffern und auf den Verkaufspreis anrechnen. Gesundheits- und umweltschädliche Produkte sind unter dieser Betrachtung in der Regel deutlich teurer als  nachhaltige oder C2C-Produkte.

Weichmacher

Weichmacher werden unter anderem Kunststoffen, Lacken, Klebestoffen oder bei der Textilveredelung zugesetzt, um spröde Materialien weich und geschmeidig zu machen. Viele als Weichmacher eingesetzten Stoffe gelten mit Blick auf ihre Wirkung für die Umwelt und die Gesundheit als bedenklich. In Verpackungen können neben Weichmachern auch andere Schadstoffe enthalten sein, die bis zu bestimmten Grenzwerten eingesetzt werden dürfen und die Kreislauffähigkeit des Materials verhindern.

Regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is an agricultural approach that focuses on the health of soils and plants. The aim is to build healthy, fertile soil through agricultural cultivation, thereby increasing harvests and at the same time creating positive effects on carbon and water cycles as well as biodiversity. The approach contrasts with conventional agriculture, which reduces biodiversity and damages soils in the long term through the use of pesticides, heavy agricultural machinery and monocultures, among other things. Regenerative agriculture can complement organic farming, which avoids the use of harmful substances but is often associated with lower harvests than conventional agriculture.

Laststrom-Management

Laststrom-Management wird in intelligenten Stromnetzen betrieben, indem die Auslastung der vorhandenen Infrastruktur verbessert und Energie damit effizienter genutzt wird.

Peak Shaving

Mit Peak Shaving (übersetzt: Lastspitzenkappung) kann die aus Energienetzen gewonnene Leistung verstetigt werden. Zeiträume, in denen besonders viel Leistung zur Verfügung steht (Leistungsspitzen – Peaks) werden gekappt.

Grüner Wasserstoff

Bei grünem Wasserstoff als Kraftstoff wird für die Elektrolyse zur Gewinnung von Wasserstoff erneuerbare statt konventioneller Energie eingesetzt. Er lässt sich vor allem in Regionen sinnvoll erzeugen, in denen genügend erneuerbare Energieträger in Form von Sonne oder Wind zur Verfügung stehen, um die Wasser-Elektrolyse zu betreiben.

Battery Regulation

One of the aims of this regulation is to make a battery passport mandatory in order to incentivise recyclable battery design and the recycling of battery components.

Diese Kontakte sind lediglich eine Auswahl, ohne Anspruch auf Vollständigkeit. Die Auswahl leitet sich davon ab, mit welchen Unternehmen und Organisationen im Rahmen des Projekts Labor Tempelhof zusammengearbeitet wurde oder Kontakt bestand.

Euro standard

The Euro standard is an emissions standard that sets limits for the emission of air pollutants. The values are defined by the EU in Europe. Compliance is measured and checked during the type approval of new vehicles in the laboratory and, in the case of trucks and buses, also in real operation. Since January 2021, Euro 6d has been the strictest standard for passenger cars and Euro VI for trucks (over 3.5 tons). While the emissions standard sets limits for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate mass and number, it says nothing about the CO₂ emissions of a vehicle. These are defined for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in a separate EU regulation.

to be considered positive

For comparison: the statistical average for leisure journeys is 1.9 people per vehicle. A high vehicle occupancy rate helps to relieve traffic congestion and reduce CO₂ emissions.

Travel survey

The on-site survey was conducted using the Crowd Impact app in order to achieve the most representative results possible. A total of 4,431 people were interviewed, which is an excellent rate in relation to the number of visitors. The interviews took place at the North and South entrances as well as freely on the grounds, for example at sales stands or in queues. By conducting the interviews on all three days of the event, influences such as weather, time of day and demographic differences were minimized. The results were weighted in such a way that both the visitor flows at the entrances and the surveys on the grounds were included in the evaluation and a comprehensive picture was created.

Hydrierte Pflanzenöle (HVO)

Hydrierte Pflanzenöle (HVO) sind chemisch in Kohlenwasserstoffe umgewandelte Öle, die so als Kraftstoff eingesetzt werden können. Sie werden als Beimischung oder Ersatz für Diesel-Kraftstoff verwendet und stoßen bis zu 90 % weniger CO₂ aus als Diesel. Als Rohstoff für HVO können Ölpflanzen, Reststoffe der Agrarindustrie aber auch Altspeiseöle verwendet werden. Werden Reststoffe oder Abfallstoffe eingesetzt, steht die Produktion nicht in Konkurrenz zur Nahrungsmittelproduktion und verursacht in der Produktion geringere CO₂-Emissionen. Wird HVO aus Palmöl hergestellt, verschlechtert sich die Treibhausgasbilanz erheblich, weil für den Anbau von Ölpalmen Regenwälder gerodet werden. Bei der Beschaffung sollte also ein Anbieter gewählt werden, der den Ausschluss von primärem Palmöl als Rohstoff garantiert.

atmosfair

Offsetting CO₂ emissions is not a sufficient strategy for achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and certainly not for achieving climate-positive action. The provider atmosfair points this out on its website and thus encourages active action. Most of the climate protection projects supported by atmosfair are double-certified: Under the standard of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and under Gold Standard (standard developed by an association of NGOS such as the WWF, which is considered the most demanding standard for voluntary emissions trading). atmosfair is transparent in its use of funds and, according to its own information, only supports projects that take other important aspects of environmental protection into account in addition to the CO₂ aspect.

Labor Tempelhof

The Labor Tempelhof concerts took place in 2022 and 2024 under certain conditions: Tempelhof Airport as an open-air location in the centre of Berlin, up to 60,000 visitors per concert and full support from the bands involved. Solutions that were possible and useful in this scenario may not be useful or possible in other circumstances. Conversely, some good C2C ideas were not scalable for this scale, but work under other conditions. Therefore, the objectives described in this guidebook and the measures derived from them are not a universally valid checklist, but rather show possibilities and the right questions for an event that is as climate- and resource-positive as possible.

Genuine green electricity

Genuine green electricity means that the provider invests part of the income from the sale of green electricity in the construction of new plants to generate electricity from renewable sources. In this way, the provider contributes to improving the electricity mix in the long term and steadily increasing the proportion of renewable energy. Such providers can be recognised by labels such as ‘ok-power’ or ‘green electricity’.

circular

At Labor Tempelhof, an attempt was made to design as many aspects of the concerts as possible in such a way that resources are recycled or incentives are provided for this. Ideally, this meant using a C2C product or C2C process with a positive impact on people and the environment. Where this was not possible, an alternative was sought that is sustainable in the traditional sense, i.e. at least causes less damage than a conventional solution.

Cradle to Cradle

Cradle to Cradle (C2C) ist ein Ansatz für eine Kreislaufwirtschaft, die etwas weiter geht. Anstatt weniger Müll zu erzeugen, weniger Ressourcen zu verbrauchen, weniger Umweltschäden zu verursachen oder nur Klimaneutralität anzustreben, sollen Produkte und Prozesse so gestaltet werden, dass dadurch ein Mehrwert entsteht. Also ein positiver Einfluss auf das Klima durch einen neuen Umgang mit Ressourcen. Denn wenn wir nur weniger Schäden durch unser Handeln anrichten, zögern wir die Probleme, die wir dadurch verursachen nur zeitlich hinaus, lösen sie aber nicht.

Wir können Klima- und Ressourcenprobleme nur durch positive Ziele dauerhaft lösen. Indem wir unser Handeln konsequent in biologische Kreisläufe integrieren und technische Kreisläufe schaffen, erreichen wir einen wirklichen Mehrwert: ökologisch, ökonomisch und sozial. C2C-Produkte bestehen aus Materialien, die gesund für Mensch und Umwelt sind und in biologischen und technischen Kreisläufen zirkulieren können. Wird ein Material in einem Produkt automatisch verbraucht (zum Beispiel der Abrieb eines Reifens beim Fahren oder Fasern eines T-Shirt, die in der Waschmaschine ausgewaschen werden), dann muss dieses Material auch dafür geeignet sein, in der Umwelt zu landen. Es muss also komplett biologisch abbaubar sein.

Produkte, bei denen das nicht der Fall ist müssen so designt sein, dass all ihre Bestandteile sortenrein getrennt und damit immer wieder verwendet werden können. Entweder direkt, nach einer Aufarbeitung oder durch Recycling, bei dem die Qualität des Materials erhalten wird. Bei der Produktion solcher C2C-Produkte nutzen wir ausschließlich regenerative Energie, erhalten oder verbessern die Qualität von Wasser und Boden und haben faire und menschenwürdige Arbeitsbedingungen.
Geschäftsmodelle wie Produkt-Service-Modelle, Nutznießung oder Leasing tragen dazu bei, Materialien und Produkte im Kreislauf zu halten.

>> Mehr Infos

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Der Begriff „Kreislaufwirtschaft“ umfasst, abgeleitet vom Aktionsplan Circular Economy der EU Kommission, „alle Phasen der Wertschöpfung – von der Produktgestaltung und Produktion bis hin zu Verbrauch, Reparatur, Abfallbewirtschaftung und sekundären Rohstoffen, die in die Wirtschaft zurückgeführt werden.“
Die Transformation unserer heutigen linearen Wirtschaft, (Ressourcen werden der Erde entnommen, genutzt und werden dann überwiegend zu wertlosem Müll) hin zu einer Kreislaufwirtschaft ist ein übergeordnetes politisches Ziel in der EU und in sämtlichen Mitgliedsstaaten – auch in Deutschland. Die Bundesregierung hat 2023/24 die sogenannte Nationale Kreislaufwirtschaftsstrategie erarbeitet, durch die unter anderem der Bedarf an neu entnommenen Rohstoffen gesenkt werden soll. Eine zirkuläre Wirtschaft und die Ressourcenschonung sollen so einen Beitrag zu Klimaneutralität und Dekarbonisierung leisten.

H.I.T. fertilizer

Humus fertilizer from the contents of dry toilets.

NPK-Dünger

Liquid fertilizer containing the nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K).

900 tons of CO₂ emissions

This is equivalent to either 900 flights from Frankfurt to New York or 297,000 kilometers of driving in a petrol car.

CO2-Streamer

Device in which CO₂ is ejected into the air, creating a white mist.

C2C quality

C2C textiles are fully recyclable and material healthy. The fabric itself is recyclable and the fibers washed out during the laundering process are harmless to the environment. In addition to the fabric, dyes, ink and process chemicals used in production are also optimized for material health. Social standards are met during production and renewable energy is used.

Textiles in Cradle to Cradle quality

C2C textiles are fully recyclable and material healthy. The fabric itself is recyclable and the fibers washed out during the laundering process are harmless to the environment. In addition to the fabric, dyes, ink and process chemicals used in production are also optimized for material health. Social standards are met during production and renewable energy is used.

Textile materials

A large proportion of all clothing manufactured and sold today is made of synthetic fibers. Polyester alone has a market share of around 50%. Textiles made from natural fibers, i.e. fibers from renewable raw materials, are usually dyed or printed with environmentally harmful dyes. In addition, chemical substances are used in the production process, for example to fix the dyes. These chemicals do not only endanger the environment but also the health of the people who work in the production process and who wear the garments. Thus, whether a garment is truly sustainable depends not only on the fabric, but also on all the other materials used. Because with every laundry cycle, the garment automatically loses thousands of microfibers, which then end up in the waterways. And that’s exactly what these fibers have to be designed for. In other words, regardless of whether the fabric is made synthetically or from natural fibers, only materials that are appropriate for us humans to come into contact with during production and wear and that are biodegradable when they end up in the environment as washed-out fibers should be used in textile production. C2C textiles are designed according to this principle.

recover phosphorus

Starting in 2029, wastewater treatment plants in Germany – depending on the size of the community served – will be required to recover phosphorus from wastewater, sewage sludge, or sewage sludge ash.

C2C certification

Certification according to the Cradle to Cradle criteria is carried out by the Products Innovation Institute (PII), which is based in San Francisco and Amsterdam. The organization certifies products based on five criteria, in each of which four different levels can be achieved. The PII and Cradle to Cradle NGO are independent organizations.

Osmosis filter

In the osmosis filter system, gray water is first purified on a biological basis, then pressed through a bio-membrane filter, which almost completely eliminates solids, viruses and bacteria from the water. The final step is ultrafiltration, which ensures almost 100% sterility.

>> Further information on the osmosis filter

Black water and gray water

Black water and gray water are different categories of wastewater. Black water is water contaminated with fecal matter. Gray water is water that is slightly polluted and free of fecal matter, such as rainwater or wastewater from hand-washing sinks.

Euro standard

As the European exhaust emission standard, the Euro standard sets limits for the emission of air pollutants. They are defined in Europe by the EU. Compliance is measured and checked in the laboratory when new vehicles are type-approved and, in the case of trucks and buses, also in real-world operation. Euro 6d has been the strictest standard for passenger cars since January 2021, and Euro VI for trucks (over 3.5 tons). While the emissions standard sets limits for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate mass and number, it says nothing about a vehicle’s CO2 emissions. These are defined for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in a separate EU regulation.

Easy langage

Leichte Sprache (easy language) is a simpler and less complex form of everyday German. It is aimed at people who find it difficult to read or understand a text in everyday language. In texts in easy language, for example, there are no foreign words or abbreviations. The set of rules is published by the Netzwerk Leichte Sprache. It is comparable to Easy Read in English.

Plasticizers

Plasticizers are added to plastics, coatings, adhesives and textiles to make brittle materials soft and supple. Many of the substances used as plasticizers are considered to be harmful to the environment and human health. In addition to plasticizers, packaging can also contain other harmful substances that may be used up to certain permitted limits but still reduce the recyclability of the material.

PVC

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is a plastic polymer and is produced as rigid PVC (drain pipes, window profiles, etc.) as well as soft PVC. Soft PVC is used for floor coverings, films, children’s toys, hoses, cable sheathing, seals, etc. and consists of up to 40% plasticizers, some of which are harmful, especially as they are released to humans and the environment during production and use of the products. Due to the many additives, PVC is hardly recyclable and is usually incinerated (thermal recycling), which produces toxic dioxins.

Canceln

Canceling (cancel culture) refers to the exclusion of individuals or organizations that are accused of offensive, discriminatory or racist statements or actions, among other things. The term is also used by people who are accused of this behavior. The term and the actions behind it are the subject of much public debate, see here and here.

Sir David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough is a British naturalist, writer and wildlife filmmaker best known for his award-winning nature documentaries.

Social ticketing

Offering different price categories for an event, adapted to the respective financial circumstances.

FLINTA*

FLINTA* stands for Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Trans and Agender. It stands for anyone who is not a cis man. Cis or cisgender is the opposite of transgender. The asterisk includes all non-binary gender identities as a placeholder.

Which way to Panama?

The concept with the code question “Which way to Panama” was introduced in 2017 by the concert organizer FKP Scorpio. The aim is to be able to offer visitors simple and uncomplicated help in any emergency situation by naming this code sentence.

Initiative Barrierefrei Feiern
(IBF)

Nationwide collective (in German) of people with disabilities and their allies advocating for accessible cultural opportunities

Awareness

Awareness means being aware of problems and conflicts. Awareness concepts create safe spaces in which all people can feel comfortable because no assault or discriminatory behavior is tolerated. The definition of what is assaultive or discriminatory for a person or a group is not questioned.

Inclusion

Social inclusion means the accentuation, inclusion and equal participation of all people in a society.

Waste separation

Proper waste separation is not that simple. Even in Germany, where there is a comparatively extensive separation system. For example, a pizza box is made of cardboard, and therefore paper. But soiled by grease and pizza remnants, it still doesn’t belong in the waste paper bin, but in the residual waste bin.

At the Tempelhof laboratory, we have set up two residual waste garbage cans at each of the nutrient islands, a bio garbage can for leftovers/food waste and another bio garbage can for the biodegradable tabelware. In addition, a garbage bag was hung up for the collection of PET bottles, which the public was allowed to bring onto the grounds.
The background of this composition, which is quite different from the system known from everyday life in Germany: The disposable tableware was to be composted in a separate field trial, because industrial composting facilities are set in specific temperatures and composting cycles to ensure that food and food residues can be composted without residue. However, these cycles do usually not composte biodegradable tableware items. This does not mean that this tableware is not compostable – the ZirkulierBar research project has already demonstrated this by adding shredded biodegradable disposable tableware to the humus composting process. But composting takes place at a different temperature and for a different composting time than, for example, vegetable peelings, for which the cycles of industrial composting plants are designed.

Planetary Boundaries

Planetary boundaries define the safe operating framework for humanity. If these ecological limits are overstepped, our natural ecosystems collapse and the existence of humankind is endangered. The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research has defined nine such boundaries, six of which have been considered exceeded since 2022.

resource-positive

This means that the cultivation of a plant has an overall positive impact. A plant from regenerative agriculture has been grown in such a way that the cultivation increases the nutrient content in the soil, the biodiversity in the cultivation area or the quality of the water in the region. The cultivation of the plant therefore has a positive impact on all the resources that are needed in the cultivation process.

Real costs

Real costs can be shown when the so-called external effects arising from the production or consumption of a product are included in the price. These are usually negative externalities, for example environmental damages or health damages caused by the production or consumption of a certain product. Usually, these costs are not covered by the pollutur, but by society. As a result, there are differences between private returns of economic activities and the returns or costs to society as a whole. In this specific example of food at events, the real costs of a dish can be calculated by measuring the resource consumption and CO₂ footprint incurred in the production of a certain dish, quantifying it and adding it to the price. Calculating real prices would make many products that are harmful to health and the environment significantly more expensive than before, and generally more expensive than sustainable or C2C products.

Cradle Village

The Cradle Village was an area equipped with pavilions between the entrance and the stage. It was part of the educational concept around circularity and C2C onsite. Various NGOs were represented there as well as some C2C cases exhibited as educational projects.

Regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is an agricultural approach that focuses on soil and plant health. The goal is to build healthy, fertile soil through agricultural cultivation, thereby increasing yields while creating positive impacts on carbon and water cycles as well as biodiversity. The approach contrasts with conventional agriculture, in which the use of pesticides, heavy agricultural machinery and monocultures, among other things, reduces biodiversity and causes lasting damage to soils. Regenerative agriculture can complement organic agriculture, which avoids the use of hazardous substances but is often associated with lower yields than conventional agriculture.

Biofuels

Biofuels are fuels obtained from biomass. The environmental friendliness of these also depends on whether their raw materials are in competition with the food production industry (for example, corn) or whether the fuels are obtained from residual materials.

Smart grids

In smart grids, power load management improves the utilization of the existing infrastructure and thus makes more efficient use of energy.

Peak Shaving

Peak shaving can be used to stabilize the power generated by energy networks. Periods in which a particularly large amount of power is available (power peaks) are capped.

Green hydrogen

Green hydrogen fuel uses renewable energy instead of conventional energy for the electrolysis to produce hydrogen. Its production makes sense in regions where sufficient renewable energy sources in the form of sun or wind are available to power water electrolysis.

Battery Regulation

Among other things, this regulation is intended to make a battery pass mandatory in order to provide incentives for recyclable battery design and the recycling of battery components.

Authentic green electricity

Authentic green electricity means that the supplier invests part of the revenue from the sale of green electricity in the development of new plants for the generation of electricity from renewable sources. In this way, the provider helps to ensure that the electricity mix improves in the long term and the share of renewable energy grows steadily. Im Germany, such providers can be identified by labels such as “ok-power” or “Grüner Strom“.

Cradle to Cradle

Cradle to Cradle (C2C) is an approach to a circular economy that goes a little further. Instead of producing less waste, using fewer resources, causing less environmental damage, or merely aiming for climate neutrality, products and processes are to be designed in such a way that added value is created as a result. In other words, a positive impact on the climate through a new way of handling resources. Because if we only cause less damage through our actions, we only delay the problems we cause, but do not solve them.

We can only solve climate and resource problems permanently by setting positive goals. By consistently integrating our actions into biological cycles and creating technical cycles, we achieve real added value: ecologically, economically and socially. C2C products consist of materials that are healthy for people and the environment and can circulate in biological and technical cycles. If a material in a product is automatically consumed (for example, the abrasion from a tire while driving or fibers from a T-shirt that are washed out in the washing machine), then this material must also be suitable for ending up in the environment. It must therefore be completely biodegradable.

All other products must be designed in such a way that all their components and materials can be separated and reused again and again. Either directly, after remanufacturing or repairing, or through a recycling, which preserves the quality of the material. In the production of such C2C products, we use only renewable energy, preserve or improve the quality of water and soil, and have fair and humane working conditions.
Business models such as product service models, beneficial use or leasing help to keep materials and products in the cycle.

>> more information

Circular economy

Derived from the EU Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan, the term “circular economy” encompasses “all stages of value creation – from product design and production to consumption, repair, waste management and secondary raw materials fed back into the economy.”
The transformation of our current linear economy, (resources are taken from the earth, used and then mostly become worthless waste) to a circular economy is an overarching policy goal in the EU and in all member states – including Germany. The German government is currently (as of June 2023) developing the so-called National Circular Economy Strategy, which aims to reduce the need for newly extracted raw materials. A circular economy and resource conservation are thus intended to contribute to climate neutrality and decarbonization.

In the case of the Tempelhof Lab, we attempted to design as many aspects of the concerts as possible in such a way that resources are kept in circulation or incentives are provided for this. Ideally, this meant using a C2C product or C2C process with a positive impact on people and the environment. Where this was not possible, an alternative was sought that was sustainable in the classic sense, i.e. at least caused less harm than a conventional solution.

CO2 compensation

Organizations that offer compensation for CO2 emissions can be certified according to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) standard. Gold Standard is a standard developed by an alliance of non-governmental organizations such as WWF, which is considered the most demanding standard for voluntary emissions trading.

These contacts are merely a selection, without any claim to completeness. The selection is based on the companies with which the Tempelhof Lab project worked or had contact.

Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO)

Hydrotreated or hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVO) are oils that have been chemically converted into hydrocarbons and can thus be used as fuel. They are used as an addition to or substitute for diesel fuel and emit up to 90% less CO2 compared to diesel. Oil plants, residues from the agricultural industry, but also used cooking oils can be used as raw materials for HVO. If residual or waste materials are used, production does not compete with food production and causes lower CO2 emissions in production. If HVO is produced from palm oil, the greenhouse gas balance deteriorates considerably because rainforests are cleared for the cultivation of oil palms. Therefore, a supplier should be chosen that guarantees the exclusion of primary palm oil as a raw material.

atmosfair

Offsetting CO2 emissions is not a sufficient strategy for achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, and certainly not for taking climate-positive action. The provider atmosfair points out exactly this on its website and thus encourages active action. The climate protection projects supported by atmosfair are for the most part twice certified: Under the standard of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and under Gold Standard (standard developed by an alliance of NGOs such as the WWF, which is considered the most demanding standard for voluntary emissions trading). atmosfair is transparent in its use of funds and, according to its own statements, only supports projects that take into account other important aspects of environmental protection in addition to the CO2 aspect.

Tempelhof Lab

The Tempelhof Lab concerts took place under very specific conditions: Tempelhof Airport as an open air location in the middle of Berlin, 60,000 visitors per concert and full support of the bands involved. Solutions that were feasible and sensible in this scenario may not be sensible or possible under other framework conditions. Conversely, some great C2C ideas were not scalable for this size of an event, but work perfectly fine under other framework conditions. Therefore, the goals described in this Guidebook and the measures derived from them are not a universally applicable checklist, but rather highlight opportunities and the right questions to ask for the most climate- and resource-positive event possible.