Many people know Ultra Music Festival as simply an annual music event in Miami that hosts scores of DJs and producers and tens of thousands of attendees. What many people don’t know is that UMF also has a sustainability and community program that aids local objectives.
The program focused on five objectives – Waste Reduction, Pollution Prevention, Nature Preservation, Community Engagement and Climate Action – and has now received awards and verifications at the international, state and local levels. ‘Mission: Home’ received 1st place Volunteer Program, 2nd place Sustainability Program and 2nd place Education Program awards from The Florida Festivals and Events Association.
“Our ‘Mission: Home’ program has become part of the fabric of our organization,” says Ultra’s Founder and CEO, Russell Faibisch. “I was thrilled to see it return with us this year and could not be more proud to be recognized as an industry leader in this space.”
159 volunteers participated in various ‘Mission: Home’ activations in 2022, including supporting environmental organization-led educational experiences at Ultra’s Eco Village, and assisting Ultra’s waste management and recycling partner, Clean Vibes. This built on the volunteer program introduced by Clean Vibes at Ultra 2019, in which 90 volunteers participated. Over the past twenty-three years, Clean Vibes has diverted over 22 Million pounds of event waste from landfills. They also pride themselves on cleaning to the highest standards, including the removal of small micro-litters that pose a threat to the environment and wildlife. Together, Ultra and Clean Vibes have achieved 100% acceptance of recycling loads at local facilities since ‘Mission: Home’s inception in 2019.
Together, Best Beverage Catering and compliant food vendors have helped Ultra reduce an impressive 1.1 million plastics and 85% of single-use plastic types previously distributed, including cups, straws, plates, cutlery and many other food service wares. Additionally, volunteers surveyed the festival’s water refill stations, supplied by Event Water Solutions, which have eliminated over 400K plastic water bottles from entering the waste stream since 2019. Because of this, Ultra was invited to join Miami-Dade’s new county-wide ‘Plastic Free 305’ program and accompany County Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava and other founding members at its inauguration.
“It is a true honor to be recognized by these respected leaders. Our hope is to continue to impress them as we grow in our mission on this global stage and to watch as our community grows with us.” – Vivian Belzaguy Hunter, Director of Sustainability, Ultra Music Festival.
You can read more about Mission: Home here.
