Big Ponderoo diverts 74% of waste away from landfill during festival weekend
Barney Lerten
SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — SFF Presents is committed to reducing its environmental impact at their events, with a special focus on waste management.
After receiving considerable grants from The Environmental Center in Bend and Can’d Aid’s Crush-It Campaign, as well as support from Republic Services, the organization has extended its initiative into new areas for 2025.
In 2024, SFF Presents purchased tailored bins and other sustainability-focused infrastructure in addition to hiring a new “Zero Waste Lead” at the Big Ponderoo and Sisters Folk festivals. Under the guidance of the lead, SFFP volunteers are assigned to supervise the zero waste stations during events to ensure waste is being properly sorted by festival attendees.
For 2025, the Community Innovation Fund grant from The Environment Center in Bend, enabled SFF Presents to add commercial-level composting, a wider recycling stream, and further dedicated staff at events. Through this aid, the organization was able to donate excess food from the artists’ greenroom to local nonprofit agencies and purchase highly efficient electric coolers for event purposes.
At the third annual Big Ponderoo Music + Art Festival on June 28 and 29, festival-goers diverted 74% of refuse away from landfill. The average for festivals across the country is just 8%. The diverted items included recyclables, redeemable cans and bottles, and compostable materials.
“With over 5,152 attendees over the three days of the festival weekend, we’re ecstatic to have been able to increase our waste diversion by over 20% from last year,” said SFFP Logistics Coordinator, Ruth Williams, who has been leading the effort along with Ty King, SFFP’s Logistics and Facilities Manager.
While overall event attendance at the festival went up 43%, landfill waste went down 27% with overall consumption down 22%.
“This is a huge win for our initiative towards zero waste,” said Williams.
Since 2024, SFFP has completely eliminated single-use plastic cups at their events and requested attendees bring Silipints and Steelys from previous SFFP events for beverage service. At the 2025 Big Ponderoo, 468 festival goers brought existing Silipints and received a drink voucher in lieu of a new Silipint.
In the artists’ greenroom, organizers established a system for washing utensils and tableware, which saved a significant amount of single-use items going into the landfill, and added washable to-go containers for artists and staff.
SFF Presents has also received a grant of over $7,000 from Cand’Aid’s Crush It Campaign. This grant focuses on sustainability training, auditing, resource evaluation, best practices and forward planning.
“We would like to extend a sincere thank you to the forty-four volunteers who staffed our sorting stations and supported our zero-waste leads. These amazing results would not be possible without their contribution,” Williams concludes.
By participating in SFF Presents’ zero waste efforts, patrons contribute directly to the environmental sustainability of Big Ponderoo, the Sisters Folk Festival, and the wider Sisters community. For more information, visit https://www.sffpresents.org/