Toast Martinborough is one of New Zealand’s most esteemed food and wine festivals. In 2023, 6,289 people gathered across eight different sites for a blissful day out amongst the vines. They sampled delicious food and wine and let their hair down on the dancefloor.
Excitingly, Toast Martinborough also prioritises environmental stewardship, showing that a greener and more responsible approach to waste management at festivals isn’t only possible, but incredibly viable.
By partnering with Nonstop Solutions, BioPak, and Compost Connect, the 2023 Toast Martinborough festival achieved a 93.6% resource recovery rate.
Toast Martinborough is one of New Zealand’s most esteemed food and wine festivals. In 2023, 4,890 people gathered across eight different sites for a blissful day out amongst the vines. They sampled delicious food and wine and let their hair down on the dancefloor.
Excitingly, Toast Martinborough also prioritises environmental stewardship, making a few simple sustainable packaging swaps to show that responsible waste management at festivals is not only possible but incredibly viable.
By partnering with Nonstop Solutions, BioPak, and Compost Connect, the 2023 Toast Martinborough festival achieved a 97% resource recovery rate from the 4,556 kg of waste they produced.
So, let’s dive into the specific sustainable packaging swaps Toast Martinborough made, and how they’re using this packaging as a vehicle to close the loop on waste.
The Challenge: Food Waste at Events
Toast Martinborough recognised food packaging as one of the biggest contributors to event waste.
With that, they started to look at ways they could reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, and instead opt for compostable or reusable solutions.
Toast Martinborough recognised food packaging as one of the biggest contributors to event waste – with many events still opting for plastic packaging made from finite fossil fuels.
With that, they started to look at ways they could reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, and instead opt for compostable or reusable solutions.
The Goal: Becoming Zero Waste
Toast Martinborough aims to offer a renowned food and wine festival, while minimising their overall environmental impact.
In the short term, they’re looking to minimise waste and divert all compostable and organic matter to commercial compost facilities.
In the long term, they strive to become a completely circular event with reusable vessels for all food and drinks.
Toast Martinborough aims to offer a renowned food and wine festival, while minimising their overall environmental impact.
In the short term, they’re looking to minimise waste and divert all compostable and organic matter to commercial compost facilities.
In the long term, they strive to become a completely circular event with reusable vessels for all food and drinks.
Their journey towards achieving zero waste is nothing short of remarkable. In 2022, they achieved an impressive recovery rate of 93.6%, which grew to 97% in 2023. With their sights set on a 99% recovery rate for their 2025 event, their commitment to sustainability is truly inspiring!
The Solution: Embracing the Circular Economy
In 2023, Toast Martinborough partnered with Nonstop Solutions – a New Zealand based team of sustainability experts who work with events and businesses to implement zero waste systems.
To help achieve their zero waste target, Nonstop Solutions called upon leaders in the sustainability space – BioPak and Compost Connect.
Since 2022, Toast Martinborough partnered with Nonstop Solutions – a New Zealand based team of sustainability experts who work with events and businesses to implement zero waste systems.
To help achieve their zero waste target, Nonstop Solutions called upon leaders in the sustainability space – BioPak and Compost Connect.
Sustainable Swaps: Ditching Plastic for Certified Compostable BioPak Packaging
BioPak supplied all foodservice packaging to vendors – offering certified compostable alternatives over traditional plastic. This is a shining example of how a few simple sustainable swaps can reach a resource recovery rate of 97%.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the sustainable swaps made:
Swapping Plastic Plates for Plant Fibre Plates and Bowls
Plant Fibre Plates and Bowls are made from rapidly renewable sugarcane pulp – an agricultural by-product that otherwise would have been burned. The result is an extremely strong, affordable and versatile solution. Our Plant Fibre Range with no intentionally added PFAS is plastic-free and is pending a Home Compostable Certification (AS5810 and NF T51-800).
Swapping Plastic-Lined Hot Cups for Aqueous-Lined Hot Cups
Unlike traditional plastic-lined coffee cups, which are only destined for landfill, Aqueous-Lined Hot Cups are made with a unique water-based dispersion coating and are Certified Home Compostable to Australian and European standards (AS5810 & NF T51-800).
Swapping Plastic Containers for BioBoard Containers
Made from FSC™ certified paper, our BioBoard Containers and Bowls are made from premium paperboard with a water-based aqueous lining. They’re great for both cold meals like salads and seafood, and hot meals like soups, pasta, and Asian cuisines.
- Swapping Plastic-Lined Hot Cups for Aqueous-Lined Hot Cups
Unlike traditional plastic-lined coffee cups, which are only destined for landfill, Aqueous-Lined Hot Cups are made with a unique water-based dispersion coating and are Certified Home Compostable to Australian and European standards (AS5810 & NF T51-800).
- Swapping Plastic Containers for BioBoard Containers
Made from FSC™ certified paper, our BioBoard Containers and Bowls are made from premium paperboard with a water-based aqueous lining. They’re great for both cold meals like salads and seafood, and hot meals like soups, pasta, and Asian cuisines.
Swapping Regular Napkins for FSC™ Napkins
Unlike regular paper napkins, FSC™ napkins are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, a certification which ensures paper is sourced from responsibly managed forests.
Swapping Plastic Cutlery for FSC™ Certified Wooden Cutlery
Unlike traditional plastic cutlery, which is destined for landfill, FSC™ Wooden Cutlery is sourced from responsibly managed forests and is suitable for home composting.
Swapping Plastic Trays for BioBoard Trays
Made from FSC™ certified paper, our BioBoard Boxes and Trays are ideal for a range of hot and cold food, including burgers, fries, salads, and more. An FSC™ certification ensures paper is sourced from responsibly managed forests.
- Swapping Regular Napkins for FSC™ Napkins
Unlike regular paper napkins, FSC™ napkins are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, a certification which ensures paper is sourced from responsibly managed forests.
- Swapping Plastic Cutlery for FSC™ Certified Wooden Cutlery
Unlike traditional plastic cutlery, which is destined for landfill, FSC™ Wooden Cutlery is sourced from responsibly managed forests and is suitable for home composting.
- Swapping Plastic Trays for BioBoard Trays
Made from FSC™ certified paper, our BioBoard Boxes and Trays are ideal for a range of hot and cold food, including burgers, fries, salads, and more. An FSC™ certification ensures paper is sourced from responsibly managed forests.
At BioPak, our packaging is made from responsibly sourced, rapidly renewable plant-based resources – designed to be composted at the end of its life.
We see compostable packaging as the ideal choice for the foodservice industry. Food scraps and packaging can all go in one bin, the organic bin, to be composted at home or industrially.
All the foodservice packaging supplied to Toast Martinborough was certified home compostable (AS5810) to Australian and New Zealand Standards. To gain these certifications, packaging has to undergo strict, expensive and rigorous test regimes to prove compostability.
This enabled us to collect all food and packaging waste from the event and turn it into nutrient-rich compost.
Certified Compostable BioPak Packaging
At the 2023 festival, BioPak supplied all foodservice packaging to vendors.
We supplied the event’s vendors with a variety of packaging in the below categories:
At BioPak, our packaging is made from responsibly sourced, rapidly renewable plant-based resources – designed to be composted at the end of its life.
We see compostable packaging as the ideal choice for the foodservice industry. Food scraps and packaging can all go in one bin, the organic bin, to be composted at home or industrially.
All the foodservice packaging supplied was certified home compostable (AS5810) or industrially compostable (AS4736) to Australian and New Zealand Standards. To gain these certifications, packaging has to undergo strict, expensive and rigorous test regimes to prove compostability.
This enabled us to collect all food and packaging waste from the event and turn it into nutrient-rich compost.
Compost Connect and Nonstop Solutions – Closing The Loop
Toast Martinborough partnered with Compost Connect to dispose of BioPak’s compostable packaging and complete the circle.
Compost Connect is a not-for-profit composting initiative connecting businesses and events to commercial organic waste pickup services. This helps divert food waste from landfills and create nutrient-rich compost instead.
Together, Nonstop Solutions and Compost Connect implemented several measures to ensure the correct disposal.
This included:
- Accessibility: creating several resource recovery stations – 3 - 6 stations on each site with a total of 35 across the entire event.
- Clear signage: there were 214 bins across the event, with clear signage to educate patrons on the correct disposal methods.
- Hand sorting: each bag was brought back to the HQ and hand sorted into nine different categories. The majority of waste was sorted quickly and efficiently on the same day.
- Education:The Nonstop Solutions team were also present at the event to help implement the zero waste system or strike up a conversation about sustainability.
- Tracking: great tracking and reporting to see the impact and make way for continuous improvements.
Toast Martinborough partnered with Compost Connect to dispose of BioPak’s compostable packaging and complete the circle.
Compost Connect is a not-for-profit composting initiative connecting businesses and events to commercial organic waste pickup services. This helps divert food waste from landfills and create nutrient-rich compost instead.
Together, Nonstop Solutions and Compost Connect implemented several measures to ensure the correct disposal.
This included:
- Accessibility: creating several resource recovery stations – 3 - 6 stations on each site with a total of 35 across the entire event.
- Clear signage: there were 214 bins across the event, with clear signage to educate patrons on the correct disposal methods.
- Hand sorting: each bag was brought back to the HQ and hand sorted into nine different categories. The majority of waste was sorted quickly and efficiently on the same day.
- Education: The Nonstop Solutions team were also present at the event to help implement the zero waste system or strike up a conversation about sustainability.
- Tracking: great tracking and reporting to see the impact and make way for continuous improvements.
Shining Sustainability Results
Across the entire event, Toast Martinborough achieved a 93.6% resource recovery and reduction rate – a wonderful result given the size and complexity of the event.
When we break it down further, there was a 72.9% recovery rate from attendees and a 96.4% recovery rate from vendors. The event avoided 27,655 single-serve vessels thanks to the introduction of reusables.
With time and further education at future events, we hope to see these impressive figures increase even more.
Across the entire event, Toast Martinborough achieved a 97% resource recovery and reduction rate – a wonderful result given the size and complexity of the event.
Breaking it down further, 82% of the waste was successfully recovered as recyclables, while 15% was diverted to a composting facility. Remarkably, only 3% of the total waste ended up in landfill—an impressive achievement in waste management.
With time and further education at future events, we hope to see these impressive figures increase even more.
Sustainable Swaps and Closing the Loop: A Greener Future for Events
Toast of Martinborough proves that large-scale events can seamlessly combine food, wine, music and environmental responsibility.
Nonstop Solutions uses events as closed bubbles to provide examples of how these systems can work in our everyday lives. So this doesn’t just provide a shining example for the industry – but the world at large.
Toast of Martinborough proves that large-scale events can seamlessly combine food, wine, music and environmental responsibility.
By switching your plastic packaging to plant-based compostable solutions in 2025, you can make a profound difference – just like the inspiring team behind Toast Martinborough.
