In 2018 FGH security set out to completely eliminate their team’s use of single-use plastic items and paper hot drink cups at events in support of the AIF’s Drastic on Plastic campaign. The commitment is part of the FGH Legacy Programme, through which they aim to make long-term sustainable positive impacts with individuals, in communities and the environment. Before the campaign, FGH had allocated 250 bottles per festival season per employee and 150 cups plus the associated impacts from the transport and distribution implications of the single use items. The project has led to a total reduction of 200,000 plastic bottles being sent to landfill since 2018 and 120,000 paper hot drink cups.

This saving was achieved by working with their supply partners to design and produce BPA free plastic sports bottles and cups, which were distributed to all staff as part of their standard uniform issue. This went hand in hand with an extensive internal and external marketing campaign carrying the messaging of the estival-wide #DrasticOnPlastic campaign launched by the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) in 2018 to bring festivals together around the aim of phasing out single use plastics.

One of the goals of the project was to create items that effectively were FGH merchandise. They differentiated the items used (blue in 2018 and orange 2019) so there was a legacy pride element for staff to return to the organisation to collect this years #DrasticOnPlastic items. FGH’s campaign led to a reduction in managerial time 2018 vs 2019 but it also made for some fairly unique photos from key advocates amongst the workforce (e.g. bottle use during sporting events and hikes) which showed a robust brand community around the message.

FGH is now looking at sharing this learning with other organisations through a series of events, particularly other security and crowd management companies, in an attempt to lead transformative change in the industry.