Nagaland's Hornbill Festival marks milestone in sustainable event management

The 25th edition of the Hornbill Festival has concluded, leaving behind a groundbreaking legacy of environmental stewardship after successfully implementing a comprehensive zero-waste strategy that prevented approximately 1 million single-use plastic items from entering the waste stream.

The annual cultural extravaganza, which attracted over 200,000 visitors, demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to sustainability by eliminating single-use plastics and implementing rigorous waste management practices throughout its 10-day run.

Key highlights of the festival's environmental initiative include:

• Banning all single-use plastics, and replacing them with eco-friendly alternatives like bamboo straws and leaf-based plates
• Establishing waste segregation stations with dedicated sorting areas for recyclable materials
• Installing water refilling stations to discourage plastic bottle usage
• Preventing an estimated 50 metric tons of CO₂ emissions through local sourcing and waste reduction

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who inaugurated the festival, emphasised its significance as a model for sustainable cultural events. The initiative not only showcased the region's rich cultural heritage but also set a powerful example of environmental conservation.

Waste management teams and volunteers played a crucial role in monitoring compliance, with educational campaigns ensuring visitors understood and participated in the zero-waste protocols.

The festival's approach transformed waste management from a challenge to an opportunity, converting wet waste into compost for local agricultural fields and sending recyclable materials to authorised processing centres.