Waste Management

We have already taken many steps towards diverting as much waste as possible from landfill, by working with experts and constantly learning how to identify the different waste streams and optimize our waste management system. During the festival events, TFF collaborates with specialized companies to secure daily collection, sorting, and circular management of the waste generated, with separate recycling bins for the different waste streams, so that materials can be recycled, composted, or gain a second life.

• Recycling bins in the offices and Festival venues are clearly marked and easily accessible. For paper, electrical and electronic materials, we collaborate with the waste management services of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, while for batteries we work with a specialized private company. 
  
  In Thessaloniki we collaborate with: 
  
  
• VIPA GREECE S.A. for the collection and management of municipal waste generated across the Festival venues: plastic, paper, glass, aluminum, organics, composites in high traffic areas, for case-by-case recycling or for biogas production. TFF has also commissioned to VIPA a carbon footprint report for the annual Festival and industry events. Based on VIPA's data, indicatively we mention that the use of water coolers appears to have contributed to the reduction of single-use plastics. In particular, at the 63rd TIFF (November 2022) 70 kg of PET was collected, whereas the 25th TiDF (March 2023) and the 64th TIFF (November 2023) were marked by a reduction to 40kg and 30kg respectively. 
• InCommon (Innovative Communities Onwards), a civil non-profit company, for the collection and management of produced coffee waste from the 6 canteens of the Festival (coffee residues do not end up in the landfill, but are used for the production of bioenergy) and the produced food waste from the Agora lunches (composting). The reports of InCommon show that the training of partners, guests and audience contributes to more systematic and effective sorting at source. Specifically, in November 2023, 665kg of CO2 were saved, 165 kg of organic waste did not end up in the landfill and 21 people were trained in sustainable practices. In March 2024, the respective numbers were 717,3 kg of CO2, 175 kg of organic waste and 31 trainees, numbers that signal an upward trend. 
• Cigaret Cycle, a civil non-profit company, for the collection and management of cigarette butts (we have installed 18 bins for the collection of cigarette butts). Cigarette butts do not end up in the landfill or in the sea, but are turned into fertilizer or raw material of industrial plastic. Cigaret Cycle's reports also seem to indicate that the longer the program continues and people become aware and are informed, the better the results are.  In November 2022, 70,800 cigarette butts had been collected, while in November 2023 a total of 102,500 cigarette butts were collected and recycled, 718 m3 of sweet/salted water was saved from pollution, 656 kg of CO2 was not released into the environment, 15,980 MJ of non-renewable energy was saved from the production of new materials.
• For waste management in Evia we team up with Siakandaris Group and Cigaret Cycle. 
• A "Merch drop-off" point operates at Warehouse C, Festival’s and Agora’s Centre in Thessaloniki, as well as in Kima, the hub of Evia Film Project, to promote reuse of information materials during the events.