Movin’ Towards a Greener Movin’ On: A 5-Year Plan!

Movin’ On has officially released its 5-year sustainability plan that will guide in leading the festival to greener and more sustainable choices for years to come! 

Now, let's break it down! 

Sustainability has always been an aspect of Movin’ On’s mission to create a fun experience for every patron in attendance. However, Allie Riegel and Sydney Hageman have made it their own personal mission to make sustainable practices forever be at the forefront of the festival. 

Since the implementation of sustainable practices in 2017, Movin’ On has been paving a greener way forward and has truly focused on lowering its environmental impact. Movin’ On has partnered with UPUA to bring a water-buggy onto the festival grounds to lower the use of single-use plastic and has been educating festival goers on their own environmental impact as patrons. 

All year, our Director of Operations, Allie Riegel, and our Sustainability Coordinator, Sydney Hageman, have been attending countless sustainability demonstrations and have been working closely with sustainability groups on the Penn State campus to create this plan. They have taken pride in their positions and have worked hard to create a 5-year plan to be followed when they leave the Movin’ On crew. 

The focus of this plan is to be intentional about the choices we make as Movin’ On staff and as Movin’ On guests- we all play a major role in bettering the environment together. 

Their 5-year plan consists of a 23 page presentation that demonstrates a detailed plan to make us a greener festival. They have survey results, waste sorting data from past Movin’ On festivals and a new campaign strategy to put into effect from 2026-2030. 

The plan opens with an overview of the festival itself, and how it has a mission to minimize the environmental impact that Movin’ On has on the environment. Since larger festivals, like Bonnaroo and Coachella, have taken on sustainable practices, so too can we as a student run festival. By focusing on sustainability, we can ensure that we are creating a fun-filled festival experience for all guests, while also creating a safe environment for our planet to continue to prosper. 

Movin’ On is proud to announce that we are a 100% Recyclable Festival! Through the hard work of our sustainability team members and with help from EcoReps & PSU Sustainability we sort through the trash after the festival to ensure we are recycling the recyclables and tossing the non-recyclables in the correct bins. 

Through this trash sortation, Movin’ On has successfully saved almost 900 pounds of trash and recycling from being wrongfully disposed of. This is an initiative that Riegel and Hageman want to have at every Movin’ On event for the rest of time because it is bringing the festival closer to being 100% zero waste. 

A huge focus for this 5-year plan is on community engagement–listening to our attendees and educating them will help us achieve our goals more than anything. Surveys and conversations help the sustainability team understand the sustainability knowledge our attendees have; and allow us to choose the best way to educate on sustainable practices at the festival. 

By equipping Movin’ On with the correct resources and information, the goal of zero waste is achievable by the year 2030. Implementing these sustainable practices and learning more about the environmental impacts of large-scale festivals can educate our members on why sustainability matters. 

Please be sure to read our sustainability page and educate yourself on sustainability in the music industry! Make sustainable choices at the festival on May 2nd, and in your daily life, and ensure you are sorting your waste properly!