Trash in Euphoria, Music festivals are a moment that many people look forward to, presenting a moment of routine with melodious music, dazzling lights, and attended by visitors who are immersed in an atmosphere full of joy. However, behind the excitement, there is an environmental problem that is often forgotten, namely waste. This phenomenon is increasingly striking along with the increasing number of music festivals held in Indonesia in 2025, which have a major environmental impact due to the waste produced.
Trash in Euphoria Festival 2025
Music festivals are known for their extraordinary excitement and crowds. According to a report from Cleanup International (2023), each music festival visitor can produce around 2.5 kilograms of waste per day. With thousands of visitors coming, a festival can produce hundreds of tons of waste in a short time. The most common types of waste found include single-use plastic bottles, instant food packaging, non-degradable merchandise such as glow sticks, cigarette butts, and useless physical brochures and tickets. According to research published by BBC News (2024), plastic bottles and food packaging are the two largest types of waste that contribute to environmental pollution at music festivals.
Most of the waste ends up in landfills (TPA) which already have very limited capacity. This adds to the already heavy burden on TPA, reducing the waste crisis faced by many large cities in Indonesia. Some areas in Indonesia are still facing difficulties in waste management, and music festivals are actually helping the problem even more. So more effective and environmentally friendly waste management is needed at every music festival.
Many festivals do not provide enough trash bins, especially separate ones for organic and inorganic waste. This causes visitors to be reluctant to sort their trash properly, because there are no supporting facilities.
Most festival visitors are still not aware of the importance of sorting waste. Many of them still litter, such as plastic bottles that are often thrown away without being separated from other types of waste.