Sustainability

Please visit our Green Sponsor, NC GreenPower, for more info about all their important work.

Hopscotch Music Festival is committed to efforts that not only reduce its environmental footprint, but also contribute to the betterment of Raleigh and North Carolina.

We identify environmental goals for decreasing Hopscotch's footprint and achieve them with a team of more than twenty “green volunteers” who help with recycling, composting, and educational efforts, particularly in our main stage area, Raleigh City Plaza. Thanks to partnerships with the City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services and Brooks Composting, recycling and composting bins and collections have been implemented at each City Plaza show to help divert waste from the landfill.

Hopscotch Gets Greener with Renewable Energy & Carbon Offsets

For the first time in 2012, we offset our environmental impact with locally sourced renewable energy and carbon offsets through a contribution to NC GreenPower. This had the environmental impact of not burning 5,662 lbs. of coal, not driving 77,963 miles, or is like planting 5,350 trees! When we started the festival in 2010, our aim was to balance our impact on the environment...and we're doing it!

Sustainability-Minded Sponsors
Lenovo, Hopscotch's title sponsor, is committed to sustainability on all three levels - environmental, societal, and economic. They strive to be sustainability leaders through initiatives such as reducing waste from operations, recycling products, creating energy-efficient products, using green product packaging, and encouraging customers to buy environmentally sound products.

New Belgium Brewing, our official beer provider, has incorporated sustainability into their business plan since day one. They believe in being environmental stewards and are constantly working to reduce their waste, energy consumption, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. They have also been direct advocates for waste reduction at Hopscotch by providing compostable cups for all City Plaza shows.

Other sustainability-minded festival patners include Larry’s Beans, Fifth Season Gardening Co., and The Daily Planet Café. Please click links to learn about each partners' environmental initiatives.

Support for All Things Local
While Hopscotch is becoming a nationally known festival, it still stays true to its North Carolina roots. Here’s how:

• Roughly 35% of the performing artists are local to the Triangle or North Carolina
• A majority of the sponsors are local businesses or organizations
• The catering for the 2012 festival will be provided by The Daily Planet Café, which features fresh, locally sourced food.
• Since its inception, Hopscotch has supported various charities and organizations such as Activate Good, Helping Hand Mission, the Red Cross, SAFE Haven, CaringBridge, and the NC State Wolfpack Environmental Student Association through events such as HOOPscotch, HELPscotch, the Hopscotch Hepcat, Racing the Cure Music Benefit for Oliver Gant, and the WESAcat Bike Race, among others.
• Through events, shows, and parties, Hopscotch brings a large focus to local, downtown Raleigh businesses and has an increasing impact on the downtown economy.    

Alternative Transportation
Hopscotch encourages the use of alternative transportation to travel between venues. Alternative transportation available during the festival include taking the Larry's Beans Veggie Shuttle, riding the City of Raleigh's R-Line, walking, biking, or riding a rickshaw.

Next Steps
Hopscotch will continue to identify and address key areas of environmental improvement, including the continual offsetting of the festival's impact each year moving forward.