Envision Festival – a mere 10 days away – takes place in Rancho La Merced in Costa Rica, a unique jungle-meets-beach locale bursting with nature's bountiful beauty. It is, after all, paradise, and we all want to keep it that way, despite the fact that hundreds of people will converge here to enjoy not only the landscape but Envision's inimitable festival atmosphere as well. Here are 5 simple yet impactful sustainability initiatives Envision Festival does from which festival-goers and fest organizers alike can learn.

1. #EndSingleUse 

By completely eliminating single-use containers associated with festival food and beverage vendors, it’s no longer an option not to be green. We first saw this in action at Lucidity in Santa Barbara, so there is no surprise to see they are partnered here. In Envision's own words, "We have a strong ethos of #EndSingleUse – and we ask you to follow this ethos. Leave your single use items at home – do not bring disposable water bottles or dishware. Instead, bring a stainless, lidded water bottle from home, re-usable cutlery, and take advantage of the dish programs we will have onsite."

At the festival itself, there will be dishwashing stations set up on site to wash your own plates if you cook your own food, or you can participate in Envision's deposit plate program – which means you pay a small deposit at the beginning of the weekend, keep track of your plate or cup, trade them in every time you want to purchase something new, and turn your plates and cups in at the end of the weekend. You will always have a clean plate or cup, yet produce much, much less waste.

2. Get Involved at The Envision Action Day with The Polish Ambassador

Now here’s an artist paving the road for action. The Polish Ambassador says on his Facebook page:

“When you travel around the world as much as I do, you start to gain a broader perspective. I’ve looked around and, specifically in America, I notice a lack of reverence for the earth. I perform at a lot of big parties, events and festivals. People are celebrating, but what exactly are they celebrating?

Festival/Party culture all began with harvests, where people busted their ass for weeks, and that culminated in a community celebration known as a festival. I wanted to take some responsibility. We all are a part of the earth, we should take care of it, and that drove me to dive into permaculture.”

His Envision Action Day is currently enlisting the local schools of Uvita to plant a garden with 200 fellow festival-goers, before Envision even starts. Talk about an awesome way to kick off your festival weekend! You can learn more about it here.

3. Buy A Ticket, Plant A Tree

Yes, not only can you buy your Envision ticket, but plant a tree in the process.

Envision has partnered with Costa Rica's Community Carbon Trees in order to contribute at least the equivalent of 5% of all ticket sales to support CCT's noble cause. Here is a message from Envision's Founder and President, Jennifer Smith explaining why they care.

"If we are truly to create lasting solutions to the environmental problems facing the planet, we have to do MORE than plant trees for global warming. . . . Ideally, we also have to find ways to preserve local communities and cultures, while immediately rebuilding deforested soils, wildlife corridors and protecting watersheds and old growth forests. This work is especially important in countries like Costa Rica where there still exist intact stretches of primary jungle along the coast which, in turn, influence the oceans and marine life, together so vital to the overall stability of our global climate."

4. Create an H2Oasis

One of the most important (and easiest!) ways for any festival to end single-use plastic wares is to have readily available water refilling stations wherever festival attendees go. True to form, Envision is BYOB – bring your own bottle. But, as water becomes a more precious resource, mindfulness is needed to extend to water conservation. Envision encourages that kind of mindfulness by turning off showers during the hottest parts of each day. And you won't hear much complaining; as we all know, Envision's granola-loving festival crowd doesn’t need to shower everyday, because the ocean is just steps away. Use it!

5. Emphasize Education Around Sustainability 

With a series of classes and workshops, Envision does its best to empower attendees to take environmental matters into their own hands. Some of 2015's fascinating topics include Permaculture, Regenerative Design & Cultural Repair, Medicine Plant Walks and Envisioning the New Village.

Remember sustainability at a festival is a partnership between the festival and the attendee (that’s you!). Don’t forget to do your part. If you would like to learn more, check out all of Envision's laudable eco-initiatives here.