Reusable cups and a fantastic volunteer effort have helped Stranraer Oyster Festival recycle almost 43% of its waste
Stranraer Oyster Festival's commitment to reducing its environmental impact took a major step forward this year, with reusable cups, a dedicated Green Team and the support of traders and visitors helping the festival recycle more of its waste than ever before.
The festival celebrates the native oysters of Loch Ryan, and organisers have worked with Dumfries and Galloway Council's waste team for several years to analyse the waste collected at the popular event and identify ways to reduce it. This year they tackled one of the biggest culprits, replacing single-use plastic cups at the bars with reusable, festival-branded ones.
Figures from the council show the effort is paying off. Almost 43% of the festival's waste was recycled this year, up from 28% in 2025, while non-recyclable waste fell by 15%, in a year when festival ticket sales were higher than ever.
Behind the results was a recycling system designed by Robert Anderson and Kirsty Magee of the council's waste team, who also trained the festival's volunteers and supported them through the weekend. Around 150 volunteers, including the festival's Green Team, helped keep the waterfront site clean and tidy, alongside litter-picking group ONUS South West Scotland. Traders got behind the effort too, cutting their own waste and sorting what was left.
Allana Hardie, Events Officer at Stranraer Development Trust, which runs the festival, said:
"The biggest thank you has to go to everyone who came to the festival, used their reusable cup more than once and put their waste in the right bin. It's a small thing to ask of each person, but when thousands of people do it, it makes a really big difference.
"We've learned a lot this year about what works for the festival, and we'll keep building on that. Our goal is to be the greenest festival in Scotland, because when you're standing on the festival site looking out at our beautiful loch, it's a good reminder of why reducing our environmental impact matters so much."
Stranraer Oyster Festival took place from 11 to 13 September on the waterfront beside Loch Ryan, home to Scotland's last wild native oyster fishery. More than 1.5 tonnes of oysters were served over the weekend. Next year's event will take place from 17 to 19 September 2027 with tickets expected to go on sale in April.
