Summer is a busy time for festivals and events across the region, and Willshee’s is proud to play an important role in keeping them safe, clean, and sustainable. From local community gatherings to larger-scale events, our team works hard to ensure that waste is managed efficiently and responsibly.

To delve deeper into how Willshee’s supports festivals behind the scenes, we sat down with Ben Kelly-Walley, our Key Account Manager, who’s been on the ground at events throughout the summer.

How did Willshee’s first get involved with supporting local festivals?

Willshee’s first became involved in supporting local festivals after building a strong reputation for providing a flexible and reliable service to event organisers across the region. Over the years, our positive relationships have helped us grow in this space, while our outreach through social media has also played a key role in attracting new festival partnerships.

What types of festivals and events have you recently provided waste management for?

Recently, Willshee’s has provided waste management services for a prestigious international golf event in Staffordshire, the lively Back2 Festival, and the much-loved four-day heavy metal event, Bloodstock!

Why do you think it’s important for Willshee’s to support community events like these?

Willshee’s works at the heart of our community, managing waste streams every day, from homes and businesses to larger-scale events. Supporting festivals is a natural extension of this, ensuring waste is handled locally to reduce waste miles and guaranteeing zero waste to landfill.

What’s the planning process like before a festival begins?

We work closely with the organisers and their cleaning teams to plan. By reviewing waste volumes from previous events, we can determine exactly what is needed.

What kind of equipment (skips, bins, vehicles, etc.) do you provide on-site?

On-site, Willshee’s supplies bins and skips of all sizes to handle different types of waste, including food, glass, plastics, and general waste. All bins are clearly marked with segregation signage to help festivalgoers recycle correctly.

How do you manage the logistics of collecting waste during an event that’s live and busy?

During the event itself, we carefully coordinate with the organiser’s waste team. This ensures our vehicles and drivers are in the right place at the right time before, during, and after the event. Our customers have organised festivals for years, so they know exactly what they want. We follow security procedures and meticulously plan for the different vehicles and drivers’ schedules to keep everything running smoothly.

Are there any sustainability targets or initiatives that Willshee’s promotes at events?

Sustainability is at the core of our festival services. We make sure as much waste as possible is recycled, and that zero waste goes to landfill. We also offer various options to segregate waste for our customers to choose from to best suit their event.

What are some of the biggest challenges of managing waste at large-scale events?

Managing waste at large-scale events always comes with challenges, but planning in advance and staying flexible is key for our customers. Our experienced transport team are fantastic and plays a vital role in ensuring everything goes to plan.

What’s it like for the Willshee’s team working at a festival compared to day-to-day operations, and what’s the most rewarding part of supporting local festivals?

For our staff, festivals are a change of pace compared to everyday operations, but thanks to the detailed preparation and the expertise of organisers, everything runs smoothly. Seeing our bins and skips in place at popular events for the local community is rewarding for the whole team, knowing that we are contributing to a cleaner, safer, and more enjoyable experience for everyone.

Dave and Owen Olley, owners of Estate Cleaners, spoke about their working partnership with Willshee’s at Bloodstock 2025:

“We love coming to Bloodstock each year, ensuring all our waste is dealt with properly and working with Willshee’s has been absolutely spot on. We know everything will be managed sustainably, with zero waste to landfill and as much waste as possible being segregated, which is really important to us and the festival promoters.

“Willshee’s help us prepare our site and plan speedy collections when we need it. It is a big logistical jigsaw. Thanks to Ben Kelly-Walley and all the transport teams involved for making it happen.”

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