Carnival looks fun. But look closer

Every year, the Limassol Carnival fills the streets with colour, music and thousands of people celebrating together. What we don’t see as clearly is what is left behind.

Large public events like parades and street parties during carnival generate more than 45 tons of waste in just a few hours, from spray cans, glass bottles, beer and soft drink cans and single-use plastic bottles to plastic accessories and packaging. After celebrations, municipal staff and volunteers work hard to clean the streets, and the next day we often see in the news: “Bravo, 45 tons cleaned in just 3 hours.”

But cleaning does not make the problem disappear. In fact, it hides the real scale of it.

Once the streets look tidy again, the conversation stops, but the waste still exists, now moved somewhere else, often to a landfill.

This year, try something different: notice more. Look around during the parade and side events. Notice what people are buying, using for a few hours, and then throwing away. Notice what ends up on the ground. Notice what we call “fun” and what it costs.

Recycling is just not the solution

Recycling during these events is close to zero. But even if it weren’t, recycling was never the real solution. The first question should not be “Where will this go after?” but “Do we need this at all?”

Let’s take one clear example: carnival sprays.

These products are almost entirely single-use, not recycled, and many contain chemicals that are not safe for children to use. They release chemical substances into the air and the environment, affecting both public spaces and people’s health. That’s just one layer of the problem.

They are also thrown on the ground, where people step on them. They can become slippery and dangerous. Sprays in the eyes can cause injuries. And in Limassol, there’s another effect we often ignore: they destroy the costumes that people spend time, money and creativity to make.

From a waste, health, safety and cultural point of view, carnival sprays are a clear no-go. Sometimes the most sustainable choice is simply to refuse.

It’s good to note here that after five years of advocacy by different civil society groups, the sale of carnival spray cans by street vendors is prohibited as of this year. Let’s hope this is properly communicated and monitored, so that we finally see a real reduction in the use of these products.

Reduce: The culture of “It’s cheap, I’ll throw it away”

Another big issue is the culture of excess. Every year, many people buy new clothes, new plastic accessories, new decorations, even when they already have similar items at home. The old ones pile up.

Because these items are cheap, we tell ourselves: “Whatever, I’ll throw it if I don’t use it again.” But multiply that by thousands of people, and you see the impact.

Carnival can be an opportunity to be creative, not to consume endlessly. Instead of buying everything new, we can:

• Look at old costumes
• Use fabrics and clothes we already have
• Swap items with friends
• Make small adjustments to transform something old into something new

This is about rethinking and reusing, not about losing the fun. In fact, creativity often makes Carnival more interesting.

Redesign: Events can work differently

We also need to move beyond individual choices and look at the design of events. The way events are organised influences what people use and throw away.

In some countries, large festivals use deposit-return systems for cups and food containers. You pay a small deposit, use a reusable cup, and get your money back when you return it. This drastically reduces single-use waste. Water refill stations, clear signage and reusable systems make the sustainable choice the easy choice.

Events can be designed to celebrate without producing tons of waste. This is not theory, it already happens in many places, like the Olympic games in Paris. If the City of Paris did it for such a large event, the municipalities in Cyprus should definitely give it a try.

A different kind of celebration

Carnival is about joy, expression and community. But if we want it to remain a celebration of life, it cannot be built on systems that harm our environment and health.

We need to move:

Refuse (saying no to harmful, unnecessary products), reduce (consuming less), reuse (giving items more than one life) and to redesign (changing how events themselves are designed and implemented).

As part of the Zero Waste Alliance Cyprus, this year we are working again on a campaign during the carnival period to show that another way is possible. From carnival clothes swap events to public discussions and practical examples, we aim to make waste visible, and to make solutions visible too.

This Carnival, enjoy, dance, and live unforgettable moments. But also look around. Ask questions. And remember: the real magic is not in what we throw away, but in what we choose to keep, in our hands, in our communities, and in our environment.

Zero Waste Alliance Cyprus:

The Zero Waste Alliance Cyprus brings together six organisations working towards a zero-waste future through advocacy, awareness-raising, and hands-on community action. Our activities are free and open to the public. If you’d like to take part, learn more, or start living in a more environmentally friendly way, reach out to us and find updates about our events on our website www.zerowastecyprus.org and social media: @zwacyprus

Photo credits: Robert Della-Sala