EXIT Festival has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability once again through the “Be the Recycling Superstar” campaign, implemented as part of the Green EXIT platform.
This year’s recycling initiative broke all previous records, with nearly 50,000 units of empty packaging collected, thanks to the innovative Smart Flex Return system and TOMRA reverse vending machines.
Most of the packaging was collected with the help of mobile backpack teams operating under the Smart Flex Return system, with two TOMRA reverse vending machines set up within festival zones near the Tesla Universe (Main) and Fusion stages also contributing. The majority of the collected units were cans, followed by PET bottles and plastic cups.
What makes this campaign particularly successful isn’t just the number of recycled bottles, cans, and cups, but also the active engagement of festivalgoers. Many attendees approached the mobile teams unprompted to hand over packaging, while others picked it up along the way, demonstrating a high level of awareness about the importance of recycling.
EXIT Festival and the EXIT Foundation have been running this campaign for five consecutive years through the Green EXIT platform, in partnership with Ball Corporation under the “Every Can Counts” program, and with the support of partners HEINEKEN Serbia, Ekostar Pak, Coca-Cola, Solagro Smart Recycling, and TOMRA.
All collected bottles, cans, and cups will be processed by Ekostar Pak, a company that has contributed to improving Serbia’s packaging waste management system for over 15 years.
In addition to this initiative, other awareness-raising activities aimed at promoting environmental protection and improvement were carried out under the Green EXIT platform’s slogan, “Together to the Goal.”
Emergency EXIT & 25 Year EXIT Legacy Cups
For the first time, visitors to this year’s EXIT Festival had the opportunity to use Emergency EXIT & 25 Year EXIT Legacy branded reusable cups, which were distributed for free exclusively on the first day, July 10, during the Emergency Exit performance on the Tesla Universe stage. This universal performance, the first of its kind in Europe, conveying a message about the unity of humans and the planet, as well as the importance of preserving our environment, was supported by the European Union through the Creative Europe program. Many attendees kept the cups as keepsakes, while others returned them to the Solagro Smart Flex Return mobile teams, contributing to responsible waste collection. This initiative was supported by the European Union (EU) as part of the “EU for Green Agenda in Serbia” project.
Eco Fashion Show WASTELAND: From Waste to Wonder and Collective Visual Narratives
As part of the opening program, an eco fashion show titled “WASTELAND: From Waste to Wonder” was organized, led by Rajmonda Zajmi, a renowned eco-educator and artist from Albania who has been using recycled fashion to convey environmental messages since 2013. For this event, students from the University of Novi Sad’s Faculty of Technical Sciences wore dresses – wearable artworks – made from waste materials, including plastic cups, coffee capsules, banners, straws, and even Kinder Egg packaging. Each piece carried a message about overconsumption, pollution, and the potential for transformation. In addition to modeling these unique creations, the students, alongside their fellow classmates, shared their knowledge about recycling and waste management with the audience. EXIT Festival attendees had a chance to witness the power of sustainable fashion in action through a show that blurred the lines between ecology and art. This activity was part of the Artists’ & Researchers’ Residencies program, organized within the REMEDIES project, in which both the EXIT Foundation and the EXIT Festival participate.
As part of the same program, another artistic intervention titled “Collective Visual Narratives at EXIT Festival” was held during the event, carrying a strong ecological message. Visual artist Turrdl collaborated directly with festivalgoers, inviting them to share their thoughts and messages about this year’s edition of EXIT, as well as their perspectives on water protection and environmental conservation. Over four days, these collective reflections were transformed into a visual piece – a tapestry of community voices centered on sustainability and water preservation. This participatory artwork captured the spirit of the festival, transforming it into a creative dialogue about responsibility and hope for the future of our planet.
Zero Waste Cosmetics at the EXIT Camp
Once again, EXIT Camp visitors had access to sustainable hair and body care products, provided by partner organization 123zero as part of the European INSPIRE project. Campers received approximately 10,000 units of shampoo and body wash, four times as much as last year, packed in biodegradable containers, supporting both sustainability and the concept of zero waste.
