Building With Purpose

In our design process we have guidelines that can be summmed up in the following main axis:

• Design structures that can be dismantled and moved easily
• Use what is in stock
• Minimise purchase of new materials
• Maximise circularity 
• Avoid generation of residues
• During the dismantling process, avoid leaving any material behind.
   

•  Ballast: Due to the increase in engineering demands and for security reasons we’ve been using ballasts and re-using them for every edition; same goes for anchoring;
   
• We always retrieve anchors from the ground and leave no materials in the soil.

CABLES

• Reuse everything in stock;
• We use steel wire cables, which are long-lasting and safe;
• When cable life is over, we send the tip leftovers to be melted in facilities that turn them into new materials. Nothing is lost.

DISMANTLING

• We carefully dismantle the structures in such a way that the cables  are stored properly to be reused in the future. 

HARDWARE

• Turnbuckles, shackles, slings: all of them are reused edition after edition, under technical supervision. If not approved by the technical examination, they undergo the same process as the cable tips. 

SCAFFOLDING

• For stages and some supporting structures, we rent the scaffolding from an outsource company. They are made of metal, which can be recycled 100% and therefore has a low environmental impact. 

ROPES 

At Boom Festival building processes we have been using two kinds of ropes:

• Synthetic: we use them for a few structures which require extra security measures. Once the festival is over, we run them for technical examination. If in good shape, they are reused for the next edition; if not, we place them in the plastic recycling bin to be sent into a recycling facility
   
• Natural: The types we use are all biodegradable.

• Use natural materials such as yuta;
   
• Synthetic Materials: Boom used synthetic materials such as lycra or polyester due to its flexibility and vivid colours. We use all we have in stock. In 2018 we used lycra from 2012 for small shade areas, and we’ve been using leftovers from Boom 2014 and 2016 continuosly. These materials are used until the end of their life cycle;
   
• Waterproof synthetic stretched shade: we purchase them either in second-hand or brand new, and they can last at least 10 years (minimum);
   
• In 2023 we will be using textiles that are made of recycled materials (PES ; PET; etc).

NATURAL MATERIALS

• Use clay, stone, adobe, bamboo and other naturally sourced materials as much as possible.

WOOD

• Use FSC certified wood from sustainably managed forests;
   
• Provide the carpentry team and sculptor with dead trees as a main material;
   
• Eucalyptus has been introduced in Portugal for economic reasons and has been one of the main causes of soil deploration and fires. Around Boomland there is a forest that we have been using to provide material. The forest will be reconverted with native trees.

Dust is one of the hot topics at Boom. The clouds of dust are part of the Boom experience, as well as the sense that there's some kind of mini sand storm around. We know that in Portugal's inland summertime, dust is an integral part of the experience due to its dry soils.

What do we do to minimise dust in the air? We do a lot of invisible work for your comfort, such as the placement of different kinds of flooring:

• Carpets: Most of the carpets we reuse come from the upcycling of other events;

• Synthetic grass: The same as in carpets, we create partnerships with other events and collect their leftovers. On many occasions, they have been used only once. We apply this flooring at Boomland to cover some areas. In the future, it is expected that the amount of synthetic grass is reduced at Boomland;

• Sand: Ever wondered why you can dance at Boom dance floors without dust or mud? It is because we bring dozens of trucks each edition to the dance floors and food areas. They are collected locally.

PAINT 

• Use non-toxic products and lead-free paints;
• Use water-based paints;
• Use natural pigments;
• We have a paint station onsite to collect potentially harmful ingredients that are sent to a treatment unit outside Boomland.

ART

• Reutilise art pieces from one edition into another either by replacing them at Boomland either using the materials to create a new piece;
• Use plywood as one of the materials for art installations;
• Most of the art pieces are retrieved from the venue and stored in second-hand containers in between Booms. Thus they do not interfere with the landscape view (no visual pollution). This also allows their conservation, therefore durability and sustainability.

• Boom would not be possible without electricity. We install some power hubs during the build, retrieve them, store all materials safely and reuse them for the next edition. More information HERE.

• Under the soil, we have up to 30km of tubes to spread water around the Boomland. Water comes from the public grid;
   
• The non-permanent hydraulic system that is not part of the permanent grid is dismantled and reused in the next edition.

• Zip Locks: In every big production this is one of the most pollutant items. It is quite handy but it creates a lot of plastic waste. It can be more invasive than cigarette butts on a build environment. We’re looking for solutions to minimise their use and seeking alternative products that may replace them;
   
• Screws: we reuse as much as possible, but most of them go into facilities to be recycled;
   
• Tools: we make a conscious use so as to keep them in good condition and make them last.

• Just like in every other large scale event, we must use heavy machinery. They will allow you to see jaw-dropping structures;
   
• We make conscious use of these machines; lots of different building teams are present on Boomland during the build and we organise the usage schedule so as to have as little equipment as possible on the land and use them efficiently and with as little fuel consumption as possible.