Humble Beginnings
It all began with an idea.
One which bubbled up as three mates sat down over a beer (coincidentally at the Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne) and discussed the waste involved with putting on an event, and the very limited solutions to the ongoing problem. With myself (Jess) being a passionate eco warrior who has worked within sustainability at festivals in the past, the idea had been brewing for some time, aided by the frustration of constantly seeing huge amounts of single-use rubbish spewing out of bins, on the ground, and in drains at multiple events I had attended/worked. The enjoyment of attending an event started to fizzle as my focus was drawn to the plastic bottles I was having to dance on, rather than Eminem on the main stage at Coachella telling me to lose myself - yes I was that event person noticing the finer detail.
A few texts later from Ryan asking when we were going to put the idea into fruition, the three of us collectively decided it was a no brainer to pursue the project.
The concept grew organically - a WhatsApp group was created and we continuously chatted to quickly design a system which was simple and effective, and never compromised the customer experience. A few names were thrown into the mix… Sustain A Spoon, Reuse A Bowl etc., but as you can see, we settled for the one and only, Green My Plate.
Which leads me to introduce you to the brains behind Green My Plate…!
Will Overman. The guy who’s had a beard since he was 16. The passionate Dee’s supporter, even through their toughest times. You might recognise Will from those Hangover movies, the guy with the baby front pack and sunnies… Seriously though, Will has previously worked within waste management teams at the London Olympics, Glastonbury Festival and the British Gran Prix. Since moving back to Melbourne he has worked backstage at festivals such as Falls and Meredith, and currently works full-time for Spark Event Group.
Ryan ‘Jonesy’ Jones. Loves a good time and enjoys throwing the odd party to celebrate the likes of Grand Final, Hottest 100 and anything else which deserves a celebration. Usually found at the beach on his surfboard, or if the waves aren’t bringing home the goods then you can catch him at the new wave pool in the Tullamarine. Jonesy has worked on all scales of events, specifically within venue management, transport, operations and logistics. From mass participation events such as Run Melbourne and the Gold Coast Marathon to global events including the Vancouver and London Olympics. Currently, Jonesy works as the Senior Events Manager for Spark Event Group.
And myself, Jess Fleet. An OG Kiwi who moved to Aussie five years ago. Attempted to give AFL a go but remains an avid rugby fan. Lives a low waste lifestyle and loves the outdoors. Thinks Grease 2 is better than Grease 1 (if you didn’t know there was a Grease 2 shame on you). Spent a year living between a couple of islands in the Great Barrier Reef, where I was fortunate enough to kayak to remote islands and swim with turtles. I moved to Aussie after working for Rhythm and Vines Music Festival for five years, and since the move I’ve worked backstage at Falls, Meredith and Golden Plains, and events in Melbourne including White Night.
With Green My Plate being just over a year old now, we’re proud parents of a closed-loop system and whole load of plates (which are now patiently waiting to be used for when the world starts spinning at its norm again).
Until then, lets all work towards cleaning up our dance floor so we can put the focus back on the music in front of us (singing Lose Yourself uninterrupted) whilst being responsible with how we’re treating our Papatuanuku (Earth).
