The prestigious ITB Earth Award 2025 was presented at the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards at ITB Berlin 2025. This year’s ceremony, marking the 11th edition of the flagship event, celebrated outstanding contributions to sustainable tourism, spotlighting the most inspiring stories from the 2024 Top 100 Stories list.
The ITB Earth Award highlights outstanding commitment to sustainable tourism, including careful destination management, inspiring initiatives, and effective stakeholder coordination. This year, the award spotlights Tallinn, Estonia, recognising its exemplary efforts in sustainable tourism development and conservation.
Hereโs a sneak peek into their story. ๐๐ผ
From the Singing Revolution to The Anti-Waste Revolution: How Tallinn Cleaned Up Their Nationโs Backbone Event
Tallinnโs journey towards sustainability is a story of transformation, community action, and resilience. Just as Estoniaโs Singing Revolution united the nation in its fight for independence, new sustainability initiatives have brought people together to protect and restore the countryโs natural beauty.
Every two years, Estonia, a modern and tech-savvy digital nation, gathers at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds for the Estonian Song and Dance Festival, one of the largest choral events in the world. Recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, this festival attracts over 125,000 participants, either as performers or spectators.
A couple of years before the 13th Youth Song and Dance Celebration took place in 2023, organisers made a strong commitment to align their actions with sustainable values. In partnership with the City of Tallinn, the European Green Capital 2023, the festival adopted environmentally friendly criteria to minimise its ecological footprint, particularly by targeting waste reduction and eliminating single-use disposable dishes and cutlery. As a result, only 22 tonnes of waste were generated, with 64% being separately collected and sent for recycling. The amount of mixed waste per person dropped significantly from 178 grams in 2019 to just 60 grams in 2023. Thanks to the reusable tableware system, over half a million pieces of single-use tableware were left unused, preventing more than 3.5 tonnes of plastic waste.
This festival became the largest event in Estonia, and likely in the Baltic-Nordic region, to be organised according to circular economy principles. What makes this initiative truly inspiring is its ability to turn a challenge into an opportunity. By fostering a culture of environmental responsibility, Tallinn has demonstrated that sustainability isnโt just about regulationsโitโs about people. Learn more about Visit Tallinn at: https://visittallinn.ee/
“Tallinn is an innovative city where bold ideas become reality. Using only reusable dishes at an event as large as the Song and Dance Festival once seemed impossible, but Tallinn made it happen. International recognition serves as an inspiration to cities around the world โ if major events can be organised in an environmentally friendly way, then many other things are possible as well.” – Jevgeni Ossinovski, The Mayor of Tallinn.
Moving Forward: Lessons and Inspirations โ
Tallinnโs journey towards a more sustainable Song Festival offers several valuable lessons that can inspire other large-scale events worldwide. Here are the top three takeaways from their experience:
๐ฟ Collaboration is Key to Success
The festivalโs achievements were not the result of one organisation working aloneโit was a collective effort involving the City of Tallinn, the Estonian Song and Dance Festival Foundation (Eesti Laulu- ja Tantsupeo Sihtasutus), sustainability consultants Acento, waste management experts Eesti Pandipakend, vendors, and volunteers. By bringing together partners who shared the same vision, they created an effective system for reducing waste. This highlights the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors, where pooling resources and expertise can drive meaningful environmental change.
๐ฟ Public Engagement and Clear Communication Make a Difference
A major factor in the festivalโs success was the involvement of attendees. A well-designed reusable tableware system wouldnโt have worked without clear communication and easy-to-follow processes. Visual signage, trained volunteers, and straightforward deposit returns helped attendees understand and embrace the initiative. This proves that sustainability efforts must be inclusiveโwhen people feel involved and informed, they are more likely to support and adopt greener behaviours.
๐ฟ Ambitious Goals Can Drive Industry-Wide Change
Despite having an exemption from Tallinnโs single-use plastic ban due to the eventโs scale, organisers chose to push forward with a fully reusable system. This set a new benchmark not only for future festivals in Estonia but also for large events across Europe. By proving that sustainable alternatives are possible even at this scale, the Estonian Song and Dance Festival has paved the way for other event organisers to rethink their waste management strategies.
Tallinnโs experience shows that even the biggest events can successfully transition to sustainable practices with the right partnerships, public engagement, and bold decision-making.
Join the journey of inspiration!
Inspired by the transformative story of Tallinn? This is just the beginning. Discover the full spectrum of innovation and commitment to sustainability that destinations worldwide are showcasing.
