Midst of August is probably the perfect time to watch me once again heroically nailing jelly to a wall by answering the question “So… what exactly is sustainability management?”

A great question I get asked a lot - and for good reason: Sustainability management can sound really abstract - until you see it in action. And with summer in full swing and festivals everywhere, let‘s go for an answer that comes with music, street food, and reusable cups 🎪☀️🎵

Last semester, students from our Sustainability Management bachelor’s programme teamed up with waste management company Brantner green solutions to assess the effects from switching from disposable to reusable cups at festivals. We did some math for a fictional event lasting 11 days and hosting around 120,000 visitors, and it seems like using reusable cups could be a smart move:

• Saving up to 170,000–220,000 cups (depending on consumption assumptions);
• Saving about 5,000 litres of crude oil in cup production - a 92 to 94% reduction in oil use;
• Cutting Life-Cycle CO2 cup emissions by 95%, which means saving enough CO2 to allow an electric car to travel over 100.000+ km⚡

📊 This figure shows how crude oil demand and Life-Cycle CO2 emissions drop dramatically when cups are used multiple times at festivals:

👉 This rough estimate brings us back to the initial question: What does sustainability management do? It guides companies and organisations in making greener and fairer choices by combining data, practical solutions, and strategic thinking. From identifying impactful measures to translating numbers into decisions, sustainability management turns ambition into action. Ensuring that change is both measurable and meaningful.

And in case of Green Events, the benefits go far beyond the presented numbers: they reduce waste, inspire visitors, and show that celebrating and protecting the planet can go hand in hand 🌿🌈
By the way: I hear the Wachauer Volksfest (= #EventPick) is coming up 😉. Perfect opportunity to raise a reusable cup! ♻️