Bafta Awards ditch goody bags and serve vegan food in bid to be more sustainable

'It just feels like we can no longer do nothing, that is just not acceptable,' says Bafta organiser

Organisers of the Bafta Awards have announced that this year’s ceremony will be “carbon neutral”.

As is the same with many industries, awards shows which are renowned for flying in guests from afar and gifting lavish goody bags are coming under close scrutiny over their environmental footprint.

This season, the Bafta’s are making a number of changes to their approach in an attempt to become more sustainable with organisers claiming the entire event will be “carbon neutral”.

Dame Pippa Harris, Bafta chair, told the PA news agency: “Like everyone, we are increasingly concerned about the impact of climate change and it just feels like we can no longer do nothing, that is just not acceptable.”

She added: “For the last year and intensively over the last eight months, everyone has been working across every area, not just the ceremony itself, the red carpet, the Grosvenor House dinner, every element that makes up the Baftas, to make sure that by the end of the day, the whole thing will be carbon neutral.”

The move will signal the end of the traditional goody bag, which often contains a number of expensive gifts such as beauty products and bottles of champagne.

However, Harris said that the Bafta’s felt it was “not a very sustainable thing to be doing” and that this year celebrities will be given a “gifting wallet” made from recycled plastic instead.

Similarly, attendees are being encouraged to make more sustainable fashion choices on the red carpet such as re-wearing an outfit they already own, hiring something rather than buying it, or opting for an eco-conscious designer.

Harris also revealed that guests are being asked to consider how they are making their way to the ceremony and that if they do have to fly, to offset their travel.

“It’s not just Bafta, I think Ampas (which organises the Oscars) and the other awards boards all realise that you’re under the spotlight,” Harris explained.

“Particularly in this day and age, you can’t simply be having a glitzy party and then people are getting up on stage to talk about climate change but actually the ceremony and the event itself have had a negative impact on the environment, that’s just not acceptable.”

Additional changes being made to this year’s ceremony include a ban on single-use plastic and a red carpet made from recycled materials.

Guests will also be served a vegan starter and pudding as part of the awards meal.

Bafta is not the first awards show to encourage its guests to make more sustainable choices this season.

Earlier this month, the Golden Globes served an exclusively vegan meal during the awards ceremony.

“We are going vegan!” a statement published on the Golden Globes Facebook page said at the time.

“At the 77th Golden Globes Awards ceremony, a 100 per cent plant-based dinner, including a chilled golden beet soup and king oyster mushrooms with risotto, will be served.”

The decision was praised by a number of attendees including Joker star Joaquin Phoenix who thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for “recognising and acknowledging the link between animal agriculture and climate change”.

“It really sends a powerful message,” he said while accepting an award for best actor for a motion picture.