Words and photos by Kate Hathaway |
For many music fans, going to a festival over the summer is an absolute must. An environment where the social norm is to wake up at midday and enjoy a bacon butty and a beer for breakfast. The stresses of everyday life disappear for a few days and the focus is on soaking up the atmosphere of live music, sunshine and (dodgy) showers. The lure of a festival is undeniable but we have now started to see the considerable environmental damage that is left in their wake.
As festival season draws to an end each year, and the bigger names such as Glastonbury and Reading / Leeds become memories, we see the annual photos and videos shared by festival clean-up crews of the absolute devastation and waste that is generated and left behind by festival goers. Many people leave behind their tents and sleeping bags, believing a common misconception that they will be collected and donated to homeless charities. In reality, as much as 90% is left behind after charity volunteers have been around to salvage what they can, with the remainder being too damaged for reuse. This leaves no other option but for them to be cleared and sent on to landfill. In addition to the abandoned sea of tents, masses of litter and plastic waste is accumulated too. A whopping 23,500 tonnes of waste is generated at UK festivals each year, which when broken down equates to 2.8KG of waste per person per day.
In an attempt to fight back in the war on plastic pollution, festival organisers are starting to bring in new policies in regards to single use plastics. Glastonbury has recently made the headlines, after announcing that they will not supply any single use plastic bottles this year, either on site to festival-goers or backstage to artists. In 2017, the festival sold over 1 million single use plastic bottles, prompting organisers to consider the environmental impact, and ultimately coming to the decision to stop their sale. Instead, soft drinks and water will be being sold in recyclable cans at this year’s festival. Backstage catering will also be supplied plastic-free, with canned drinks and reusable water bottles being provided to performers.
Glastonbury has introduced several initiatives to reduce plastic pollution; in previous years festival organisers have also banned the use of plastic cutlery and plates by food traders, stating that everything from forks to plates must be compostable. Others are also taking steps towards becoming more eco-friendly and conscious of the toll their event takes upon the planet. Smaller UK festivals have also promoted steps to become more environmentally friendly. Kendal Calling, a festival held in Lowther, Cumbria, partnered with United Utilities for their 2018 festival for their ‘Drastic on Plastic’ campaign. This saw them give away 10,000 free reusable water bottles to ticket holders with the aim of promoting sustainability, and in an attempt to reduce the number of single use plastic water bottles used over the course of the festival.
What can I do to help?
With this in mind, and the 2019 festival season on the horizon, here at ECOzine we decided to put together a few helpful tips that you can try. We encourage everyone to do their bit in reducing the plastic waste that is left behind. It goes without saying that the first tip is to ensure you take your tent home with you at the end of the festival, as the rumours that they will be donated to homeless charities are simply not true!
Transfer your booze into an aluminium flask, and take your mixers in recyclable cans
Those of you who are regular festival goers will likely not need to be reminded, but for festival first timers, be aware that the majority will not allow any glass to be brought into the festival - this includes both the campsite and the main arena.
Many like to take their own spirits and mixers into the campsite with them in order to make their own drinks whilst camping and save money on the bar tab in the main arena, which is permitted, however not in the glass bottles they are purchased in. To get around this, many transfer the spirits into an empty plastic bottle. Rather than transferring the spirits into a plastic bottle and bringing mixers in large plastic bottles, we suggest using an aluminium or stainless steel flask to transport your spirits, and bringing cans of your favourite mixers.
Swap out your plastic cups for a reusable one
Most festivals now use either biodegradable cups or offer reusable cups at their bars. The cups come with an additional one-off cost at the first purchase, but can then be refilled throughout the festival for the normal price of a drink. At the end of the festival you can either take it home as a memento, or return the cup to the bar and get your money back. If you are a regular camper or festival goer, we recommend investing in some stainless steel pint glasses. They can be used in the campsite, and you can pop one in your bag and take it with you into the arena to have filled up at the bars.
Take your own reusable coffee cups
After crawling out of your tent in the morning, it’s likely you’ll be in desperate need of a coffee to wake you up and ease the side effects from the night before. We suggest taking a reusable coffee cup with you. Many of us already use them day to day already, and you could even save yourself a bit of cash by using your own coffee in the campsite before heading to the arena for the day.
If you want straws, take paper ones
After discovering how much damage plastic straws are having on the environment, many of us who don’t need them have chosen to ditch them altogether. But, if you really fancy a straw with your drinks and don’t require plastic ones, consider taking paper ones with you, or even invest in a reusable stainless steel one.
Ditch the wet wipes
Although they are convenient, and many festival goers consider them an essential to take with them cheap, non-biodegradable wet wipes aren’t good for the environment. Rather than breaking down, they block sewers and pile up in landfill. We have some suggestions for how to cope without them.
The ‘wet wipe wash’ is a well-known solution amongst festival goers who are camping without shower facilities. Instead, we recommend bringing with you a simple flannel and bar of soap! Having a quick wash with some soap and water from a reusable bottle is just as quick and effective, and doesn’t contribute to more single-use waste! If you use wet wipes to take off makeup, we suggest bringing cotton pads and a facial cleanser. Many people use these to remove their makeup on a daily basis in order to be more eco-friendly, so why not bring it with you to a festival too! We recommend Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, and Lush Tea Tree Water, both of which come in recyclable bottles.
Use a shampoo bar rather than dry shampoo
Aerosols aren’t the best for the environment, so why not swap out the dry shampoo for a solid shampoo bar from Lush? Storage tins for the bars are also available, and it’s simple enough to give your hair a quick rinse and wash with some water from a reusable bottle, then letting it air dry throughout the day.
If you really don’t want to get your hair wet, then we suggest grabbing a tin of Yardleys English Lavendar Talcum Powder. Talcum powder is a great alternative to dry shampoo, as it helps absorb oils and reduce a greasy appearance, and doesn’t have the same harmful effects on the environment that aerosols can have. The great thing about Yardley’s is that it comes in a tin rather than a plastic container, meaning that it can be recycled once finished.
Stay hydrated whilst staying sustainable!
As most festivals are now moving towards a ban on the sale of single use plastic bottles, make sure you bring a reusable water bottle with you. There are plenty of free water taps available around festival campsites and arenas, and many festivals that are phasing out single use plastic bottles are increasing the free water points on site. Rather than bringing your own single use water bottles with you, get yourself a reusable one!
It might not seem like much, but if every festival goer were to make simple changes like this, then together we could make a huge difference to our planet!