Music festival season is upon us and it’s important to be mindful the imprint we leave behind on these grounds. Electric Forest, Glastonbury, Tinderbox, Lollapalooza and so many more are still on the horizon this season and we should leave no trace. Whether it’s a city fest or a campground setting, there are some easy ways to not trash the place — or the environment for that matter.
Bring a reusable water container!
Venues will allow an empty container for water and there will be water stations at any given event. By turning down single use plastics such as straws, cups and bottled water, we can reduce the need to recycle such materials. Because, let’s be real — not every bottled water makes its way back to a recycle bin. According to Powerful Thinking, 23,500 tons waste are produced annually at UK music festivals alone and almost 70% this ends up in a landfill.
Don’t leave your tent behind!
This should go without saying, but if you purchased a cheap tent just for the weekend — it’s not trash. Either reuse it, take it to a donation center, or seek other options. It shouldn’t be the music festival’s responsibility to clean up tents and other camping items left behind. This year, Electric Forest has introduced its Eco-Tent, a recyclable cardboard shelter option that comes with a prime camping spot. We’re not sold on the price, but hopefully we’ll see more this in the future across leading music festivals at a more affordable rate.
Wear bioglitter!
Music festivals attendees are known to glitter up at events. Unfortunately, much the cosmetic glitter available to purchase online and in stores contains microplastics — little hazardous shards for the environment. We’ve reported how harmful glitter can be, as it can wash into lakes, rivers and oceans and affect marine wildlife. Thankfully, there’s biodegradable glitter available like this to combat the problem. Bioglitter is sexy.
Carpool or take a bus!
We can’t see the greenhouse gas emissions that flare up during large gatherings such as music festivals, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Please, be conscious this. Make travel plans with friends, take the bus or carpool, and try not to leave the car running. In especially hot conditions, it can be tempting to jump in the car to cool f with AC. Instead, bring a spray bottle with water, a fan, and find some shade under a tree or structure to cool down.
These are just a few ways to help reduce the imprint we leave behind during festival season. We’d love to hear from frequent festival goers — what do you do to help keep your music festival oasis clean?! Leave some suggestions in the comments.
H/T: CNN