We've considered what you can pack from biodegradable glitter to plastic-free toothpaste to make your festival experience more eco-friendly.
ADVERTISEMENTThe festival season is finally upon us and we’re bursting with excitement. Glastonbury, Coachella, Primavera, you name it – we’ll be there. However, we can’t help but be acutely aware that festivals produce a shocking amount of plastic. The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) say that audiences at UK festivals consume 10 million plastic bottles and that 250,000 tents are left at festival sites annually.
But we’re determined not to let the doom and gloom taint our festival experiences, or yours! Instead, we’ve come up with an festival guide for the ecologically minded, so you can have an unforgettable festival experience and feel safe in the knowledge that you’re doing your bit for the planet simultaneously. Roll on our 5 suggestions for a greener festival season.
Pack an eco-friendly ‘festival survival & hygiene kit’
Packing for a festival with limited space in your bag can often lead you to buying multiple small plastic bottles that will be chucked away after a fun-filled weekend. Thankfully, Full Circle has got your hygiene needs covered this festival season. Within this nifty kit, you will find 9 products - all of which are either reusable, biodegradable or recyclable.
What’s included: antiperspirant in a recyclable aluminium can, toothpaste in a zero-waste reusable aluminium pot, a biodegradable eco-towel, dry shampoo in a recyclable aluminium can, 100% recycled toilet paper, anti-bac in a reusable aluminium bottle, biodegradable face-wipes and no-rinse body wash in a zero-waste reusable aluminium bottle. What more could you need? Priced at £22.99.
Sparkle in sustainable style
Glitter may look pretty but what it can do to the planet is ugly, as micro-plastics seep into our oceans and work their way up to the top of the food chain. 38 Degrees began a petition to ban micro-plastic glitter as they found in a recent study that ‘up to a third of fish caught in the North Sea contained micro-plastic particles’.
Enter EcoStardust Glitter made from a ‘special biodegradable film’ created from plant cellulose sourced principally from sustainably-farmed eucalyptus trees. This glitter not only looks dazzling but is safe for your skin, hair and the environment. The bio-glitter comes in aluminium tins or biodegradable grip seal bags and can be popped into recycling once you’ve sparkled your way through the festival season.
Take a reusable bottle
Greenpeace has now estimated that 12.7 million tonnes of plastic find their way into our oceans each year. That’s a shocking statistic but we can reduce that significantly, by opting for a reusable bottle rather than a plastic one. We think S’well Water Bottles are a perfect replacement as they’re designed to keep your drink cold for 24 hours.
From £24.49 and available on Zen Wardrobe
A Tent is for life, not just for a festival
The AIF found that 875 tonnes in plastic waste had been left in the form of tents after the UK festival season in 2018 - which is equivalent to eight blue whales! So what options do we have to dramatically decrease this shocking statistic?
- Ensure you buy a tent that will last and take it home with you
- Rent a tent via Fat Llama if you don’t want to invest in a tent for life - it’s like Airbnb for useful items
- Glampify your festival experience by investing in a 100% cotton and biodegradable bell tent available on CanvasCamp
Enhance your gin & tonics with metal straws
Love the idea of drinking through a straw but not the idea that it could harm the world’s marine life? We have the straws for you. These are plastic free, eco-friendly and also add a bit of luxury to your drink sipping experience. SoSeas has created a sophisticated set of gold, silver, black and rose gold straws that come with their own internal cleaner.
These come with a linen carry case and will certainly make drinking around the campsite more enjoyable – plus you’ll be setting an example to fellow festival goers around you.
