News

There used to be one rule: don’t take anything you’re not prepared to lose or damage, but 2019 festivals are all about getting drastic on plastic.

If summer is finally here it means its festival season: great music, good times, and so much waste if campers aren’t a bit careful. More and more festivals are making efforts to reduce the needless pollution from disposable plastic, so let’s help them. And while going plastic-free in a field is a challenge, a huge amount of senseless waste can be stopped this summer with a little bit of planning.

Friends of the Earth has pulled together top tips on swapping single-use plastic waste with some easy festival alternatives:

1. Do better than a single-use cup. The choice has never been wider, invest in a reusable cup for coffee on site, and it makes a surprisingly useful additional packing receptacle.
2. Make your own wet wipes. Everyone is aware of fatbergs, and the fact that so few wet wipes are plastic-free. Take a good old flannel or consider making your own wipes: soak squares of fabric - an old t-shirt fits the bill nicely - in boiling water, aloe vera, witch hazel, castile soap and essential oil. These will last the whole weekend in a sealable lunchbox and can be washed and reused.
3. Eco-friendly sparkle. Join everyone else and discover eco glitter, made from plant cellulose and a small amount of aluminium - this biodegradable alternative is a better choice.
4. Avoid plastic ponchos. Inevitably, rain is part of the festival experience. Rather than a flimsy, plastic poncho that you’ll chuck away, invest in a proper waterproof cagoule or pack-a-mac that will be serve you for years to come.
5. Bring a bottle. Staying hydrated at a festival is undeniably important. The convenience of a plastic bottle can be tempting but you can avoid a huge amount of plastic pollution by bringing a reusable bottle along to fill up at water points. Site staff may ask you to empty a bottle before bringing it on site though.
6. Invest in a bamboo cutlery set: Just imagine how many items of disposable cutlery a festival gets through – they all have to go somewhere even if many are biodegradable. If you really don't want to shell out, just take normal cutlery from home.
7. Toiletries: It’s really easy to buy bars of hard shampoo that either come in re-usable cases or that can easily be stored in one – they can usually double-up as body wash, saving on plastic containers that are often not recyclable.
8. Tents: It is estimated that a quarter of a million tents [1] are left at music festivals across the UK every year, amounting to 900 tonnes of plastic waste going into landfill. A tent is for life, not just for a weekend. #justtakeithome

From cups to glitter to tents, attitudes towards a disposable society are changing. Emma Priestland, a Friends of the Earth plastics campaigner and festival attender, said:

“The message has been heard loud and clear and new standards are being set all the time – from now on, we should be aiming for waste-free festivals.

“In the meantime, anyone who wants to swap single-use items for more durable examples are contributing towards a sea-change: both in our collective attitudes but also by reducing the volumes of junk that otherwise goes to landfill.”

Original story - https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/tips-plasticfree-festivals
Photo Credit - BBC

All England Lawn Tennis Club move means there will be 4,500 fewer plastic bags this year

It may not quite be a Wimbledon tradition along the lines of the all-white dress code but the sight of players discarding the plastic cover from a freshly strung racket is a familiar one at SW19. However, it will not be seen at this year’s championships, which begin on Monday – or in future Wimbledon tournaments – after a review of the use of plastics, and sustainability in general, by the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC).

The removal of plastic bags from the player racket stringing operation means there will be 4,500 fewer plastic bags used at this year’s championships, according to the club. Awareness of – and concern at – the effects of plastic waste on oceans is growing, and players and racket stringers alike have dismissed the idea the covers have any practical purpose. Kevin Anderson, the losing men’s singles finalist last year, and the vice-president of the Association of Tennis Professionals player council, has voiced his desire to abolish them across the tour. Richard Lewis, the chief executive of the

AELTC, said “We believe that Wimbledon, along with other major events, has a vital role to play in helping to protect the environment, today and for the future.” There will be other changes at this year’s tournament, including relating to plastic bottles, which were a talking point last year, with players including Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund among those who expressed concern. Guardian Today: the headlines, the analysis, the debate - sent direct to you Read more While the AELTC is not going as far as Glastonbury, which has banned single-use plastic, or Oval cricket ground, which is looking to follow suit, it says the tournament sponsor Evian will launch its first 100% recycled and 100% recyclable water bottle at this year’s championships.

The club also says it has upped the percentage of recycled content in food and drink packaging, with cups for strawberries and cream made from 70% recycled plastic. No waste from last year’s championships went to landfill, with non-recyclable waste used to produce electricity. But the AELTC wants to increase the proportion of waste entering recycling this year and to that end, it will have staff guiding the public to discard waste into appropriate bins, which will be more visible.

Sir David Attenborough has taken to the stage at Glastonbury to thank festival-goers for cutting their plastic use.

The naturalist appeared shortly before Kylie Minogue's set, and previewed some of his new TV series Seven Worlds, One Planet, which is due to air on BBC One later this year.

Thousands of people had gathered for his unscheduled appearance.

"That is more than a million bottles of water that have not been drunk by you," he told the audience to huge cheers.

"Thank you. Thank you."

The presenter appeared to be overwhelmed by the size of the crowd - re-starting his speech twice after he was drowned out by applause.

His speech began with a montage of ocean scenes from the natural history series Blue Planet 2.

"Those extraordinary marvellous sounds you've just been listening to were the sounds of the creatures that live in the sea and the great oceans. You may have heard some of them in a series that went out two years ago called Blue Planet 2," Sir David said

"There was one sequence in Blue Planet 2 which everyone seems to remember. It was one in which we showed what plastic has done to the creatures that live in the ocean. They have an extraordinary effect. And now, this great festival has gone plastic-free. That is more than a million bottles of water that have not been drunk by you at Glastonbury. Thank you. Thank you.