Can festivals become more eco-friendly? A comprehensive guide

Millions of us attend festivals every year. It’s a chance to spend time with friends, dance, and enjoy your favourite music. What’s not to like? However, you may be unaware of the shocking volume of waste these events generate. British festivals contribute thousands of tonnes of waste annually, with a significant portion still ending up in landfills. This highlights a critical need for the event industry to embrace sustainable practices. 

The good news is that the festival landscape is rapidly evolving. Many events are making significant strides toward environmental responsibility, demonstrating that a green event is not just possible, but essential. 

Here at Bywaters, our events waste management service can handle all of your festival waste by providing suitable bins for different materials and then recycling them at our facilities. Now, we know a green event is possible, here we give you the lowdown on sustainability in the events industry. 

Drastically Reducing Carbon Emissions: Powering Festivals Sustainably

Festival energy consumption, especially in remote areas, significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. While traditional reliance on massive diesel generators has been common, accounting for a large percentage of festival energy use, the industry is shifting. The AGF (A Greener Future) Annual Sustainability Report 2024 indicates that while 72% of festivals still use generators, larger events are largely transitioning to HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) biofuel, with 20% of assessed festivals running entirely on it. However, reducing overall fuel use and improving battery and grid systems remain key opportunities for decarbonization. 

Why is this an issue?

Energy consumption at festivals becomes an issue when power is overused or used improperly. Some festivals unfortunately do the latter due to lack of information and communication provided between contractors, suppliers and the event organisers. Generators often run at low loads, making the energy-generating process inefficient. Low loads mean that for every litre of fuel burned, less power is created, or more power is generated than is required or usable at the time. Generators that are too big for an event’s requirements will use more fuel than necessary which creates emissions and costs more. Diesel also pollutes the environment by emitting harmful toxins like nitrogen oxide — an ozone-depleting emission.

What can festivals do to reduce energy emissions?

• Embrace On-Site Renewable Energy: Moving beyond temporary solutions, festivals are increasingly investing in permanent renewable energy systems like solar arrays and wind turbines. Glastonbury, for example, declared in 2023 that its energy sources were 100% fossil fuel-free, showcasing a leading example of energy efficiency and grid integration. 
• Transition to Advanced Biofuels and Green Hydrogen: Beyond HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), research into and adoption of emerging green hydrogen technologies for generators offer promising avenues for even lower-carbon power. 
• Optimise Energy Demand with Smart Planning: Event organisers should meticulously plan energy needs by collaborating with suppliers to assess minimum energy requirements, utilising energy-efficient equipment, and implementing smart energy monitoring systems. 
• Promote Sustainable Transportation for Attendees: Audience travel remains a major source of emissions. The AGF Report 2024 highlighted that for rural festivals, private vehicle use for the longest part of the journey decreased from 67% to 58%, with public transport increasing from 16% to 19%. Festivals should actively encourage and incentivize attendees to use public transport, organised coach services, or car-sharing initiatives to reduce the overall carbon footprint. 

Innovating Waste Management: Towards a Circular Festival Economy

The waste generated at festivals reaches staggering new heights every year. Items like wristbands, fancy dress, sleeping bags, and particularly tents, are continuously left behind. These items, often made from complex polymers, can remain on the planet for decades, if not centuries. A 3.5kg tent produces the equivalent of 25kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and due to mixed materials, many are impossible to recycle.

Strategies for Minimising Waste and Maximising Resource Recovery:

• Educate and Empower Attendees for Zero-Waste: Launch comprehensive pre-event and on-site campaigns emphasizing conscious consumption. Encourage attendees to bring reusable items and take all belongings home. Campaigns like Kendal Calling’s email to ticket holders outlining their sustainability progress, including a 98.93% rate of tents taken home in 2024, prove effective. 
• Champion Reusability and Rental Models: Tackle the tent crisis by promoting tent rental services, such as Camplight, or designated take-back schemes. Some festivals, like Boomtown, even offer a free shop where attendees can borrow items with a deposit, further reducing waste. 
• Implement Robust Segregated Waste Streams: Provide clearly labelled and highly visible recycling and composting bins across the entire site. The AGF Report 2024 noted an increase in the average site recycling rate across all festivals from 38% in 2022 to 49% in 2024, demonstrating progress in waste separation. 
• Scrutinize the Supply Chain: Work exclusively with suppliers committed to sustainable packaging and responsible sourcing, fostering a broader circular economy within the festival ecosystem.

Banning Single-Use Plastics: A Plastic-Free Festival Experience

Festivals generate tonnes of single-use plastic waste, from drinks bottles and plastic straws to food trays and glitter. Over 100 million plastic cups are disposed of yearly at UK festivals and live events, most of which are sent to landfill. Microplastics, like glitter, also pose significant threats to wildlife and water pollution. The good news is that many festivals have introduced site-wide plastic bans.

Achieving a Truly Plastic-Free Festival:

• Enforce Comprehensive Plastic Bans: Festivals like Glastonbury don’t allow attendees to buy plastic on-site and encourage reusable items. The AGF Report 2024 found that 70% of assessed events implemented a complete ban on single-use plastics. 
• Mandate Sustainable Alternatives for Food and Beverage: All food service disposables and serving equipment should be made with sustainable alternatives like paper, card, wood, and be fully compostable. Many festivals are also advising food traders to cater children’s meals to reduce waste and offer at least one vegetarian or vegan meal, which significantly reduces carbon emissions. 
• Implement Reusable Cup Systems: Provide reusable cups for drinks, often with a deposit-return scheme. The AGF Report 2024 states that 67% of festivals implemented reusable cup systems across their entire event. These systems are more effective than single-use options if cups are reused multiple times. 
• Promote Eco-Conscious Personal Items: Encourage visitors to wear reusable raincoats and ponchos, use eco-friendly glitter, and bring their own reusable containers to fill up. 

Embracing Green Infrastructure: The Rise of Compostable Toilets

While often overlooked, traditional portable chemical toilets used at festivals are not eco-friendly due to highly toxic chemicals required for waste breakdown and the energy-intensive processing at waste facilities. Fortunately, sustainable alternatives are gaining traction. 

The Benefits of Compostable Toilets:

• Eliminate Harmful Chemicals: Compostable toilets do not rely on toxic chemicals, preventing environmental contamination. 
• Resource Recovery and Soil Enrichment: They are waterless and convert human waste into nutrient-rich compost, often referred to as ‘humanure,’ which can be used to fertilize soil, showcasing a closed-loop system. 
• Reduced Water and Energy Consumption: By eliminating the need for flushing water and extensive off-site treatment, they significantly reduce the festival’s water footprint and associated energy consumption. The AGF Report 2024 noted that 15% of festivals used compost toilets, indicating growing adoption. 

Conclusion: A Sustainable Future for Live Events

The journey to truly eco-friendly and sustainable festivals requires a holistic approach, from diligent carbon emissions monitoring and innovative waste management to the complete eradication of single-use plastics and the adoption of green infrastructure. By implementing these strategies, festivals can not only minimize their environmental impact but also inspire a generation of attendees to embrace sustainable living, proving that unforgettable experiences and ecological responsibility can go hand-in-hand. Partnering with expert waste management services like Bywaters ensures your commitment to sustainability is backed by efficient and environmentally sound practices, driving a greener future for live events.