Leading The Way Again - Will You Leave No Trace?

We simply can't get away from it - environmental issues have become an urgent issue rapidly turning into a global crisis. Like it or not we are all responsible for what happens next - so it's down to each and every one of us to start working together to protect our planet.

Of course dealing with the current environmental crisis doesn't necessarily mean that we have to take such drastic action that life becomes utterly miserable - it really means that each one of us needs to do our bit and begin taking positive action. Think of it as a bit like peeling an onion; we're starting to strip away the grotty layers we've built up in order to get to the heart of it. If we all do our bit we'll get to that core and clean it up together.

One major area where those of us who are into our music and festivals can actually have a big influence is at those summer festivals and gigs. Many organisers have been very quick to react and respond to Agreenerfestival.com (a campaigning group who are certainly changing the face of the UK festival scene) and we, as  music fans can also have a strong impact when we're at any of the plethora of festivals which have grown massively in popularity over the last few years.

Few are more aware of the need to protect our environment than Glastonbury Festival organisers, who have long been forward thinking leaders in music and environmental issues. They have a comprehensive environmental policy in place that's being improved and expanded year on year, and 2008 sees a bigger than ever push toward improvements with many new innovative and practical approaches to the whole eco debate. We've come to expect the best from Glastonbury and it's obvious they are not going to disappoint in 2008.

Few festivals have the impact and influence that has become associated with the Glastonbury Festival, it's an experience unlike any other for many and varied reasons. Far from just being the best at what they do in the UK,  they are world class when it comes to innovation and forward thinking. There can be little doubt that when it comes to festivals Glastonbury is, and always has been, way ahead of the game.  With that level of influence comes great responsibility - but then Glastonbury has never been one to shirk away from responsibility.

Glastonbury organisers would be the first to admit they may not always get it exactly right first time round - but the big difference with Glastonbury is the fact that they are always the first to learn, grow and evolve from each festival experience - and they have many years of festival experience on which to draw. Glastonbury are consistently the first to embrace new ideas and implement new pioneering policies and ground breaking practices designed to encourage and enable others to follow up on ideas long after the festival has finished.

From supporting vital charities to encouraging new artists, somewhere within all that mud and mayhem you can also guarantee that Glastonbury is out there leading yet again when it comes to caring for the environment - and while they're at it they are gently encouraging and helping us all to do the same. It's simple really; this is an issue that affects us all, even when we are in the process of having a damn good time. Glastonbury leads the way in showing that you can have a good time without being selfish and in this day and age we think that matters.

Glastonbury Festival is held on Worthy Farm (a working farm) it isn't just the Glastonbury festival venue. When we leave organisers have to work quickly and efficiently to ensure that the land is fit for purpose for the main role of Michael Eavis and his family - they are first and foremost working farmers.

The devastation we leave behind can be quite profound but with a bit of encouragement we can do something about that for 2008 Glastonbury have already announced some exciting new initiatives with biodegradable tent pegs forming part of a major development. Thousands of metal tent pegs have historically been collected from Worthy Farm - in fact Michael Eavis has a skip on his dairy farm that's full of tent pegs recovered since last year's event. These Metal pegs that are left behind can harm the cows that live on Worthy Farm so now that there is an alternative available that's a situation that simply cannot be allowed to continue. Michael Eavis, in a recent press announcement told the BBC that:

As well as the tent peg initiative Greenpeace, one of the worthy causes that Glastonbury Festival benefits, have created a virtual town to help encourage people to reduce their carbon footprints. The virtual town is called EfficienCity and uses real world examples from communities around the UK who have taken matters into their own hands and are starting a revolution of the UK’s energy system. Another example of the wide ranging initiatives designed to encourage and enable us all to take those steps that will inevitable mean we can stop destroying our environment and start protecting it.

Encouraging others is something Glastonbury does really well, last year saw Glastonbury Festival and Greenpeace present the second Green Traders award on the Sunday afternoon of the Festival, recognising the four stalls which have done most to give their businesses a low environmental impact . The silver award winners were Tiger Lily clothes stall and Goodness Gracious Healthy Foods. Gold award winners, who come away with a free pitch at the next Glastonbury Festival and, for more temporal pleasure, a crate of champagne, were EcoGadgets and Chai Wallahs.

There's no real excuse for us is there? We all need to keep that in mind if we are lucky enough to bag ourselves those precious tickets this year - why not take a few minutes to read about their environmental policies and see how you can support the work they are already doing. But most importantly of all we must make sure that this year we all work toward ensuring that we really do "leave no trace"

Below is information about Glastonbury's environmental practices:

Glastonbury's Environmental Statement

Glastonbury Festival recognises that running the event at Worthy Farm has a direct impact (both positive and negative) on the environment. The festival is committed to enhancing the environment through our operations wherever possible, and minimising any negative impact.

The festival also commits to maintaining the rich and diverse environment that has evolved through alternative land usage. Holding a festival once a year in the middle of the growing season prevents the use of environmentally damaging conventional farming practices which would have a more intrusive impact on the ecology.

This statement will focus on litter management, sewage management, management of the general ecology of the site and environmental messaging to festival goers. The festival is committed to working with the grain of nature, not against it, and complying with all environmental legal requirements.

Glastonbury's Litter Management

Any event with 177,500 attendees will generate significant levels of litter. The festival is committed to minimising the amount of waste, and managing the on site collection of that waste efficiently. The festival works to the key environmental management principals of “reduce, re-use and recycle”. The festival is equally committed to quickly and effectively clearing any litter caused by the festival in the local community.

The festival commits to continuing its policy of reducing the percentage of waste that goes to landfill, by placing controls on what is brought on site by staff, contractors, sponsors and traders – and by emphasis on their responsibility not to bring items that will end in landfill, to think recycling when bringing materials on site, and to remove items brought on site which otherwise would end in landfill.

The festival is also committed to continuing the composting initiative first developed in 2004, to minimise the amount of waste that goes to landfill. It is festival policy that all disposables provided to food traders by festival wholesalers will be biodegradable, and manufactured in environmental friendly fashion. This is closely monitored and enforced.

The festival will actively promote recycling to festival goers and will research further recycling options. The festival achieved twice both the 2004 and 2005 MDC targets and again commits to exceeding the MDC target of 24% of recycled waste in 2007.

In 2005, the festival recycled 230 tonnes of composted organic waste, 475 tonnes of chipped wood, 150 tonnes of hardcore, 24 tonnes of cans and plastic bottles, 8 tonnes of glass, 95 tonnes scrap metal, 11 tonnes of cardboard and 24 tonnes of clothing, tents, and sleeping bags. In addition there was also an estimated 500 tonnes of straw composted. The festival commits to work with the statutory authorities on recycling and litter management issues.

Managing Sewage and Waste Water

The festival commits to transporting sewage and waste water offsite, with the use of the lagoon as a temporary holding facility, in full consultation with the Environment Agency and Wessex Water.

The festival undertakes to provide containers for waste water and direct all employees and traders that there must not be any discharge of any contaminated water to surface or ground waters. This will continue to be closely monitored. All foul drainage from the market areas and traders will be collected and transported to the lagoon for subsequent disposal. The levels of the effluent collection in the lagoon will be continually monitored, with effluent being transported to approved sewage treatment works during the event. The lagoon will be thoroughly cleansed before it is returned to agricultural use. The festival undertakes to commit to the standards set by the Environment Agency with regards to sewage disposal and to an ongoing process of consultation with the Environment Agency and Mendip District Council with regards to minimising any environmental damage caused by the festival.

The festival will protect watercourses to minimise the potential of pollution during the event and undertakes to provide more urinals and toilets than recommended by the Event Safety Guide, siting the additional facilities at potential pollution hot spots. The festival will also monitor the streams during the event.

The festival also is committed to investigating further developments in technology, which may result in minimising the volume that needs to be transported off site, which in turn will reduce the impact from carbon emissions caused by the tankers. Any developments will only be progressed with the approval of the appropriate authorities.

Managing Air Purity

The festival recognises that running an event of this size will inevitably have an impact on air purity, but takes significant steps to minimise that impact.

• No generators are allowed on site except large silent generators provided by electrical contractor which minimise emissions (the exception being the few circus and theatre performers and the like who need a small generators as part of their show.) All traders are required to use electricity provided.
• All companies with fridge trucks or coolers are instructed to use electricity from electrical company generators and not run off donkey engines.
• To minimise emissions from cars, signage and stewards will encourage car drivers in queues (particularly when exiting car parks on Monday) to switch off engines rather than sitting in their cars with engines idling.
• Promotion of public transport and liftshare - and linking weekend tickets sales to coming by coach – all reduce the number of private cars coming to the event - and the transport emissions over the weekend.
• Campsite stewards patrol campsites and intervene should anyone burn any polluting material.
• All wood provided for campfires is untreated offcuts from sawmills – which is the most environmentally friendly option.
• Disposables provided by food traders are made from card, and cutlery from wood, for composting reasons primarily, but also because polystyrene and plastic disposables are a source of pollution if set alight.
• The Festival restricts traders, sponsors and beneficiary charities in the type of materials brought on site. (For example Oxfam were not permitted to bring large foam hands onsite which would have produced toxic fumes if burnt.) Additionally the Festival does not agree leafleting, issuing of flyers, sampling of products or the issue of “freebees”, to restrict the amount that would add to the on site waste which could be burnt.
• The regular planned collection of waste during the event limits the potential of waste being set alight.
• The onsite toilets and the grey waste water lagoon are continually monitored and emptied regularly to minimise air pollution.
• Smoking will not be permitted in public tents, confined spaces or covered performance areas. Fire stewards are in place in such areas and will monitor this.

Any prevailing wind during the Festival is normally west, or west south west, which would take any smoke from campfires away from Pilton village, and in the direction of Cannard’s Grave, by which time it will have dissipated.

Managing the Potential of Light Pollution

The rural location of the festival, combined with the topography of the land, means that the potential of light pollution impacting on the local community is limited. However it is taken into account during the planning of the event.

Light shows and lasers are planned and executed with great care to ensure they are not directed into areas that could impinge on the sleeping and living space of local residents, or on crew sleeping space. The timings of such light shows are planned to minimise any potential disruption and will be agreed in advance with the licensing authority.

Public lighting is kept to the minimum necessary for health and safety and security reasons, and stages and traders lighting is switched off when not operating, to minimise any impact on the local community and on residential wildlife, and in particular bats and migrating birds.

Managing the Ecology of the Site

The festival is committed to maintaining the high level of bio-diversity that was found on the festival site by the independent bio-diversity audit carried out by Liz Biron of Somerset Environmental Records Centre in 2003. The festival aims to further increase this level by continuing its commitment to protecting vulnerable habitats, its new county wildlife sites, badger sets, ponds, streams, hedges and ditches, in nature reserves and non public zones or by fencing them off.

The festival will continue to try to increase both the abundance and diversity of wildlife, by:

• Actively enhancing habitats on site by tree planting, hedge planting, pond creation and maintenance, establishing and maintaining a reed bed, coppicing and hedge laying etc
• Continuing to allow the process of succession from inherited improved grassland to more diverse unimproved grassland
• Allowing a significant level of agricultural weed species to exist on its core site

The festival will continue to protect vulnerable species individuals by establishing, on a need basis, new temporary reserves. This was successfully initially achieved in 2003 by creating a new reserve within the core site for three deer trapped within the site by the perimeter fence. This temporary reserve was so successful that the deer stayed in this locality long after the fence was removed. In fact in 2004 the deer moved into the nature reserve of their own accord. In 2005 an additional reserve was created for a deer that emerged in Hawkwell, by the pyramid stage, when the public arrived on site on the Wednesday. Using 500m of heras, a three acres reserve was created in the heart of the site, from which the deer emerged unscathed at the end of the festival.

Another practical reality of this commitment is that the festival, for the seventh year running, will be enhancing the environment of its core site by more trees and hedge planting at five locations on site. The planting to date has brought the total number of native tree and hedge plants planted to over 5,000 since 2000.

Environmental Messaging

The unique environment of the festival brings together many NGOs and environmental groups, and through participation in the festival, the public are exposed to many positive influences highlighting environmental values – and hopefully influencing subsequent behaviour. Glastonbury Festival is committed to:

• Having a “green” message central to marketing campaigns, to dissuade festival goers from urinating in streams, ditches and hedges.
• Including environmental messages in festival publications such as the Fine Guide, the programme, the daily paper and on the festival website, which has direct links to environmental and humanitarian organisations.
• Using the screens at the main stages only to promote environmental and humanitarian messages.
• Employing the services of environmental organisations in the running of the event, increasing the amounts these organisations can raise towards their objectives – and increasing their profile.
• Promoting “the green fields”, the largest area of its kind dedicated to environmental awareness. Many different environmental concerns that enhance the fabric of our society, from international organisations such as Greenpeace, to small woodland trusts, place a high value on this facility.
• The festival is the biggest single regular donor to Greenpeace and offers a fertile recruitment ground for members and for promoting environmental campaigns.
• Continuing to give trading opportunities to green organisations, and making decisions on which traders to invite based on green credentials.

Additionally the festival is committed to:

• Creating awareness among its employees and subcontractors about the “reduce reuse recycle” mantra and about the importance of minimising any negative impact on the environment.
• Employing safe work practices, developing contingencies and implementing measures to prevent, eliminate or reduce pollution
• Encouraging festival-goers to use environmentally sound transport options, by promoting the use of public transport and liftshare, through literature sent out when tickets are purchased, and through the festival website
• Improving energy efficiency, seeking green alternatives where possible.

The festival will review the effectiveness of implementation of the above on a regular basis and, constantly seek to improve environmental performance according to the above criteria.

Credits

Thanks to Glastonbury Festival organisers for providing the information on their Environmental Policy

Photo Credit to Jason Bryant