This year Bestival want to make sure that they and you are as green as possible. They’ve put together a list of dos and don’ts, so take note and do your bit.
1) Bring less packaging with you in the first place – all the cardboard and plastic around crates of beer / airbeds / tents etc should ideally be left at home. You’ll know now for next year!
2) Pick up your own litter – sounds simple, and it really is. When you and your mates move on from wherever you’ve been on site please pick up all your beer cups, food containers, fag butts etc and drop them in one of the many recycling points nearby. We REALLY need your help here as our team of litter pickers can only do so much.
3) Recycle – you will be able to recycle plastic bottles and drinks cans. Please drop these into the suitable bins in the arena or into the green sacks in the campsite. Please don’t put any other type of plastic in the plastic bottle bins though”¦ especially plastic-looking cocktail glasses as they are actually made of corn starch! You will also be able to recycle glass in the campsite”¦ although you shouldn’t have any glass with you in the 1st place!
4) Keep the area around your tent tidy – the new Bestival Green Team will be handing out green (recycling) and black (all other waste) bin bags when you arrive on site. Please use these over the course of the weekend and drop them off at the recycling pens in the campsites when they are full. There will be more bags available at the recycling pens too.
5) Free Butt Bins – the lovely people from no-buts.org.uk have been working tirelessly to get hold of 6,000 film canisters that would have otherwise been sent to landfill. They will be working with the Green Team, handing these out for you to keep in your pocket and use to collect your fag butts. Please try not to drop your fag butts on the floor as every single one has to be picked up at the end of the weekend!
6) Use the loos provided – please don’t wee in or near the lakes or woods (or, indeed anywhere other than the loos!) as the animals, fish and other wildlife really don’t like it! Glastonbury Festival received a huge fine and nearly lost its license a few years back because human urine polluted the stream so badly that the entire eco-system was killed off. No joke!
7) Have a Comfy Crap – there will be some ‘Comfy Crappers’ at Bestival this year near the 24 Hour Field. You’ll need to pay a small amount to use these but they will be guaranteed to be clean and 100% eco-friendly as all waste is composted.
8) Please don’t waste water – there will be standpipes throughout the site and showers in the campsite. Please use the water to drink / wash but please don’t waste it by leaving taps/showers running. And please bring and use bio-degradable soap and shampoo.
9) Please don’t leave your tent behind – they will simply become large pieces of litter that cannot be recycled. A local scout group will be onsite to salvage some of the abandoned tents but we would much prefer it if you just took it home with you and re-used it next year.
10) Win Bestival 2008 Tickets – 20 pairs of guest tickets to next year’s Bestival will be up for grabs for people who are seen to be clearing up after themselves on the Monday morning after the festival. The Green Team will be there to encourage you and award those who deserve it.
The Bestival Green Team will be based at the Sunday Best shop next to Bollywood in the middle of the site so feel free to pop in for a chat, more info or to pick up recycling bags and butt bins.
