Summer eco festivals

Grab your tent, pack your sleeping bag and head to one of these toe-tappingly good, creatively inspiring green festivals – but above all, don’t forget your wellies!

2000trees Festival, Cheltenham

14-16 July

www.twothousandtreesfestival.co.uk

The organisers of this Gloucestershire festival were so fed up with mainstream festivals and expensive tickets that they came up with 2000trees. Offering an eclectic mix of music and entertainment, the festival is really green too. Winners of ‘A Greener Fesitval’ award in 2008, they achieved a 90 per cent recycling rate in 2009 – thought to be highest ever in the UK – power and lighting is produced by locally sourced chip-fat biodiesel – saving two tonnes of carbon last year – bands are all UK based, so they never have to be flown in, and there’s a wealth of locally produced food and drink to savour – all served in either reusable or biodegradable containers!

Field Day, London

6 August

www.fielddayfestivals.com

Set in the heart of London’s East End, Field Day is a mixture of music festival-cum-village fête! In the lush surrounds of Victoria Park, the festival’s carbon footprint is kept to a minimum thanks to great transport links and cycle routes. All waste is recycled and this year, the team have implemented stewarded bike racks, as well as a cup recycling scheme.

Shambala, Northamptonshire

25-28 August

www.shambalafestival.org

Set in a secret location, somewhere in Northamptonshire, Shambala is powered 100 per cent by wind, sun and waste vegetable oil… oh and pedalling too! Keenly aware that over 80 per cent of the festival’s environmental impact is due to travel to and from the festival, there are dedicated coaches and shuttle buses to and from public transport links, and an organised liftshare system too. With strict recycling targets, compostable loos and a selection of ethical and local businesses, it’s no wonder this festival was voted the most sustainable event in the UK in 2008 by NOEA.

Bestival, Isle of Wight

8-11 September

www.bestival.net

Every festival needs a Green Team, and that’s exactly what Bestival has! As winners of an ‘Outstanding Greener Festival’ award in 2009 – only one of 13 festivals worldwide – the Green Team ensures the festival is as ecofriendly as possible. You can spot the eco-minded troupe handing out free cigarette butt bins this year. If you want to help the Green Team, simply follow their green tips (see all the tips on the Bestival website):

1. Take public transport or car share: Last year, the liftshare service saved approximately 113 tonnes of CO2 and 37,588 trees.
2. Recycle as much as possible: This year, all mixed recyclables will go to a newly constructed gasification plant on the island, which converts waste to energy and, in turn, powers many homes on the island.
3. Don’t litter: Every single cigarette butt has to be picked up at the end of the weekend, so put it in your free butt bin, which you can get from the Green Team.