| As we are now enjoying the very best the UK | | | | supplies. The lifecycle of the good old paper coffee |
| summer has to offer, it can only mean that the festival | | | | cup can be almost endless! The one exception to this |
| season is well and truly underway. Recent festivals | | | | rule is if the rubbish is recycled in such a way so as to |
| have included the Isle of Wight Festival as well as the | | | | remove any cross contamination from the material, |
| ever popular Glastonbury Festival. For the first time in | | | | cleaning the raw product of any impurities. Although |
| years neither of these festivals has managed to sell | | | | this is far more expensive to achieve, it does mean |
| out all their tickets, however the relatively young (by | | | | that the waste can then be rubber stamped for use |
| comparison) Lattitude festival has proved to be more | | | | with food related catering supplies under certain |
| popular that ever. For the first time in it's history this | | | | conditions. |
| festival has truly adopted an ethical green mantra, | | | | Another focus of the festival was the incentive to |
| marking a unique change of direction for UK festivals. | | | | re-use the plastic glasses and disposable pint glasses |
| Although this festival is only in its third year the | | | | provided by the organizers. Visitors were made to pay |
| organizers believe that controlling the festival catering | | | | a small fee for their beer glasses at the start of the |
| and supplies in an environmentally sound and ethical | | | | event, and encouraged to retain them and reuse the |
| manner makes the festival highly attractive to the | | | | glass for the whole festival. The incentive in this case |
| more ethical minded visitor, and aligns with favorably | | | | came in the form of a small rebate on the original price |
| with popular societal environmental trends. | | | | of the plastic pint glass. Visitors were actually spotted |
| Although the festival serves to highlight the need to | | | | leaving with the plastic tumblers from the event, having |
| place more emphasis on environmental concerns, it | | | | not disposed of the item at all. This greatly reduced the |
| proves to be a diverse and highly varied occasion, | | | | amount of waste produced at the festival and it was |
| appealing to very broad cross-section of society. | | | | done in the simplest of ways. By adding perceived |
| Activities include poetry, comedy, music, as well as all | | | | value to the Plastic Pint Glass visitors were |
| sorts of misc acts to keep the revelers entertained. In | | | | discouraged from simply tossing it away, appealing to |
| my opinion this festival succeeds in bridging the gap | | | | their financial minded side which naturally resists the |
| between the strict eco warrior and the casual | | | | urge to dispose of something they have used their |
| observer that just enjoys live entertainment and great | | | | money to buy. |
| ale. The difference between these 2 parties could not | | | | Market traders and fast food trailer operators were |
| be more pronounced. Whereas the environmentalist | | | | also given similar incentives with their catering |
| may be single minded in his approach to saving the | | | | equipment and catering supplies. They were awarded |
| environment single handedly, the "average Jane Doe" | | | | for the volume of rubbish they successfully managed |
| on the street often gives barely a passing thought to | | | | to recycle directly from their van straight into their |
| these concerns. The organizers basically seek to | | | | sorted waste. This includes plastic containers, food |
| promote more of a middle-ground between the two | | | | trays and other catering supplies associated with fast |
| groups, educating and enlightening the general populous | | | | food. Again the rewards were only small; however the |
| to some of the unseen problems for which they are | | | | effect this had on people's attitude to waste was |
| directly responsible. Promoting this ethical responsibility | | | | huge. |
| and encouraging more "environmentally sound living" | | | | The organizers also sought to elect "green police" at |
| can only be seen as a step forward to cutting the | | | | the event who were there to help people with the |
| waste and pollution problem that appears to be | | | | best place to dispose of their waste, and to point them |
| growing at an ever increasing pace. | | | | towards the recycling stations onsite. By promoting this |
| The planners attempted to tackle the waste problem | | | | style of green responsibility the direction of the festival |
| using a couple of different methods. For starters all | | | | was pointed well and truly towards the renewable and |
| revelers who opted to camp on-site were given a | | | | reusable energy sources of the future. |
| "Campers Rubbish Kit", which helped participants to | | | | The efforts also spread to the internet arm of the |
| separate their waste and waste materials. This | | | | marketing for the event, with festival goers |
| addresses a huge problem of festivals, namely the | | | | encouraged to discuss their opinions and ideas on the |
| contamination of waste materials. The cross | | | | recycling, particularly on the reusable nature of the |
| contamination means that it is extremely difficult if not | | | | disposable pint glasses and plastic tumblers. This was |
| impossible to re-use or successfully compost the | | | | simple another way of promoting increased concern |
| rubbish materials produced during the course of the | | | | for the environment in an accessible way that |
| occasion. By giving participants the facility to sort their | | | | everyone can relate to. |
| own paper cups, plastic tumblers and catering supplies | | | | Of course it would be hypocritical if the event workers |
| it means that there is a far greater chance of the | | | | themselves were drinking from disposable tumblers |
| organizers being able to collect properly sorted and | | | | and plastic pint glasses behind the scenes and simply |
| recyclable materials at the end of the event. | | | | disposing of them, so this same recycling belief has |
| The Paper Cups used at events of this nature are a | | | | also been adopted by the very people who sought to |
| massive problem. This is partly due to the amount of | | | | implement it. Reusable Pint Glasses and Polycarbonate |
| cups used, and partly due to the way in which they | | | | Pint Glasses were used extensively by the organizers |
| are disposed of. By omitting recycling facilities from the | | | | to keep waste to an absolute minimum, even to the |
| sites festival goers have no way to dispose of their | | | | extent of reusing plastic champagne glasses at the |
| waste, so it either ends up mixed up with contaminants | | | | board meetings! |
| or simple thrown on the ground. It is perfectly possibly | | | | It all goes to show that thinking green does not |
| to successfully recycle the paper cup, in fact if used | | | | necessarily have to mean chaining yourself to a tree in |
| correctly and with a bit of environmental responsibility it | | | | the middle of winter. Attitudes such as the ones |
| can be surprisingly green for a disposable single-use | | | | discussed here can be seen as a sure sign that |
| product. Once recycled it is not normally appropriate | | | | attitudes are changing and dealing with your waste |
| for further use as a item that comes into direct | | | | paper and plastic Catering Supplies in a green and |
| contact with food, as these normally require virgin | | | | ethical fashion does not have to mean ruining the |
| paper as a raw material for hygiene reasons, however | | | | festival or leaving visitors out of pocket come the end |
| it can find its way into a range of other catering | | | | of the event. |