As the UK’s summer events season passes its peak, the public want to see organisers make significant changes to waste policy next year.
So far British festivals have generated enough single-use rubbish to fill more than 500 double-decker buses.
Historically, between May and September outdoor festivals in the UK discard of 105 million single single-use items.
Much of this is all or partly plastic-based, adding to a global crisis which threatens food chain, public and environmental health.
Breaking the numbers down for each attendee, festival ticket holders produce 2kg of waste each day, almost double the average per person household rate. Most of this comes in the form of takeaway food and drink containers.
There is overwhelming public support for change, with Xampla reporting 76% of the public agreeing that festivals should avoid all plastic packaging. 80% stated such events should try and only use plastic-free food packaging.
‘Festival-goers want to be able to enjoy themselves without worrying about their plastic footprint. It is clear that most people want the food they eat at festivals to come in packaging that does not harm the planet,’ said Alexandra French, CEO of Xampla. ‘The good news is that the alternatives now exist at scale, helping event organisers and suppliers make the right choice for their customers and the plant,’ added French.
Image: Ashley Owen / Unsplash
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