Glastonbury flags up left behind tents

Wednesday, February 13th, 2013 / Posted In :AGF Blog / By :Ben Challis

CM6 With news that the Glastonbury Festival is offering ticket holders a range of pre-erected off-site camping facilities in custom-made and pre-erected Festival accommodation, festival boss Michael Eavis has said that the amount of cheap and poor-quality tents dumped at Glastonbury Festival in 2011 has meant that he is considering making the offer of pre-erected tents compulsory to everyone who plans to attend it in the future.

A large proportion of tents abandoned at the end of the last festival in 2011 had to go in landfill because it was the only alternative to the costly and labour-intensive job of trying to recycle them for further use. Tents are made of mixed materials and many cannot be re-used as they are damaged or dirty, and Glastonbury and other festivals point out that it’s a myth that overseas aid charities are going to want a load of cheap and poor-quality tents from supermarkets. Last time the Festival made clear that they wanted attendees to think that a tent is for life not just for a festival and have adopted the sloga ‘Love The Farm, Leave No Trace’. There is now an international campaign called Love Your Tent combating the widespread problem of dumped tents. Michael Eavis explained his vision of the future to local BBC news saying, “I would actually like to see, in about 10-15 years time, a situation where every single tent is provided by us, and we can make sure that we can keep them, and store them for the following year.”

The new camping area, called Worthy View, which looks out over the Festival site, will be home to at least 4,000 people and is in addition Glastonbury’s pre-existing tipi camping. BCT Outdoors, a company based in Bradford, won the contract to make 1,000 reusable tents for the Glastonbury Festival. The tents are based on the classic ‘scout tent’ and designed specifically for the Festival – and the British weather – and with the guy-ropes featured inside the structure to avoid late night trips! Festival organisers hope people will hire the tents instead of buying cheap ones, which are often left behind after the event has ended – and it means festival goers can travel to and from the five day festival with nothing but their bags. In 2008 Eavis invited BBC1′s Countryfile to film the left behind tents and rubbish in the camp site areas immediately after Festival ended, and in 2009 site crew members posted the ‘Glastonbury Aftermath‘ video on YouTube showing the site after campers had left – a sea of left behind tents, discarded camping equipment and waste. As one festival goer said afterwards “Truly shocking. An appalling waste of resources and money and a poignant display of the selfish pursuit of pleasure without responsibility. I am ashamed to think that people can care so little”.

ltflogo(1) Glastonbury has also outlined plans for its legendary Green Futures Field for 2013. The Tadpole stage is expanding into its own themed venue ‘Toad Hall’ celebrating England’s natural countryside and highlighting the animal kingdom .

DSCF0251 The area opposite ‘Croissant Neuf’ in the Greenfields will be dedicated to creative change and Eco problem solving and will be brimming with ideas and bright colours with Solar Venues, Exhibits and Market leaders and will give Festival goers the opportunity to enjoy the future as it happens and contribute to it as well with eco exhibits and a full programme of conscious music. Since 1990 the area of the Festival has provided an important contribution, helping to keep the green agenda at the forefront of Glastombury. Green Futures organisers explained: “Our theme in 2013 celebrates the UN International year of Water Cooperation. We feel it is crucial to highlight the earth’s most critical resource. Especially at a time of unpredictable weather systems, growing populations and greedy countries” adding “Those in the know, know that the field is packed full of venues, spaces and healthy food. There is Groovy Movie, The Mandala, Small World, Permaculture, Henry’s Beard, A pedal powered Laundrette, Rinky Dink, The Tin Village, Lunched Out Lizard, Speakers Forum, Astrologers amongst many. All powered by natural renewable energy since 1994” and “”We will be linking with The International Year of Water Co-operation to theme the field with some exciting exhibits. Including an 18 foot riverboat sculpture and the unveiling of our brand new venue Toad Hall”.