Going Green At Festivals Via The Web

The new music industry website www.agreenerfestival.com has been launched to help support and promote the importance of environmental efficiency at music festivals.

The site aims to spread the 'best practice' of successful festivals, encouraging festival organisers and promoters to understand how waste, traffic, CO2 emissions, noise, water pollution and land damage can all be minimised or even eradicated.

It follows growing concerns about the impact that festivals can have on the environment, fears that have led to wide-scale interest in various methods to reduce the 'ecological footprint' they leave. 

Many festivals are already pursuing green policies, including sustainable forest projects to offset carbon monoxide output, recycling initiatives and compost toilet systems.

Glastonbury's Michael Eavis was left with a mountain of wellies after the 2005 festival, an example of how environmental challenges can crop up unexpectedly at any event. 

As such the co-ordinator of the online project, music lawyer Ben Challis, wants the website's content to act as a source for debate and ultimately to be a springboard for creative environmental solutions. 

He said: “We are looking to promote new ways of making festivals and music events more environmentally efficient. The site is designed to help promoters and organisers – not preach to them”.

Claire O'Neill who undertook most of the research on the website, including interviews with 15 UK festival organisers plus responses from hundreds of festival goers sround the world, added: "Festivals really are top of my list when it comes to entertainment and generally enjoying life and music. It's that love for life and enjoying it in nature that has inspired the research into making festivals not only neutral but a positive force towards sustainability ... so that future generations can do the same. I hope that people will utilise the website, connect, exchange ideas and information to make any environmental damage from events a thing of the past."

With festivals now safer and more accessible then ever, the group behind ‘A Greener Festival’ want to see environmental efficiency tackled with the same vigour that crime and touting have been in recent years.

Find out more at www.agreenerfestival.com.

This year sees a new category in the UK Festival Awards for 'social responsibility'. Sponsored by the charity Shelter, the award has been set up to recognise music festivals which have pursued socially-conscious policies, including environmental measures.

To find out more or to vote in the UK Festivals Awards 2006 click here.