06 June 2016
We’ve been waiting for it all year and it’s finally here – festival season! At Ben & Jerry’s we love festivals (nothing beats listening to your favourite tune whilst devouring your favourite flavour!), but we also love the environment. It goes without saying that festivals aren’t always the most eco-friendly of places, so we’ve put together our top tips to make your festival experience a little bit greener!
Invest in a Sustainable Tent
Tents made of recycled and natural materials, such as the Blue One 2P by VAUDE Sport, are becoming ever more common and are a great way to lessen your environmental impact. And, if you want to go one step further, why not invest in a solar powered tent? They may be a little pricier, but are a fantastic way to reduce your carbon footprint and can not only charge your smartphone, but also come with inbuilt LED lights!
Ditch Metal Tent Pegs!
If you’re going to do something, then you might as well do it properly, so now that you’re all set with your eco-friendly tent, what about its pegs? Traditional steel pegs are easy to leave behind, cause litter and can rust. Biodegradable tent pegs are a great alternative - made from plant starch, they will eventually disappear if left in the ground and won’t be dangerous if livestock unintentionally eat them.
Solar Power Shower
Nothing beats a hot shower on the best of days, and the thought alone of one during a festival is the stuff dreams are made of! So why not bring the handy Solar Shower along? Fill it up with water and watch in awe as the fabric heats it up using solar energy. Pretty cool huh?
Recycled Clothes
A warm jumper is an essential piece of festival gear – how else are you going to keep warm when the sun goes down? But we’re not talking the traditional woolly kind - we’re thinking something a little more... plastic-y. That’s right, Patagonia have developed a polyester collection which ‘transforms trash into fleece’ – you can even recycle it once it’s worn out by returning it to them!
Ditch the Car
Start the carbon saving before you even get to the festival by taking public transport (or even cycling), to the site rather than driving a car.
Recycle Waste!
Many festivals have recycle stations where you can return things like cans and empty ice cream tubs.
Join the Climate Movement!
Join Avaaz, Ben & Jerry’s and millions of citizens from around the world who are calling on leaders of the developed nations and the United Nations to tackle climate change at the upcoming summit in Paris. Our goal is for international leaders to work towards 100% Clean Energy by 2050. This ambitious goal is in line with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC’s) stated need for the elimination of all carbon pollution within the next 85 years. Learn more about the petition.
