These events are joining forces to stop environmental damage

Date published: 3rd May 2018

Image: Lost Village Festival (source)

Summer is nearly here, and if there's one thing most festival goers can agree on, it's their love of glitter - there's something special about getting sparkly with your mates to the soundtrack of your favourite music.

It's also notoriously difficult to get rid of, (see above!) but is that the biggest problem it brings? Well, apparently not. We all saw David Attenborough's harrowing coverage of where our litter ends up, and according to experts, micro plastics can mean big trouble for the environment. Previously banned face washes, and lovely sparkly glitter, contain tiny particles which easily slip through filtration systems, ending up in oceans, waiting to get ingested by unsuspecting marine life. 

Step forward the Association of Independent Festivals. Their campaign, #DrasticOnPlastic, will see vendors prohibited from selling single use plastic on site by 2021, including plastic bottles, straws, food trays, and of course glitter.

The 61 festivals include some of the UK's best known events, with Bestival, Kendal Calling and Festival No 6, all supporting the initiative, as well as the below.

2000 Trees

Ampthill Festival

ArcTanGent

Barn on the Farm

Beat-Herder Festival

Belladrum Tartan Heart Bestival

Bloodstock

Bluedot

Boardmasters

Boomtown

Burning Lantern/Brecon Jazz

Camp Bestival

Common People

Deer Shed

Eisteddfod

El Dorado

Elderflower Fields

Electric Fields

End of the Road

Cropredy

Festival No 6

Festival of Voice

Field Day

Fire in the Mountain

Garage Nation

Greenbelt

Green Gathering

Handmade Festival

Hanwell Hootie

Heb Celt

Just So

Kendal Calling

Kew the Music

Larmer Tree

Liverpool Sound City

Lost Village

London Remixed

Magical Festival

Meltdown

Mint Street

Nozstock

Oxjam

Oxted Beer & Music

Pangaea

Pete the Monkey

Rewind Festival

Shambala

Starry Skies

Standon Calling

Strawberries & Creem

Sunflowerfest

SWN Festival

Tramlines

Truck

Twisterella

Underneath the Stars

Vicars Picnic

Victorious

Village Green

Y-Not

Although ticket holders will not be banned from bringing glitter in to festivals, they will be encouraged to buy bio-degradable alternatives, which are widely available with a quick Google search.