HUGE NEWS!! 💚

To launch our new series of Green Mission initiatives this week we’ve got a very exciting announcement to make…

We’re banning single-use plastic and closing the loop on disposable packaging!

It’s been a huge logistical operation and taken an immense amount of work over the last few years to get us here, and we’re so incredibly happy to be able to announce this to the world!!

This message marks the start of our Green Mission campaign and we’ll be announcing many of our initiatives and campaigns over the coming days.

Significantly reducing the impact we have on the land is at the forefront of all plans for the future of Boomtown and we have all been working around the clock preparing Chapter 11 to be as Radical City as possible...

This means…

✔ We’re no longer selling single-use plastic bottles, preventing 225,000 plastic bottles from being used!! We’re encouraging everyone to bring their own reusable bottles (get a Boomtown one here!) and reusable bottles will also be available at the festival. We’re collaborating with WaterAid to provide a load more free refill stations around the arenas & campsites too!

✔ For the first time, we’re working together with Vegware to standardise the trader and bar packaging to ensure it’s 100% compostable, this includes everything from the lining in all coffee cups, coffee cup lids, bar cups, food boxes and by working closely with the waste contractor, recycling team and a local composting facility to ensure a closed loop solution.

✔ We’ve already banned plastic cutlery, plastic food packaging and straws from all traders, caterers & bars but the exciting next step has been introducing compostable bar cups to all bars! This will keep all packaging streamline to ensure a closed loop solution.

✔ Backstage will also be plastic-free, with canned drinks and reusable water bottles available to artists and crew.

We’re the first festival of our size in the UK to implement these solutions and this is such an exciting step in the right direction - all we need now is everyone to work together to use the right bins in our bin system and we can significantly reduce the waste produced at Boomtown and support the UK's circular economy!

FAQs

What’s the long term environmental mission?

We’ve brought sustainability to the forefront and trying to create a plastic-free environment as well as reducing waste. Reusables over single use is our mantra and long-term plan, however, providing a 100% reusable food and drink service to 66,000 people in a festival environment is a challenging task. In the meantime, we’re working with Vegware, our drinks provider and all traders to ensure all food and drink packaging is served in 100% Vegware compostable products and we’re also working with our waste contractor and a local composting facility to ensure a closed loop solution, which means the food and compostable packaging will get turned into high-grade agriculture soil to help plants grow!

BRING A BOTTLE!

If you’re not selling plastic water bottles, how do I get water?

We will have increased water points and signage around the site as well as WaterAid refill stations in all the arenas and campsites where you can bring your own bottle to be filled, canned drinks will also be available at the traders and bars.

Where can I get a reusable water bottle?

You can bring your own with you or have one of ours sent to you before or you can pick on up at the festival at the merch stands for £15.

Attach it to your coat/bumbag/ bag with a caribena to carry it everywhere with ease and stay hydrated!

What do WaterAid do?

Working in 28 countries to provide clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid's mission is to transform the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people by improving access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.

COMPOSTABLE SOLUTIONS:

What is Vegware?

Vegware offers plant-based catering disposables that are made from renewable, lower carbon or recycled materials and can all be composted commercially with food waste where accepted - don’t be fooled by the clear bar cups, they look just like plastic but they’re made from plants! ALL drink and food packaging at the festival will be Vegware compostable certified and must go in the FOOD WASTE & COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING bin.

What’s the point of disposables being compostable?

Compostables are the current practical solution for food-contaminated disposables. Compostable disposables are designed to be recycled in an industrial composting facility together with food waste. That means there’s no need for sorting, and the compostable cup, lid, noodle box, spoon and napkin can all go together without removing the ketchup and leftover chips. An extra bonus is that once food and disposables share one bin, other dry recycling bins are cleaner and easier to recycle.

How long does it take to compost?

Vegware’s compostable catering disposables are designed to compost in under 12 weeks in commercial composting, which provides the perfect balance of microbes, moisture and warmth! You must put your drink cups and food packaging in the FOOD WASTE & COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING.

What do I need to do?

It is crucial that we don’t send any contaminated compostable waste to our pre-organised local composting facility, otherwise, it will get rejected. We need everyone to use the FOOD WASTE & COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING bins for all bar cups and food packaging - bin so that it all gets made into lovely soil!

What happens to Vegware that doesn’t get composted?

It’s crucial everyone uses the FOOD WASTE & COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING bin to dispose of all bar and food packaging, otherwise it will end up in landfill or incineration (burnt).

Can I bring non-compostable packaging to site?

We haven’t banned packaging from entering the site so you can still bring food you would have as normal, but of course, we’d love it if you brought it in reusable packaging! Please make sure any plastic packaging you bring into the festival, please dispose by filling up your bag of recycling and get £10 back when you drop it off at your local eco bond hub in the campsites (grab a bag off an eco ranger, campsite hub or at your nearest recycling point). Or use the plastic & can bin in the arenas.