READING Borough Council and Festival Republic have released advice to help attendees at next week’s Reading Festival to minimise their environmental impact.
This year the event is part of the Green Events Code of Practise (GECOP), after the council announced it had joined the scheme in April.
The council joined nine other regional authorities in reducing the environmental impact of some of the town’s biggest events as part of a national pilot scheme.
The initiative is a commitment by local authorities to developing consistent guidance on sustainability for organisers of events around the country.
It was developed by the Vision 25 group, which represents members of the outdoor live events industry, and has been co-funded by the Arts Council and participating authorities.
The programme focuses on seven key areas of change: energy, travel, food and drink, waste, water, influence, and governance, aiming to address the lack of national guidance leading sustainability of events.
It follows a meeting among key stakeholders in Reading’s live events scene, including organisers of Reading Festival, Readipop, Reading Pride, East Reading Festival, Reading Mela, Reading Water Fest, and Blue Collar, as well as members of Reading’s Economic and Destination Agency (REDA).
For those attending the festival next weekend, organisers are urging to continue building on recent improvements on reduced levels of camping gear left behind.
Last year’s event saw waste reductions of more than six tonnes compared to the previous event, including a 10% decrease in the number of tents left behind.
Reading Festival has teamed up with Decathlon to bring affordable tents to attendees which can then be returned on-site at the end of the festival.
Tents will be available to order and collect at a nearby branch of the store (including Reading’s branch in Forbury Retail park, a short walk from the train station) for under £30.
Tent repair services are also available, and some tents on the scheme have buy-back options available.
More details about the No Tent Left Behind initiative, including a selection of tents on offer, are available via: decathlon.co.uk
Festival Republic is also continuing both of the Eco campsites, which have sold out.
There are still spaces in the White Eco Camp, situated across the river by Green and Pink Moon campsites, available to book via: readingfestival.com/information-category/where-to-stay.
This year sees the return of the Recycling Rewards scheme, where attendees can recycle items at designated points at the event.
Those using the recycling points are in with a chance of winning tickets for next year’s event, and merch bundle, or a stage-side experience.
The event is also continuing its deposit return scheme, where cups, bottles, and cans are charged at an extra 10p which is paid back when empty vessels are returned to designated points.
Campfires and disposable barbecues have been prohibited after they were banned for the first time last year.
Those building or fuelling fires will be evicted from the festival site.
This helps the council keep to their commitments for improvements to air quality and also reduces the environmental impact of the event.
Disposable vapes are banned at the event, both for vendors and attendees, though refillable vapes will be permitted and available on-site.
This year’s event will see a combination of 100% bio-fuel generators and battery storage units to allow the festival to be fossil-fuel-free.
Full details of permitted items, safety, and environmental information is available via: readingfestival.com
