Sustainable Festival Guide
Today I'm off to Green Gathering, an eco festival powered off completely renewable sources, in Wales. I'm trying to make my trip as sustainable and zero waste as possible. So I thought I would write a guide to show you want I'm bringing. I'm also going to try and do a second post showing you what food I took with me and what I ate there, when I get home. But for now it's just all my festival and camping essentials!
1) Full Circle Kit
I was kindly gifted the Full Circle kit, which already had quite a few of my toiletries in! It includes recycled toilet roll, a Georganics bamboo toothbrush, toothpaste, tropical dry shampoo, no rinse body wash, antibacterial hand gel and a cloth. All the products are vegan and cruelty free. It also comes in this really handy tote bag which I will use for the rest of my toiletries. All the products are reusable, recyclable or biodegradable. Plus sales from the festival kit support four water projects charities.
2)Sunscreen
I'm a pasty white girl, and I once had to have a mole removed on my back because they suspected it was cancerous. So you know I SPF the hell up. This plastic free, vegan sunscreen from Amazinc is factor 50! I brought it from Plastic Freedom. I also have a vegan Lush one, it's not plastic free but you can recycle the bottles at lush. And I use that daily, even when it's not sunny (well I try to, I'm forgetful, ok.)
3)Eco glitter
Festivals are all about the sparkles! I won't be seen without them. But a lot of glitters are made from micro plastics which hurt the fish and oceans! So get your sea friendly glitter babes, and sparkle all night long. Loads of brands do good eco glitter mixes now, but mine are from Eco Stardust who have a great variation of size and colour.
4) Bamboo Cotton Buds
You know when you get your glitter makeup just perfect and you're thinking you could be a youtuber, and then blob, eyeliner all over the god damn place. Yeh you need a cotton bud. Luckily I have these from Waste Not Store, made from bamboo and cotton, they contain no plastic.
5) Makeup Wipes
Once you've got all that glitter on you've got to get it off some, I've used these KikiKris UK makeup wipes since Christmas. They are cute, colourful, and quite large so can be used a few times before washing.
6) Coconut oil
Coconut oil makes a great moisturiser and makeup remover combined. Not ideal if you have oily skin, but I find it work's really well for my skin. I use a tiny amount to take of makeup, and then rinse my skin afterwards with water to make sure no residue is left.
7) Wooden Hairbrush
This is my everyday hairbrush and I cannot for the life of me remember where I got it from. But wooden brushes aren't hard to find. I love this square paddle shape for my hair texture and this is one of the gentlest brushes I've ever used.
5)Sanitary products
Don't actually think I will be needing this as it happens, but for all my huns that do, I wish you well, no one likes a period at a festival. And I know everyone's into their mooncups but I'm just not into reusable sanitary devices in a muddy field. I do have this, reuseable smartliners liner to show you, because I was thinking maybe they would be better than a cup. And then I saw these Yoni pads that are just made from organic cotton, and thought yeh these are way more festival friendly. No having to wash bloody items in a field, in front of all your mates who are doing beer bongs at 9am. And no plastic. Also they were reduced in Sainsbury's, bargain!
6) Metal water bottle
This bottle from Qwetch from Plastic Freedom stays cold for 24 hours and warm for 12. This makes it the perfect drinking bottle for hot festivals, as you can fill it up from the tap before you go to sleep and it will still be cold when you wake up! Literally best thing ever, cos water is never cold for long in sweaty tents.
7) Recycled Plastic Bottles
I had a bbq last weekend and quite a few plastic bottles of mixer were left behind. So I washed them out and I'm taking them with me. A lot of festivals don't allow glass bottles for health and safety reasons, so this is a good way to get alcohol in. But also you can use them for water for cooking and washing.
8) Tupperware
Green Gathering is eco, so I know the food won't be served in plastic containers but it's still waste that took energy to make, so I'm taking a few of my own. I have a few big tupperware that I'll be taking food in. But I also have these recycled takeaway pots that make the perfect size containers for food from the trader's there.
6) Cutlery
I have this cutlery set from Waste Not Store. It contains a knife, fork and spoon, a spork, chopsticks, and a straw and straw cleaner, all made from bamboo. Perfect for all your festival eating needs. I carry this with me most days and it's coming to the festival too.
7) Festival Cup
This is an old pint cup from Latitude that Alice brought back a few years ago. Most festival bars do these kinds of cup now with a deposit, but you can always take your own. And you also have a cup handy at the campsite if you need it.
9) Wind up torch
Pretty self explainatory. You need a torch to camp, but this one doesn't use chemical batteries just the power of kinetic energy, and some wrist action from you! (So many innuendos, so little time.)
So I think that's it, let me know if you have any other festival essentials. And if you're going to green gathering make sure to let me know, so we can hang and listen to hippy music!
