BBC News (06/27/19) Gray, Richard
Trash is a big challenge for music festivals, with each major U.S. event producing roughly 100 tons of solid waste daily, while an estimated 23,500 tons are generated by U.K. festivals every year. Most festivals have litter pickers help clean up at the end of their events, accompanied by large waste management operations. However, Graca Gonçalves, formerly with the Nova University of Lisbon, warns the growing use of disposable plastics at festivals is an escalating problem. Many major American and European festivals are consequently rethinking their environmental impact. For example, the U.K.'s Glastonbury festival has banned sales of single-use plastic drink bottles, while soft drinks and water will be sold in aluminum cans. Meanwhile, Live Nation and Britain's Association of Independent Festivals have vowed to ban single-use plastics from venues and sites by 2021. Abandoned tents also are gaining attention at music festivals, and the Association of Independent Festivals is urging retailers to stop selling tents as if they are single use, and asking attendees to take their collapsible accommodations back with them. Some organizations are requesting donation points at festival site exits, so campers can give unwanted tents to charity.
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