16 more festivals given Greener Festival Award for 2010

End Of The Road, Shambala, T In The Park among winners

Daniel Fahey - 11 October 2010

Bestival and twin event Camp Bestival, Big Tent, Waveform, Hard Rock Calling and Hard Rock Calling have also been honoured with the accolade this year.

Over in the USA, Bonnaroo, Lightening In A Bottle, West Beach and Outside Lands will take away the prize, with Osheaga Festival from neighbouring Canada a winner too.

Boom in Portugal and Welcome To The Future in the Netherlands have also made the list for 2010, joining the likes of the Isle Of Wight Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Wireless and Standon Calling who were announced previously.

A number of events were considered ‘Outstanding’  including the Isle of Wight Festival, Shambala, Croissant Neuf Summer Party, Big Tent, the Sunrise Summer Celebration and Wood Festival in the UK, Boom and the Oya Festival in Europe, Lightning in a Bottle in North America, Osheaga Festival in Canada and Peats Ridge in Australia.
 
All of the festivals signed up to support environmentally good practices wherever possible and work with their audiences to reduce the festival's carbon footprint, particularly from audience travel which often constitutes in excess of 70% of greenhouse gas emissions from rural sites.

Festival organisers also had to complete a 53 question assessment covering travel policies, CO2 emissions, waste and recycling policies, water use, noise pollution, environmental impact and green office policies.

A Greener Festival assessor also gives an independent environmental audit at all the events.

Ben Challis, co-founder of A Greener Festival said: "We have had a record number of entries in 2010 and have made a record breaking 47 Awards this year (up from 37 festivals in 2009, 32 festivals in 2008 and 16 festivals in 2007 when the Awards scheme began).

“This is particularly impressive, not least because of the economic downturn but also because year on year we have raised the bar and made our Awards scheme more and more focussed on a meaningful and practical responses to climate change and pollution.

“We are also delighted that we have had more European and Australian festivals entering, new entrants in the UK and growing interest in the USA, showing that many festivals have a real commitment to environmental good practice and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.”

The UK Awards will be presented at the UK Festival Awards 2010, which will be held on Thursday 18 November at the O2 in London where the overall 'Greenest Festival' Award will be made.

European Awards will be presented at the European Festival Awards scheduled for January 2011 in Groningen, the Netherlands, where winners from European festivals organisation Yourope’s parallel 'Green n Scheme'  will also be acknowledged.
 
Having created an Award trophy out of recycled plastic bottles, CDs and remoulded Wellington Boots in 2009, this year's award is made out of a recycled wine bottles specially re-labelled by the Award organisers.

Click here to read Ben Challis’ A Greener Festival blog on Virtual Festivals.

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