PAWith a little over a month to go before our favourite artists take to the stage at Glastonbury, the site is well on its way to being festival ready.
Plans are getting put in place, lineups are being finalised, and arenas are getting prepped for when hundreds of thousands of festival goers descend on the fields.
As part of the organisers’ plans, one arena in Worthy Farm will be made from recycled plastic that’s been found on beaches, streets, and in parks.
As reported by the BBC, the ‘Gas Tower’ dance area in Shangri-La will be created using waste that’s been collected in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset.
The project will need 10 tonnes of plastic to create the end result, with the first beach cleans being carried out on May 11. The waste collected at the selected places will then be processed by Exeter City Council before being recycled into materials for the stage.
The Gas Tower is a 360 degree arena that will feature artists and electronic DJs including Subfocus and Bicep.
GettyThe impressive scheme is being run by Keep Britain Tidy and the Orca Sound Project, in collaboration with Shangri-La Glastonbury.
Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton said:
This ground-breaking project will see tonnes of plastic removed from our environment – where it has such devastating consequences on our wildlife and marine life – and put to good use.
By working together, we are showing the world that the plastic we no longer want or need can be recycled and turned into something that is both exciting and useful.
Kaye Dunnings, the creative director of Shangri-La, agreed, calling the project an ‘important, pioneering project’ and a ‘total game-changer’. Plastic will be collected between May 11 and May 23 around the South West.
Earlier this year, it was announced the festival had banned all plastic bottle sales, with no plastic bottles being supplied backstage or in dressing room areas, nor to catering or production staff.
Festival goers have also been urged to carry ‘as little single-use plastic as possible’, and are encouraged to bring reusable bottles with them, which can be filled from the ‘hundreds of free water taps’ organisers promise will be available.
So if you’re heading to Glasto this year, be sure to keep an eye out for the WaterAid kiosks to stay hydrated while you’re dancing the night away.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).