Glastonbury organisers share important message about camping after last year’s clean-up

Roisin O'Connor
·2-min read

Glastonbury organisers have asked ticket-holders to bring “sturdy camping equipment” that they can take home with them and reuse after the festival ends.

The festival is known for promoting a green ethos and enlists hundreds of volunteers and workers to help clean up the site after revellers have gone home.

Over the weekend, a message went out to followers on social media asking guests to try and help Glastonbury beat its previous clean-up record.

“If you are coming to [Glastonbury Festival 2024], please remember to only bring sturdy camping equipment that you can take home again and reuse,” the statement said.

“In 2023, 98 per cent of all tents were taken home. Let’s see if we can beat that this year!

“Love the farm, leave no trace. Thank you.”

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The five-day festival, which this year will see around 200,000 music fans descend on Worthy Farm, typically produces more than 2,000 tonnes of waste.

In recent years, the famous “after” photos showing the debris left behind have suggested that waste levels appear to be going down, as organisers urge guests to be more mindful about their environmental impact.

It has long held the policy of “Love the farm, leave no trace”. In 2019, organisers banned the sale of plastic bottles and the festival now only permits the use of compostable or reusable plates, cutlery and drinking straws.

The Glastonbury 2023 site clean-up operation in progress (PA)
The Glastonbury 2023 site clean-up operation in progress (PA)

Volunteers work to try and separate the waste as much as possible so it can be properly composted and recycled, with most of the clean-up completed by Monday afternoon.

Speaking to the Bristol Post last year, Pyramid Stage clean-up team leaders Kirstine and Rocky said the grounds often “look bad but when you look back [behind you] it’s really satisfying”.

“I came down this morning and thought ‘this doesn’t look bad’ considering there were about a quarter of a million people here,” Rocky said.

“A long time ago, it would have been way worse, when single-use plastics were allowed and the caterers sold everything in polystyrene.

“Even 10 years ago, there would have been loads and loads of chairs left, and this year there will be fewer tents [left] than ever.”

Before and after the grounds are cleared in front of the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury (PA)
Before and after the grounds are cleared in front of the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury (PA)

Last year, organisers also asked festival-goers to avoid bringing disposable vapes to the site, explaining: “They pollute the environment and can be hazardous at waste centres.”

Glastonbury 2024 takes place from Wednesday 26 June to Sunday 30 June. This year’s headliners are Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA, while the Legends Slot will be filled by country-pop star Shania Twain.

You can find a full list of set times for each stage here.

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