Environment takes centre stage at music fest

But one festival is changing the face of Scotland’s music events scene with a promise to keep its impact on the beautiful landscape of its island host to a minimum.

Hebridean Celtic Festival – or HebCelt – attracts thousands of visitors annually to the Isle of Lewis and showcases international musical talent from folk and Celtic artists.

The summer showpiece has grown from a gathering of less than 1,000 fans when it first began 24 years ago to an island event pulling in almost 20,000 people from across the world.

And, as the festival’s footfall increases, it is expected, naturally, that more drinks will be sold and more materials used – but organisers have decided this does not mean the planet has to suffer.

“We are blessed to have an outstanding and unique environment in which to stage HebCelt and we have always taken very seriously the need to protect our surroundings,” explains festival director Caroline Maclennan.

The festival site lies in the grounds of Lews Castle just outside Stornoway, which is transformed each year into a stretch of colourful tents, live music and dancing fans during HebCelt.

Organisers made the decision five years ago to outlaw plastic straws and replace them with a paper alternative then built on this last year with an outright ban on single-use plastics.

Festival-goers are now issued with a reusable plastic cup for the duration of the event, which can be cleaned and refilled throughout the weekend.

“We have been ahead of the game in many respects, such as banning plastic straws five years ago and introducing a ban on single-use plastic last year,” Ms Maclennan continued. 

“We have also made huge strides in cutting waste and using biodegradable and recycled material.” The drive to eliminate unnecessary plastic waste meant that 2980kg of waste – 80 per cent of all waste generated – was recycled at the end of last year’s festival, which attracted 18,000 people.

The heavy sum equals 80 per cent of all waste generated at the event, which last year saw 18,000 people attend. Paper, cardboard and other materials were either recycled or sent to a digester and diverted from landfill.

Ian Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “HebCelt has been a leader in recent years for more environmentally friendly festivals through the introduction of reusable cups and other measures, such as the decision to ban single-use plastic and use recyclable and biodegradable alternatives instead.

“These moves show a step in the right direction as single-use packaging is often a problem at large-scale events.

“The environmental impact from this type of large-scale event can be reduced by removing any unnecessary item or replacing it with a re-usable alternative.”

Greenpeace estimates that around 12.7 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans each year across the world, and green charities from across the country say while festivals play a large part in contributing to plastic waste they also raise awareness of its environmental impact.

“It is great to see Hebridean Celtic Festival continuing to take action to reduce their climate and environmental impact,” said climate campaigner of Friends of Earth Scotland Caroline Rance. 

“All business and institutions must take steps to significantly cut their use of fossil fuels and lessen their organisation’s contribution to climate change.

“Festivals, and the arts more widely, have a really important role in engaging people in these important issues and inspiring them to take action.

“HebCelt was ahead of the curve in banning plastic straws and introducing reusable cups five years ago, and banning single-use plastic last year.

“Plastic pollution is a huge problem which has really captured the public attention, but plastics are indicative of larger problems of our throwaway society that fails to make products that last.

“Much of a festival’s impact comes from transport, and, whilst a festival in the Hebrides presents unique logistical and transport challenges, we would encourage festival organisers to keep thinking about how to get more people to reduce the impact of their journey.”

Although HebCelt appears to have been ahead of the curve, Ms Maclennan says there is still more to be done.

To this end, the festival has joined forces with Tighean Innse Gall (TIG), the housing and energy agency for the Outer Hebrides, to help raise awareness of climate change.

“We want to continue to improve our actions and spread the word amongst our audience, artists and contractors,” Ms Maclennan said. “This year, our partnership with TIG will help get the message out to more people which can only help us in our ongoing aims.”

Not only were the team on site to talk to revellers about the environment, they also supplied an electric Tesla car to drive main headline act KT Tunstall and others to the festival site. “I applaud HebCelt’s efforts to tackle environmental issues and raise awareness amongst an international audience,” Tunstall said. 

“With the help of TIG this year, they are helping to bring important issues to the attention of thousands of people which can only help in the fight against climate change.”

And it appears other events across the country are also making the switch to more environmentally friendly alternatives to some of the most damaging materials

Zero Waste’s Mr Gulland said: “We’ve grown accustomed to the pictures of piles of litter and waste left behind after festivals, but we are increasingly seeing it does not have to be this way.”

Mr Gulland added: “This year, many organisers have noticeably ramped up their sustainability efforts. Glastonbury succeeded in convincing campers to take their tents home and TRNSMT operated a deposit scheme for cups and bottles.”

Earlier this month, at Glasgow’s TRNSMT festival, a deposit scheme was introduced whereby revellers to encourage used cups, made of paper, back to a kiosk to get their 10p paid at point of purchase.

Annually, those attending Glastonbury go through over one million plastic bottles annually, and this year the festival scrapped the offending materials entirely.

In Glasgow, summer festival TRNSMT introduced a cup return scheme, wherein revelers were asked to bring used drinks cups – made of paper – to a dedicated kiosk, in exchange for a 10p deposit paid at point of purchase.

Glasgow’s TRNSMT aims to remove plastic from its site completely by 2021 and took significant steps this year by reducing single use plastics and introducing more water refill points.