Glastonbury asks fans not to bring disposable vapes to 2023 festival
“They pollute the environment and can be hazardous at waste centers”, reads festival guidelines
Glastonbury has urged fans not to bring disposable vapes to this year’s festival, which will take place in two weeks time (21st June- 26th June) at Worthy Farm, Somerset.
Organisers have added single-use vapes to the festival’s official ‘do not bring’ list, saying “they pollute the environment and can be hazardous at waste centers.” The addition comes as part of the festival’s efforts to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ plastics across the site.
Though it remains unclear how, or whether, this rule can be enforced, there is the suggestion that e-cigarettes could be confiscated when festival-goers are searched upon entry.
Around 1.3 million single-use vapes are now thrown away each week in the UK, according to The Guardian – an unprecedented rise since the first was sold in 2019. While many are being dumped by the roadside or in general waste, they also contain lithium-ion batteries, which easily catch fire if broken, and some vapers have suffered life-changing injuries after theirs have exploded.
Aside from disposable vapes, Glastonbury’s ‘do not bring’ list includes gazebos, which take up excessive space and are often left behind after the festival, non-biodegradable body glitter, excessive packaging, and disposable wipes. “Wipes – even biodegradable wipes, which quickly breakdown into micro-plastics – are problematic environmental pollutants,” the guidance reads. “A washcloth and a bar of soap works wonders!”
The festival has a long history of encouraging sustainable practices and protecting the environment, with Arcadia announcing that its arena will run on exclusively renewable energy this year.
Speaking to DJ Mag, Arcadia co-founder Bertie Cole explained, “We’re always trying to do things that are different and repurposing things from one life and putting it into another, and it just feels like if we can do that with our fuel supplies and our energy systems then we’re walking the talk.”
Glastonbury released its full festival line-up earlier this month, with dance and electronic highlights including The Chemical Brothers (DJ), Floating Points b2b Daphni and Elkka, VTSS, Skream b2b Interplanetary Criminal, Batu, Carl Cox, SBTRKT, Shy FX (ft Stamina MC), MK, and many, many more. Check out the full line up here.
