Boardmasters Festival plans to reduce plastic and boost environment

Boardmasters surf and music festival has announced it is implementing are-usable cup scheme to reduce the amount of single-use plastic generated.

Organisers of the five-day event, which takes place in Cornwall in August with acts such as The Chemical Brothers, Catfish And The Bottlemen and George Ezra on the bill, have unveiled their new sustainability strategy.

Goals include continuing to reduce the amount of single-use plastic items used on site such as water bottles and cups, to levels close to zero, reduction in overall waste generated by the event, increasing site-wide recycling, reducing its carbon footprint and plans to continue working harmoniously with the local community and environment.

For the first time ever, Boardmasters will implement the re-usable cup scheme, which will run across all main on-site bars.

Both public and staff are encouraged to opt for re-usable options whereverpossible, including a drive to encourage festival-goers to use or purchaserefillable water bottles, with more water points available across the site.

Food banks will also be introduced to manage trader and customer food waste better. Litter bins and recycling points are also increasing.

Boardmasters will continue its work with Cornwall's Final Straw initiative, with no plastic straws available, and its "litter bond", which encourages campers to pick up their rubbish and recycle, will continue.

At the weekend Boardmasters hosted two beach cleans with charity partnerSurfers Against Sewage (SAS), as part of the Big Spring Beach Clean campaign.

Teams from both organisations, and the public, collected 200 kilos of marinelitter from Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay.

Boardmasters takes place across Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay in Cornwall from August 8 to 12.