Best plastic free festival kit list 2019: top 9 sustainable products for your summer festival

An essential list of the top 10 plastic free festival products you need this summer

Asmany of the UK’s biggest festivalsare banning single-use plastic in 2019, going plastic free at your next festival may really be a sustainable option this summer.  

By 2050, it is predicted that there will bemore plastic in the sea than fish. With China no longer accepting our used plastic, landfills are increasingly becoming thedestination of a large portion of plasticwe send to be recycled. 

Therefore we at Cariki felt encouraged to create a simple product guide that covers all the basics you need for your plastic free festival experience. These are our recommendations for the 10 best plastic free products you need to buy before your next festival experience this summer.

 

The essential sustainable festival products

There are a whole range of essentials that you will need to survive if doing a festival sustainably. These include a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and wellies. 

Although these are hard to find from sustainable sources, there are steps you can take in the right direction. We have written about thesehere. 

Many of you will no doubt also consider alcohol as an essential. Again, we have you coveredhere.

This article will talk about all the items that will truly make your festival a plastic free experience. 

The top 10 products you need to make your summer festival plastic free 

We appreciate that it is not always possible to cart around everything you might want all day in the name of sustainability. As a result, we are going to focus on the things that will actually make a difference. 

We have all seen the level of waste left behind after a festival. Do it correctly and you should feel that you have not contributed towards this. 

1. Eco-glitter: best plastic free festival kit

Whether you are a guy or a girl, everyone loves glitter (even if you won’t admit it).

However, glitter is effectively thousands of small pieces of plastic that will take hundreds of years to break down. Large amounts of it ends up being washed into waterways each year, destined to enter the oceans. 

We therefore encourage everyone to switch to eco-glitter, made from biodegradable natural materials and are totally ocean-friendly. 

There are loads of brands out there selling biodegradable glitter.Eco Stardust are just one of the brands that we recommend. They make their glitter fromnon-GMO eucalyptus trees that have been sustainably grown, whilst also avoiding animal testing and being vegan friendly.

What’s more, 10% of the profit from every pot you buy goes to charity.

Otherwise, you can impress your friends and replace glitterwithhome made and totally natural face paints.

2. Portable solar charger: innovation in sustainability

Another essential in your plastic free kit list is not really a plastic swap, but it one of our favourite sustainable alternatives out there.

We have all suffered the agony of a dead phone. It always seems to be when you most need it, like trying to find your toothbrush in the dark at the end of the night. You regret taking that hour long drunken video you know you will never watch again. 

When camping, being stuck without a phone for potentially days may send shivers down your spine. 

One set of products where the potential of sustainable innovation is really highlighted aresolar chargers. A definite upgrade from a battery pack, just leave it in the sun and it will recharge itself. 

A solar power pack doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to break the bank to buy one. In fact, prices start at a comparable range to regularly battery packs. 

Similarly, I bet very few of you still carry torches, instead finding it easier to use your phone. Well if this is not an option after a long night out,this bit of sustainable kit will also help you find your toothbrush when you get back in the dark.  

3. Sustainable sunglasses should be plastic free

We would be wrong to not include some sustainable sunnies to this list. 

Not only should sunglasses look good, they should also have a low impact on the environment. 

Whether serving their purpose and actually blocking the sun’s UV rays, or simply worn to hide the bags under your eyes, next time you buy some try to ensure they are made from sustainable plastic free alternatives which are good quality and will last. 

We recommendthese ones, as they claim to collect 12kg of ocean plastic for every pair sold.

Freshie (Red Snapper) - Eco Friendly Sunglasses - Free worldwide Shipping - 12kg Ocean Litter Collected With Every Sale - Ozeano Vision

4. Reusable water bottles are a must at your plastic free festival

This is a must have if you are trying to go plastic free at any festival or summer event in 2019. 

We all know how many plastic bottles end up around a campsite or stage after an event. Globally we go through amillion plastic bottles a minute! You can avoid contributing to this by bringing a reusable bottle. 

Better yet, buy a stainless steel bottle which will last longer than plastic and is BPA free, so is better for you whilst also preventing the production of plastic in the first place. 

This is one ofour favourites, and has a bamboo lid which is perfect for when on the move. 

N.E.S.W Stainless Steel Water Bottle - 27 oz (800 ml)

5. Portable cutlery set could be a plastic free alternative

We admit that this is probably not the coolest thing you can whip out to impress your friends, but rather than using disposable plastic cutlery which will end up being binned after just one use, try to carry your own. 

No longer will you go through cheap plastic forks which break on first bite or bendy knives that don’t actually do anything.

Invest in a reusable set that will stand the test of time and mean no virgin material is having to be introduced. 

Plastic takes generations to break down, just think that every plastic fork you have ever used is likely still in the ground today!

Don’t get caught out trying to eat yoghurt with a fork, invest in a reusable set like thisbamboo utensil kit. 

However, we know it is not always convenient to carry cutlery, so if you don’t happen to have cutlery to hand, try to use plastic free alternatives such as wood. 

To-Go Ware Bamboo Utensil Set - Avocado - 4 Piece - £11.99

6. Ditch plastic straws when drinking at a festival

We have all seen the sad images on turtles, fish and birds with straws in their stomachs or lodged in their mouths.  

Before you drink from your next single use straw on a night out, consider that it takes 200 years for each plastic straw to break down. 

We have recently seenlarge companies waking up to this fact. Straws are fast becoming a symbol of successful advocacy promoting all that is wrong with our disposable lifestyle.

However, we are not suggesting you should stop using straws completely. Instead, consider switching to reusable ones that don’t get binned after one use. 

You will find these in all shapes and sizes, suited to every social occasion and drink of choice. Here’s a link to somemetal ones, although you can also buysilicone,bamboo orplastic. 

Again, don’t have one to hand? Try to use paper instead, which are increasingly offered by many traders. 

If you are truly reluctant to carry plastic or metal straws, and we really do understand, buy multipacks of paper straws, such asthese ones. 

Help The Earth! BamBae - 12 Premium 20cm Bamboo Straws with Free Cleaning Brush. 100% Organic, Biodegradable & Natural. Ecologically Sustainable Alternative to Plastic Straws. - £5.99

7. Tupperware to reduce your plastic use

Admittedly a little awkward to carry around. Yet they are particularly useful if planning to bring food in to your festival, helping you to save money and live more sustainably.

Not only will they help you cut costs on food, they can also act as storage if you are feeling a little queasy after a hard night out and want to save your meal to return to a little later. 

Our suggestion is to switch from your standard plastic tupperware box to a compostable one or one made fromstainless steel. 

This means you are not swapping one plastic for another, and not contributing to the waste collected at the end of the festival. 

Stainless Steel Ecolunchbox Three-In-One (Bento Style Lunchbox) - £49.95

8. Reusable coffee cups at your plastic free festival

Who doesn’t love their morning coffee? It is often the only thing that will get you going in the morning, especially when you are waking up after a big festival session.

It is all too easy to tramp up to the nearest coffee van, and without thinking take a coffee served in a polystyrene cup. 

It doesn’t take too much foresight to avoid this. Have your flashy eco-flask always to hand so that you can locate it without needing to search. 

Doing this is not only sustainable, it will likely also keep your coffee warm for longer. Our favourite - you can’t ever go wrong with the classicKeep Cup. 

KeepCup 12oz Medium Glass Brew Reusable Coffee Cup, Cork, Press, 12 oz - £20.00

9. Hygiene: How to stay clean whilst also being plastic free

A plastic free sustainable festival products list would be incomplete without recommending  something sustainable to wash with. 

There are clear limitations when considering which hygiene products to use. Steer clear of anything disposable or wrapped in plastic. For that reason, using a flannel like your nan is a very sustainable alternative. 

However, we realise that flannels are not for everyone. Big brands such as Simple are now offeringbiodegradable wipes which may be a more realistic alternative for most. 

Otherwise, feel free to try something a little different, such as thiswater free wash kit offered by Pits and Bits. 

Made from a water based solution, vegan friendly, preventing the use of disposable wet wipes and contained in plastic that has been made from partially recycled bottles, this gets our approval. 

Pits and Bits Filthy Festival Wash Kit - £6.95

If you do try it, let us know how it goes below!