Over the years, as we’ve got bigger so has our impact on our environment but also, so too has our awareness, and we are not willing to put on an event that damages our planet. As a result we have radically overhauled our approach operationally to reduce our carbon footprint and we’ve put in place many initiatives on the ground to help our Boomtown Citizens.

But for us it’s about so much more. We need to educate the public, our crew and ourselves as organisers to make small but significant lifestyle changes so that together we can protect our world..

What are the key Environmental Initiatives this year?

This year ​getting rid of single use plastic and campsite rubbish is our biggest mission. We are aiming for a Zero Waste event in future years and encouraging people to reduce, reuse and recycle, so we can eventually be waste free! Travel is also a priority and we would like to achieve our goal of having 40% of people arriving by public transport and encouraging artist and contractors to balance their travel as well as implementing a series of behind the scenes fuel saving measures.

We have lots of initiatives in place and the list is continually being added to, with some major and pretty transformational initiatives still in the planning stages. To find out exactly what we have in story check out our Environmental Mission ​here​.

What problems were there last year that need to be specifically addressed this year?

As we’ve been seeing at many UK festivals, and beyond, the biggest problem most festivals face in terms of environmental issues is the sheer volume of campsite waste, tents, sleeping bags, camping chairs etc… left behind and discarded.

Although in so many ways Chapter 10 was a huge success for us, even after our messaging onsite about the amount of tents going to landfill, we still actually saw an increase in people leaving their belongings / rubbish behind in the campsites.

But there were some amazing successes that as a greater Boomtown community we achieved: More people than ever arrived by public transport, the debut ​Boomtown Bike Ride​ was a so good we’ve added an extra location due to popular demand. 370,591 miles were balanced by citizens with £1 donated from every car park purchased to ​Energy Revolution​ towards putting solar panels on the roofs of schools in the UK.

But by far our biggest success was earning a ‘Commended’ Award​ from external assessors ​A Greener Festival​, who measured our impact as a festival across many categories including everything from the local ecosystem to power on site and it’s something we’re pretty proud of.

What safeguards/schemes are in place to ensure that this doesn’t happen during Chapter 11?

Environmental safeguarding, schemes and systems are at the absolute core of what we’re doing this year, and every year beyond. As mentioned, campsite waste is one of the main things we need to change and eradicate and we’ll be putting in a lot to support people on the ground as well as raise awareness. But essentially, we’ve overhauled our operations, infrastructure, planning and messaging to put environmental protection at the very heart of everything we’re setting out to achieve.

Any advice for people in general when attending a festival to help with sustainability? Any little things that can we can all do to make the site a better place?

Yes, lots! We really need everyone to help reduce the amount of stuff that’s left behind. Make life easier for yourself and only bring what you need… i.e. is a camping chair and gazebo necessary? Share and invest in good quality tents and equipment with your mates and take all your belongings home. Cut back on what you bring, prioritise reusable items and use the recycling facilities and bins provided.

Importantly, help us debunk the myth that leaving your tent is a charitable move, it really isn’t! They aren’t single use plastic items, they are multi material and can’t be recycled, and by the end of the festival most cheap tents are not reusable and only a very small percentage are able to be salvaged and put to good use.