Festival prep: how to look class this summer with minimal waste

Festival season is almost upon us.

And while the vast majority of us are hyped to bits for sun, tunes, and a load of drink, we tend to forget that festivals are often breeding grounds for waste. Disposables are all the rage - cups you can throw away, clothes you'll only wear once, glitter that'll wash off and never biodegrade. We're all guilty of being not-entirely-eco-friendly when we're camped out in a field for three days, and although producing zero waste is something that most of us won't be able to achieve, there are a few ways you can be that bit more conscious this summer. So, here are some of the key areas expected to generate waste at festivals this year - and the small things you can do to make your festival season that bit less wasteful. Glitter  The festival essential, right? And yeah alright, even though it's hardly worth hopping off the 'gram or drinking sneaky cans in a field if you're not covered in the stuff, it's actually pretty bad for the environment.  Like, really bad. Most cosmetic glitter is made up of tiny little pieces of plastic meaning that it is non-biodegradable. Once washed off, these microplastics end up in the ocean where they can be ingested by tiny animals, leading to countless issues along the food chain. According to US TV show Catalyst, microplastics account for 85 percent of all plastics that end up in the ecosystem. As well as this, studies have shown that fish caught for human consumption are also starting to contain microplastics due to the high volumes of the material that end up in the sea. So, either refrain from using glitter this festival season and create your own #fire looks some other way or buy some eco-friendly glitter made from biodegradable substances. Either works. Tents We all know the trials and tribulations of finding somewhere to sleep at a festival. So many of us buy a cheap tent, sleep in the cheap tent, and then leave the cheap tent in the field behind us when we're done under the guise that it will be donated to a homeless charity when realistically it probably will be sent directly to landfill for being too in bits. It's extremely shit form, and even though dismantling a tent and lugging it home when you're half cut and just want your bed is not the most fun thing to do in the world, it's a million times better than just abandoning it with the thousands of others. Cups and straws  As tempting as it always is to buy a 20 pack of red cups and set yourself up for the weekend, everybody knows that isn't exactly the best idea eco-friendly wise. Red cups are made from plastic (obviously), and even the paper ones are unlikely enough to actually end up in any form of recycling bin if you're in bits camped out for the weekend. We, as people, cannot be trusted to remind ourselves to be entirely environmentally friendly all of the time (especially when under the influence of many alcohols). But we can leave ourselves very little choice to be entirely wasteful and just use a reusable cup for our drinks. You know, something we won't throw away - a tumbler, a KeepCup, one of those plastic bottles that isn't single use and costs about 20 quid so you definitely won't be throwing it away after one go. Fashion  There are plenty of ways to make more eco-conscious fashion choices - hit up vintage stores, go to a swap shop, borrow your mate's clothes that they don't want to wear anymore. And then there's probably the most simple way to ensure that you're being a bit more conscious - just don't buy anything new. Yeah, it's absolutely tempting to rip Boohoo a new one when you've got a festival coming up and drop half your wages on short shorts and crop tops... but chances are you've already got a load of that shit from last year. Festival season is dangerous when it comes to fashion, because chances are half the stuff you buy to look unreal in a field you wouldn't be caught dead in in the real world. It's the height of disposable fashion but chances are, you'll look just as class in some of the bits that you've already got at home from previous years.

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During May, Her will be doing some more #ConsciousBits. Over the month, we'll be learning how to re-use more than we buy, examining the sheer amount of waste the planet produces, and considering the many, many benefits of sustainable fashion choices.  We'll also be chatting to some people who have made sustainability a priority, while setting ourselves a few environmentally conscious challenges along the way.  Change is daunting and we're not perfect, but we can always try to do our bit. Our conscious bit.  You can follow the rest of the #ConsciousBits series here or follow our Instagram account for more related content.  Want to get in touch? Email us at jade@her.ie.