We Love Green

I recently had the opportunity to go to my first ever music festival. We Love Green was held over a weekend in Parc de Bagatelle, Paris. Whilst, like most music festivals, it boasted an impressive and eclectic musical line-up, there was something extra special about this one. You see, this was a green festival! From the food to the stalls, everything was as environmentally friendly as possible. Not only was the majority of the furniture/stalls/toilet cubicles hand-made from wood, the festival was powered by solar energy. Guests were invited to dispose of rubbish in specially labelled bins which, after the festival, were sorted so all of the waste could be recycled and composted appropriately. Fresh water was made available freely to everyone so that attendants were not encouraged to buy drinks in plastic bottles which would have created a lot of waste. I found the experience incredibly fun but also really interesting. Having never been to a music festival before I was unsure of what to expect. However, I was happy to find myself sitting in a field eating a healthy, veggie curry and home-made fruit cake whilst drinking a yummy organic fruit smoothie. There were many stalls, art installations, and different areas meaning there was something there for everyone, from small children to the elderly! This seems like such a great idea, making something very fun and interesting, that does not cause great damage to the environment. I have since discovered that there are more events similar to this across the globe, which is great! I can't even begin to imagine how much waste has been produced from such public events as festivals across the years before we realised just how bad they were for the environment! Hopefully, by raising awareness of environmentally friendly practices, whilst highlighting how fun being green can be, more people may be encouraged to consider the effects they have on the environment. Being aware does not mean being boring. Large, public gatherings, that introduce you to new things, feature your favourite musicians and involve yummy food can be enjoyed whilst leaving a small eco-footprint. Note from editor: To have a look at some photos from the We Love Green festival, check out this website: http://www.welovegreen.fr/