SUSTAINABLE POWER

In 2007 the whole festival was run on renewable energy and 2008 will be no exception with biodiesel, solar power, wind power and pedal power making everything run from stages to lighting. We also have a long term plan to increase our use of solar, wind and pedal power generators as these are the most environmentally friendly sources of energy. Bio-diesel is better then any petro chemical alternatives but solar, wind and pedal power are even more environmentally friendly and we are always aiming to be as eco-friendly as possible. Each year we will be investing money into buying and hiring more of these generators in addition to preferentially booking traders and production crew who run their equipment off solar, wind or pedal power.
The major evolution in power for 2008 is the NEW Firefly Solar-powered 2nd stage. No more will people be able to say that Solar Power is limited to small stages in the green fields of festivals. Firefly bring us a full power 8kw sound system of awesome quality as well as a stunning visual and light show. The new Firefly venue is situated in a Big Top Tent in the markets area.

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CARBON NEUTRALITY

Climate change is a real problem.  Becoming carbon neutral is a way we can do our bit to help. We at Sunrise are committed to becoming carbon neutral over the coming years, taking steps wherever possible to achieve this. From energy reduction measures to tree-planting, we are looking forward to working towards this event becoming the greenest in the UK and possibly the world (one day!). We have launched our new carbon calculator, available to YOU, our audience, to measure your own carbon footprint when attending the event. We are offering everybody the chance to make donations towards neutralising their own carbon footprint by investing in green schemes, from tree planting to community orchards to renewable energy initiatives.

During the event our Eco-Rangers will also be going around the site gathering carbon information from you the public, our production crew, main stage artists and more. This will go into our big Sunrise Carbon Footprint Scheme. We will be working out how much carbon our event is creating. This will help us make year on year improvements to our carbon reduction measures, showing us what areas of the event are emitting the most carbon.

 For more information on our carbon reduction measures, please watch this space...
Likewise, visit our carbon calculator page to add to the Sunrise total.

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RECYCLING

The most obvious environmental impact caused by festivals is the huge amounts of waste produced on site.  One of our top priorities is to reduce this waste and recycle and reuse as much of it as possible.

Disposable packaging from food stalls makes up a large part of festival waste, with plastics that are often not able to be recycled. To combat this problem at the Sunrise Celebration we have made it a strict policy that all packaging used on site by food stalls traders must be compostable, which means that whatever you are eating is not only good, organic and local, but even its packaging is non-harmful to the planet. We will have composting bins outside all the food stalls where people can throw in any leftover food and their packaging. Cups, plates, knives, forks, spoons will all be compostable and can be thrown into these bins. These will then be taken away to make wholesome food for plants to grow in.

We at the Sunrise love recycling and we hope you will all join in by recycling as much as possible at the festival. Separate recycling bins will the provided for paper, metal, plastic and glass. These can be found all over the site and will be clearly marked so no excuses not to use them. Re-use boxes will also be around for you to put in any unwanted items that others can give a new life to. These will be marked on the site map so don’t bin it – re-use it. You are all welcome to come visit the boxes and see what goodies need a new home. Any leftover items will be given to charities and local community projects.

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COMPOST TOILETS

The use of compost toilets is a big step forward for festivals, reducing the pressure on local infrastructure and resources, heavy vehicle traffic on site, risk to public health and safety, water consumption and long term environmental damage that result from the use of chemical port-a loos. Combined with the benefit of completing a natural cycle by turning our waste into a valuable growing medium.  In 2006 we had 8,000 attendees and our event was the first of its size to offer site-wide compost toilets – over 65 units in all – including female urinals. They accounted for 90% of the facilities available. In 2007, whilst reduced, the quality of the loos was much improved. This year will see more of the same ground breaking composting action but with a far better quality than in previous years. Facilities on offer for 2008 include the beautiful finished Treebogs, as seen in 2007, complemented by the popular Thunderboxes (as seen at Waveform Project) and the NEW Natural Event Compost Loos - making their debut in the UK. Natural Event have over 600 working units functioning in the Australian festival scene each year and they bring their refined science of poo to Sunrise in 2008!

To make these facilities even more environmentally friendly and to show our commitment to a satisfying toilet experience we will only be supplying recycled toilet paper on site, ensuring loos are well stocked, provide regular cleaning and emptying, install LED lighting systems and a few other special little features. 2008 is the year of the compost toilet!

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ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

The Sunrise Celebration is deeply committed to achieving and improving environmental standards. As such we are applying strong environmental policies to our event. Follow this link for an outline of our environmental policies.

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ORGANIC FOOD POLICY

Sunrise Summer Solstice Celebration 2006 was the first festival of its size to offer a site-wide organic policy on all food and drink and we have continued to adhere to that since. The standard we are promoting is 80% organic for all food and beverage traders, even the bars. This year, to ensure compliance, our Eco-Rangers will be carrying out inspections to make sure traders are sticking to their promises, so, when you eat and drink here at Sunrise, you can be sure that what you are consuming is the best on offer on the UK Festival scene.

Sunrise is committed to ensuring that wherever possible, ingredients used by traders are sourced in the local area, particularly fresh veg, dairy and other perishables. All fresh produce is supplied by Somerset Organic Link, our friends from just down the road, who bring together the produce of local organic farms. We also have organic suppliers including Essential Trading Cooperative. Traders using local goods will receive local food and drinks certificates to show the standards they are living up to! Look out for them stuck up in the shops and know where your food is coming from. It is important we support local organic food suppliers as it means less food miles, pollution and carbon emissions, it supports our local small scale farmers way of life and supports all the threatened British biodiversity that thrive in our local organic fields.

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SUSTAINABILITY AUDIT

This year we are carrying out a sustainability appraisal of the Sunrise Celebration festival as a follow-up to research conducted last year. This is an audit that will measure environmental factors such as our carbon footprint, waste management and other aspects, as well studying our effect on the well-being of attendees, using the global happiness ratio system. More on this to follow in the next days. As part of this audit, we will be looking to you, our audience, to get details of how big your smile is, how you travelled and more. Watch out for our Eco-Rangers at the Sunrise event.

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THE GREEN TEAM

A new Green Team has been established to act as the environmental policy steering group for the event. Containing organisers representing all parts of the festival, a sustainability appraisal specialist, Eco-Rangers and our Environmental Coordinator, the green team will make sure that environmental thinking is an essential part of everything that happens at the Sunrise Celebration. Another new feature of this year’s festival will be the Eco-Rangers who you will see stomping around in their green jackets. There job at the event is to check that the crew, traders and you the public are being environmentally friendly as well as gathering information for our sustainability appraisal. In this way the Green Team will monitor the environmental effects of the festival across the board, and ensure that our standards are as high as our aspirations! Keep an eye out for the Eco-Rangers as they go about their rounds and please do approach them if you want to talk about anything environmental.

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ALERNATIVE TRANSPORT

Our commitment is to ensuring that all site vehicles used are run on bio-diesel or other alternative sources of energy. This means we thoroughly encourage the use of Horsedrawn Carts, renewably charged electric vehicles and rickshaws! Our daily deliveries of local organic vegetables, milk, eggs and bread will all be done using Horsedrawn carts or renewably charged electric vehicles. The same goes for any moving of equipment and people around the site with the added thrill of rickshaw riding.Even our Fire Brigade will be using biodiesel run vehicles!

We are using alternative transport on site to show YOU that another way is possible in life. No more chocking fumes from petrol vehicles as they pass you in the streets. Instead you can enjoy the clip clop of friendly hooves and jump on board if you want a ride.

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TREE PLANTING

As an essential part of our carbon neutralising, we are committed to beautifying the landscape around Bearley Farm and in other locations in Somerset. In 2006, we planted over 40 trees in an attempt to give back a little of what we take (for granted!). We wish to increase the size of this project in 2008 and beyond, turning the events site into a green haven and a sanctuary for wildlife. As part of a sustained programme of eco-investment, we are looking for a continued growth in funding into this area of the Sunrise and Festivalife project...

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LEARN MORE ON SITE

Spreading the message is a big part of the green revolution. The more people learn the more we can grow to make change possible. We want to provide plenty of opportunities for you to learn how to live sustainability and be more environmentally conscious. Guest speakers will be giving eco-talks and eco-workshops, environmentally aware films will be playing and environmental campaign groups will be joining us so we can learn how to get active and save our planet. This is in addition to the green innovations area where there will be displays of green technologies, eco-building designs and more. The permaculture area will also give you a practical display of how you can grow your own food in plentiful supply using natural systems, making environmentally damaging concoctions of pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers unnecessary. With all the environmental initiatives taking place at the Sunrise we hope you will leave inspired to go forth and be green!    
                                                                                                                           
We welcome all those who want to get involved in our environmental initiatives. If you have any eco-innovations and awareness raising projects you would like to display, are a part of an environmental campaign group, would like to give eco-talks, workshops or show your environmental films please contact: aylin@sunrisecelebration.com

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GREEN TIPS FOR CAMPERS

Have fun and be green. Here are some magical tips on how to be green at the Sunrise Celebration with some nifty little facts that you may not have known. Enjoy!

  Recycle
Recycling points will be available all over the festival site. Please look out for the signs. We will have separate paper, plastics and metal recycling bins so you can put your litter into the right bins. We will also be giving out clear plastic bags when you arrive so you can recycle at your own campsites.

Recycling is an important way to save natural resources. For example each tonne of paper recycled saves 15 average sized trees, as well as their surrounding habitat and wildlife. Recycling also saves energy. You can make 20 cans out of recycled materials with the same amount of energy it takes to make a single one can from virgin material. You can also make some really nice things from recycled material. It only takes about 25 recycled soft drink bottles to make a fleece jacket! Much more snugly then rotten old plastic bottles! It is estimated that up to 90% of what is put in our bins could either be reused or recycled. It would be amazing if we could reduce our waste by that much. It is in your hands.

Compost your food
Compost bins will be provided outside catering stalls and within the camping area. Look out for the signs. All waste food can be placed in the compost bins. All disposable cups, plates and cutlery on site will be compostable so you can put these in as well.

Composting is really important because it reduces our carbon footprint as well as making really good food for plants. All the biodegradable material such as food waste and paper that gets buried in landfill sites ends up decomposing without any oxygen producing huge amounts of methane – a powerful greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change. Please help by composting your waste.

Collect your litter
Litter is a mess. Please pick it up and make everyone happy. We will be putting litter bins all over the site for you to use. You will also be given black plastic bags for your campsite to collect litter in. 

Save water
Be aware of wasting water when you use taps or have showers. Remember to not leave taps and showers running. If you see any broken/leaky taps and showers please tell one of our Eco-Rangers or a crew member. A leaky tap with only a tiny trickle of water wastes something like 60 litres of water and hour!

Take public transport
Travelling by train, coach or bus is much more environmentally friendly then travelling by car. Trains emit the least amount of CO2 compared to all other forms of transport so we really encourage you to travel by train and we will be setting up shuttle buses to and from the train station to help you do this easily. Coaches and buses are the 2nd best way to travel with cars coming in a poor last. This means we will also be setting up easy options for you to travel by coach or buses. Check out our getting here page for more details. As a way to try to discourage people bringing their cars we will also be asking for £15 per vehicle.

Car share
If you have to take the car then please car share. It is a great way to reduce the impact you have on the environment. If you get 5 people in your car you will each be emitting nearly 5 times less CO2 and 5 times less pollution then driving on your own. It’s also a lot more fun! If you have a car to fill or would like a lift please visit the lift share forum. 

Use biodiesel
Biodiesel is a diesel substitute which is obtained from plants. This means it is a renewable energy source which can fuel your vehicle. Biodeisel can be used in unmodified diesel engines and you can put either pure biodiesel or a mixture of biodiesel and normal diesel into your vehicle depending on its type. A lot more information about biodiesel and where to get it will be available on site and we will have a biodiesel pump for you all to fill up for your journey home.

Take unwanted items to re-use boxes
We will be setting up re-use boxes in the festival for people to put in their unwanted items. These items can then be picked up by anyone who wants them. If there are any left over after the festival we will give them to charity. These items can be anything from blow up beds, old tents, pots and pans, hats, scarves or dodgy sunglasses. Anything you don’t want anymore just put them in. This is especially important at the end of the festival where things get left everywhere. It’s much nicer to put them in the boxes and know that they will be re-used instead of going to landfill.

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No glass
We have a no glass policy on site as we do not want broken glass to be left in the ground. Broken glass is dangerous for people and animals and is a long term problem. It is literally not known how long it takes for glass to naturally biodegrade as no one has been able to record it but it is so long that glass made in the Middle East over 3000 years ago can still be found today!

Battery recycling point
Batteries contain heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury which are harmful to wildlife and pollute soils and rivers. We will be providing a battery recycling point on site so you don’t have to contribute to this pollution by putting your batteries into landfill. In the UK over 300 million batteries go into our landfill sites each year! Another, even better solution, is to use rechargeable batteries. Saves money and the planet all in one go! We will have power points where you can recharge your batteries on site.

Remember not to drop cigarette butts
95% of all cigarette butts are made of cellulose acetate (a plastic) which persists in the environment, leaks toxins and ends up in the stomachs of animals. To prevent this from happening we will be distributing containers which you can put your cigarette butts in.

Talk to our Eco-Rangers
We will have Eco Rangers in most areas stomping around the site and making sure that everything is staying environmentally friendly. We are a very friendly bunch and would love it if you asked us questions on eco-initiatives at the festival and where to find things like recycling points. Also if you see any eco problems happening on site such as leaky taps, litter or anything please tell us so we can sort it out!

Use environmentally friendly soaps and shampoos
To prevent build up of toxins in the land around the festival it is really good to use natural, phosphate free, biodegradeable soaps, shampoos and conditioners.

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GET IN TOUCH

If you want to discuss any eco-matters with the Sunrise Celebration crew, or want to get involved with the Eco-Rangers and other eco-initiatives please email: aylin@sunrisecelebration.com

ECO-LINKS

More about climate change:
Climate change has been predicted by scientist for hundreds of years. It is amazing that it is only now becoming mainstream knowledge and with the latest reports from the most internationally respected climate change group, the IPCC, stating that there is irrefutable evidence that climate change is being caused by human actions, it is definitely time to do something about it. If you want to learn more about climate change and what you can do watch out for the links to come...