Green grooves - best eco-friendly festivals

Festival season might be nearly over, but there’s still plenty to see and do before summer is out.  Green family festival Out Of the Ordinary returns to East Sussex on September 17th. The event is environmentally fully responsible: stages and tents are powered by solar power, wind power and vegetable oil, and the guests are provided with clean eco compost toilets, not to mention a sauna and showers.

Carbon conscious, energy-independent festivals like this are becoming more popular as party-lovers look to lessen their footprint while they dance the night away. But with so many nailing their green flags to the mast, which one do you plump for?

Here’s our favourite five from the UK and beyond.

Burning Man, Nevada

OK, so you have to fly over 5000 miles to get there and then drive into the Nevada desert, so you will lose a lot of greenie points for that... plus it all ends with a great big fire. But Burning Man has been making great inroads to improving its footprint, with Biobus shuttles for ‘Burners’ (powered by bio fuels), solar-powered art installations and a ‘leave no trace’ clean-up policy.

http://www.burningman.com/

Oya, Norway

Now in its eighth year, Oya festival boasts 14 different categories of recycling, locally-sourced organic food, 100% renewable energy powered stages, electric and hydrogen-powered cars for staff, eco-friendly nappy change stands and eco-labeled sunblock. Phew.

http://oyafestivalen.com/pages/eng/1-news

Glastonbury, Somerset

It may be four decades old but the grandmother of all festivals is definitely forward-thinking when it comes to renewable energy. Earlier this year organiser Michael Eavis revealed a £500,000 investment in a second water reservoir plus the installation of 1,100 solar panels, producing enough energy to power 40 homes and equivalent in CO2 savings to 10 UK citizens over a whole year. Add solar and pedal-powered showers to the mix plus a ‘leave no trace’ policy and it all adds up to a very green experience.

http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/

Croissant Neuf, Monmouthshire

You might have missed this year’s but pop it in the diary for 2011. The festival is powered entirely by solar energy, all food is locally-sourced and organic and three trees are planted on site for every car that visits the festival. Plus you can learn more about renewable energy and all things eco with regularly scheduled talks and activities over the weekend.

http://www.partyneuf.co.uk

2000 Trees Festival, Cotswalds

Winner of the 2008 ’Greener Festival’ award, this little festival is already selling tickets for 2011. It boasted a 90% recycling rate in 2008 (thought to be the highest by any festival), power and lighting produced by chip fat and local, seasonal food.

http://www.twothousandtreesfestival.co.uk/