Did you ever wonder if there might be a better way to live more socially responsible and eliminate single-use plastic from your daily life? How can I do my part while attending festivals this year, such as Lucidity?

The amount of plastic we use is negatively affecting our environment and marine life, since 80% of pollution is derived from land. One truly important image which changed the way people looked at life as we know it is the image from the 1955 issue of LIFE magazine with the caption ‘THROW AWAY LIVING’. The story started a new era of disposable living, which allowed families to take care of fewer chores and have much more convenience in their busy lives. No one thought for one second, that every piece of plastic created then, would still exist in some form or another over 60 years later. Most of single use plastic ends up in our precious oceans, where it photodegrades into small tiny particles and fish mistakenly eat it as food.

The good news is there are some easy solutions we can all do individually, which can truly make a huge difference in our quest for a greener planet and a healthier festival experience for everyone.

• Looking for a ride? Carpool with friends or check out our rideshare program.
• Camp with friends and put together a list of sharable items. Don’t have what you need? Borrow them or if you have to make a purchase, be sure to shop at second hand stores.
• Bring your own dishes, utensils, straw, coffee container and reusable water bottle.
• Buy in Bulk. Many grocery stores now have bulk sections and as long as you bring your own bags or reusable containers, you can truly cut down on your plastic footprint.
• Pack in reusable/refillable containers. Switch out all of your plastic zip lock bags and use reusable cloth options, such as these from ChicoBag.com. Reduce packaging before you leave by removing all plastic/paper from products.
• Remember to bring 3 trash bins/bags for your own campsite and label them trash, recycle and compost. Each campsite is responsible for taking their own waste back home with them. Tip: Let us handle your food needs with Sol (seasonal, organic, local), our onsite local farmers market in the food vendor area.
• Bring local food made at home packed in reusable containers or purchase a Mindful Feeding Pass to eat green at the festival. Read more on why we offer the mindful feeding pass here.
• Go minimal and only pack what you truly need to reduce your camp footprint. Take advantage of common areas and reduce the time spent in your camp.

• Tip: Take our Permaculture Design certification course and workshops during the festival at Lucid University’s Permaculture Hub. Or participate in a Permaculture Action Day.
• Make a commitment. Hopefully you remembered to Volunteer for our Green Team before applications closed on January 31st, 2016, but if not you can always Take our Earth Month Challenge and pledge to Adopt ReUsables for 30-days or and take action now to become a steward of the environment at Lucidity.

We all have a responsibility to think about the daily choices we make, especially when it comes to polluting the environment with unnecessary single-use products. Lucidity’s environmental commitment is to leave the campgrounds better than we found it.

Helpful Tip: Remember to bring your reusable items with you when you leave your house or better yet have them already in your car. This will empower you to live more sustainably before the festival so it’s a part of your every day routine.

Don’t have any reusable utensils? Enter our ECO2020 Challenge here for a chance to win a set of your own!! Or purchase a set here.

Since this is a collective journey, if you have a Green Festival tip, please comment below. We are excited to have you a part of Lucidity Crossroads 2016.

Sustainably yours,

EcoJoe

Eco-Education Coordinator

Images by Winter Creative Co.