This UK Festival Will Only Sell Water In Cans To Reduce Plastic Waste

Summer festival season is upon us. Around the world, millions will gather to experience music, theater, and other festival attractions in mostly outdoor settings. Being outside for long periods of time in the summer raises the issue of dehydration, so many festivals equip themselves with thousands of bottles of water to keep everyone safe and having a good time.

But bottled water isn’t the most eco-friendly way to bring water to the masses. The plastic, while recyclable, can only be recycled so many times before it becomes unusable As with with any single-use plastic item, the possibility exists that it could end up contributing to plastic pollution in the ocean.

This year, Bestival, a four-day music festival held in southern England, has decided to say no to plastic bottles and instead distribute water in cans. The Association of Independent Festivals, The Association of Independent Festivals, of which Bestival is a member of along with its sister festival, Camp Bestival, has pledged to no longer use any single-use plastics by 2021.

The partnership with CanO Water was announced on Twitter by Bestival’s organizer, Rob da Bank.

After hearing about the announcement, Bestival attendees were concerned that single-use cans wouldn’t be any better than single-use bottles because they couldn’t be refilled. Unlike your average canned beverage, CanO Water’s cans can actually be resealed, making them multi-use instead of single-use. It is worth noting, however, that Bestival has not confirmed the use of resealable cans yet.

Using cans instead of plastics come with a variety of benefits. Did you know that 75% of the aluminum produced since 1888 is actually still in use today? That’s because unlike plastic, aluminum cans can be recycled continuously without losing any quality. They also use space more wisely in shipment and as a result weigh less, thus reducing their carbon footprint.

We applaud Rob da Bank and Bestival for taking this positive action for the Earth! Hopefully many more follow their lead.