But less than last year. Because instead of providing only bottled water, the festival organizers listened to the feedback from last year's attendees (like me!) and provided water refill stations as well.
I was heartened to see the stations being used by many people who brought their own bottles. That said, the system was not all I could have wished for. True to a festival guard's declaration to me last year that they had "no intention of providing free water to everyone," Outside Lands brought in 5-gallon jugs of Arrowhead water and sold each 20-ounce refill for $1. Or if you bought an Outside Lands branded reusable bottle, refills were free throughout the festival.
Now certainly, these jugs produce much less waste than individual plastic bottles because they are reused over and over again. One problem, though, is that they are made from polycarbonate, the kind of plastic that contains and can leach BPA. But an even bigger issue I have is with the idea of shipping in water from somewhere else and charging for it.
Now, I'd understand if the festival were taking place out in the desert where water is unavailable, but there IS potable water and water fountains throughout the park. Just not accessible in the fenced off festival area. I'm wondering if there isn't a way to tap into the great San Francisco water already available to quench attendees' thirst. And if there is, I'd love to see the City that leads the way in so many other areas require SF festival organizers to provide (or allow access to) free water at all times. Food is one thing. You could bring in some of your own. But water, I feel, should be a human right and available to anyone who needs it. Call me a socialist it you want. I don't mind. :-)
Beth Terry writes about finding alternatives to plastic and tracks her own plastic consumption and plastic waste at www.FakePlasticFish.com. Why Fake Plastic Fish? "Because if we don't solve our plastic problem, they could be the only kind of fish we have left." Please stop by and leave a comment!
Jordana G. says:
I have never seen a refillable water station like the one pictured above. That's awesome. Not awesome that they encourage you to buy MORE STUFF (their souvenir water bottle) in order to drink affordable water, but it's a good step. Beth - were the bottles they sold made of plastic?
Beth Terry says:
No, the bottles were stainless steel.