Our commitment to sustainability
Festival waste was indefensible for decades. Abandoned tents, single-use plastic, mountains of rubbish left behind after major events. The industry has been working to change that for years now, and the shift is accelerating. At Hotel Bell Tent we're committed to being at the forefront of that change.
We're acutely aware of the potential environmental impact of our operations, from the infrastructure we pitch, to the transport that gets it there, to what happens to our equipment at end of life. Our sustainable practices policy is continually evolving, but here are some of the ways we're working to mitigate the impact of our activities and contribute to a more sustainable future for festival glamping.
Reusable infrastructure
Environmental campaign groups estimate that 250,000 tents are left behind at UK festivals every year. Cheap festival tents bought for £20-£40 are often used once and abandoned, representing a significant waste problem the industry has been working to address.
Our entire model is built around the opposite approach. Our canvas bell tents and quality nylon setups are built to last years, pitched, used, packed down, maintained, and deployed again across multiple seasons. A single tent in our inventory serves hundreds of festival-goers over its lifetime. No single-use waste. No abandoned equipment. Our sister company Perfectly Pitched Camping operates on the same reusable infrastructure model.
Sustainable packaging across operations
We use sustainable packaging across our operations wherever possible, reducing single-use plastic through recycled and recyclable materials. When we work alongside our food and beverage partner Melt Events, that commitment extends across the full guest experience, including Vegware compostable packaging and on-site recycling programmes aiming for 80% recovery.
Optimised transport and logistics
Moving hundreds of tents and tonnes of furniture to a festival site is one of the largest contributors to our carbon footprint, so we plan routes, loads and crew schedules to maximise energy efficiency during setup and breakdown. Fewer half-empty vehicles. Fewer return trips. Loads consolidated wherever possible so every mile driven does as much work as it can.
Carpooling for the climate
We make every effort to eliminate unnecessary and inefficient use of vehicles for staff travel. Carpooling is promoted across the team and financially incentivised through a higher rate per mile, raising incrementally with the number of crew in the vehicle. Where carpooling isn't practical, we use public transport wherever possible.
Charity partners - The Seagull Project
Even reusable tents reach the end of their useful life in a luxury glamping context. Rather than sending them to landfill, we make annual donations to The Seagull Project, a humanitarian organisation bringing play, shelter and laughter to children in crisis situations around the world. Tents that no longer meet our luxury standards still have enormous life left in them, and they go on to serve a vital purpose supporting vulnerable communities through Seagull's international programmes.
Other initiatives
• Working with festivals and venues that demonstrate genuine environmental commitment
• Maintaining and repairing tents, furniture and accessories to extend useful life, rather than replacing at the first sign of wear.
• Encouraging guests to bring reusable water bottles, food containers and bags, and to use provided recycling and compost points.
• Transparency about what we do and what we don't yet do — we'd rather describe the practical measures in place than over-claim.
Looking forward
Festival sustainability will keep evolving. Expectations will keep rising. Regulations around waste and environmental impact will likely tighten, and that's a good thing. We'll keep reviewing our operations, investing in better equipment and processes, and working with partners who share the commitment.
Not perfect. But meaningfully better, and still improving.