Over 200,000 people descend on Worthy Farm in Somerset every four-out-of-five years. As well as booking the biggest music acts in the world and keeping the site safe and secure, one of the major challenges faced by the Glastonbury Festival is managing toilet waste.
The toilets at Glastonbury are almost as legendary as the Festival itself. From the Pyramid of Poo headlines which used to accompany chemical portable toilets clogging and overflowing to the excitement of using a modern-day long drop.
Going for a number two at Glastonbury is as big a part of the experience as the Wednesday night fireworks, the mud in a wet year and not being able to find your tent at 3am after one too many ciders.
And for most festival-goers, once they have been to the toilet, they have been to the toilet. There is no need to think about Glastonbury toilets again. But for festival organisers, the fun (if you can call it that) is only just beginning.
So, how does the Glastonbury Festival handle the enormous volume of toilet waste whilst maintaining its green ethos?
The scale of the toilet waste problem at Glastonbury Festival
At full capacity, the Glastonbury produces hundreds of thousands of litres of toilet waste daily. At the 2024 Festival headlined by Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA, there were over 4,000 toilets for festival-goers to use.
The challenge is not just the number of people and volume of human waste. It is about managing and disposing of it in a way that is environmentally responsible, odour-controlled and efficient.
Types of toilet at Glastonbury
Glastonbury offers four main types of toilet to meet the needs of festival-goers. Whilst they all operate in different ways, the ultimate goal is sustainability.
- Long drop toilets: The most common type of toilet at Glastonbury. Essentially, a massive pit dug into the ground with open air, lockable cubicles constructed above. Festival-goers sit down, let it all out through the toilet seat and into the hole in the ground below. Simple and effective.
- Compost toilets: These waterless toilets collect waste in large containers, where it is broken down using sawdust and microbes. The entire composting process takes place over 12 months or more. The nutrient-rich resulting compost is then used on the farm… although for not for food crops.
- Urinals: Over 700 metres of urinals are used at Glastonbury for both men and women. They reduce queues and speed up the toilet experience. The urine collected can be used as nutrient recovery for fertiliser.
- Portable toilet trailers: The most luxurious option found in hospitality areas and glamping sites. Each trailer unit features flushing toilets, sinks, mirrors and lighting. Wastewater is stored in holding tanks underneath each unit. These tanks are drained and wastewater taken away to a processing plant before the trailers move off to their next event.
- Portable chemical toilets: Once a staple of Glastonbury. Now much less common due to being plastic, using chemicals, the fact they often became clogged and provide a pretty horrific overall experience.
Collection and disposal of waste at Glastonbury
The key to the success of the Glastonbury Festival every year is tight and well-organised logistical operation. Handling toilet waste is no different.
- Regular servicing: Teams work 24/7 to clean and service toilets. Waste is removed from vacuum flush systems multiple times per day. Regular Glastonbury visitors know that long drops are usually cleaned at around 11am each morning, making this the best time to visit for a less smelly, more pleasant experience.
- Maintenance and inspections: Although they have happened in the past, serious escapes of toilet waste at Glastonbury are rare. Inspecting and maintaining facilities regularly reduces the risk of leaking portable toilet repair being needed on-site.
- Transporting toilet waste off-site: Toilet waste collected from long drops and portable vacuum flush systems is transported off-site to licensed sewage treatment works. Glastonbury works closely with its local water and wastewater supplier, Wessex Water, to ensure sewage is processed in an environmentally responsible way.
- Composting: Waste deposited into compost toilets is held on-site in secure, ventilated bins. It is stored for up to 12 months to allow pathogens to break down. The resulting compost is used for non-food agriculture on Worthy Farm.
- Urine collection: As urinals become a bigger part of the Festival’s wastewater management plan, Glastonbury has increased its use of urine diversion systems. Urine is collected separately and processed for future reuse, including in the production of fertiliser through processes like pee-cycling.
The workers behind the scenes
None of the impressive toilet waste management at Glastonbury would be possible without the large crew of sanitation workers and volunteers behind the scenes.
These unsung heroes play a crucial role at the Festival. Not just in keeping facilities clean and safe but also by educating festival-goers on toilet use.
WaterAid for example provide novelty themed toilets each year which aim to teach about water sustainability and use.
Most famous was their ‘Toilet of Dreams’ – a disco-balled, music-playing loo positioned where anyone sat on it could still see the action on the Pyramid Stage. It was built to highlight global sanitation challenges.
Leadng the way in waste management
Toilets may not be the most glamorous part of Glastonbury. But the Festival’s commitment to sustainable waste management is a model for other large events around the world.
By combining traditional toilet waste methods with eco-conscious innovations, Glastonbury ensures that festival-goers enjoy the music without worrying about what happens behind the scenes.
As the festival continues to grow and evolve, so too will its toilet tech. Because if there is one thing Glastonbury has shown, it’s that you can rock out and still be kind to the Earth.
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