Toilet situation is a disgrace

[soarous]

20 hours ago, Gatche said:

As soon as these appeared at Green Man I stopped going to Green Man - not just because of the disgust at what you can see and smell, but because of the constant banging of the doors when people come out of them.

Found myself unable to sleep or use the facilities on the Green Man site, so on the Friday morning booked myself into a very cheap hotel about 10 miles away and drove into and out of site each day for the rest of the festival and avoiding any booze. Spoils the experience and won't be going back there I'm afraid.

Was booked into End of the Road with my wife in the 'glamping' area and seriously considered not turning up when this was announced, in spite of the fact this would have meant us blowing hundreds of pounds. I get why some prefer the composts to the basic portaloos (though I don't), but the glamping toilets in previous years were significantly better than standard portaloos, so this was a significant change.

In the end I came up with the 'solution' of:

• Eating one small, very plain, non-fibrous meal a day, only drinking lower alcohol drinks I'd brought in myself, and not drinking anything with alcohol later than about 6pm - so EOTR traders lost out on quite a bit of income, and I didn't get to enjoy the variety of culinary delights - the traders should blame EOTR and not me.
• Using Vicks vaporub on my nostrils for the morning pee I needed to have in the glamping toilets - the on site urinals were a bit far away for this - worked well to stop the smell and would recommend.
• Taking the best earplugs I could find (brand called Quies) which were absolutely excellent - though the glamping compost loos didn't have the same banging doors anyway. Recommended for anyone who suffers with festival noise generally, as they blocked out other noises as well.
• On the Friday and Saturday morning, driving to the Tesco in Shaftesbury (they open at 6am, so before I'd wake up - I'd looked it up!) for my morning Number 2 - not sure how this fits with being environmentally better, but it worked for me. The dietary changes I made meant I didn't have quite the same sense of urgency as I normally might at that time of day and my blood alcohol levels wouldn't have been an issue, meaning the drive was comfortable and the toilet was clean. We then left the festival completely at about 9am on Sunday morning, though that was partly so that the Mrs could visit family, not just for my personal needs.....

Anyway, it's been lovely coming to EOTR every year since 2015, but I/we won't be back unless there is some sort of change on this, which I doubt there will be.

From the various people I overheard talking about the change, the majority view was negative and that it came down to these loos probably being cheaper to hire, rather than the environmental reasons which EOTR gave. I've no idea whether or not this is accurate.

This is the best post I've ever read on this site. And I've read the Twix story at least twice.

Please elaborate on the  'one small, very plain, non-fibrous meal' I'm dying to know more.

[Vamagus]

Yes the same composting toilets were in Glamping.

With the added issue of approx. 50% more tents and 25% fewer toilets than last year. They were just as grim there (however the 4 in the corner were under a light so at least you could see what you were dealing with in there). 
 

I’m all for composting toilets but these were badly designed and badly implemented plus they were usually filthy. 
 

EOTR has moved down from “automatically buy earlybirds” to “wait for the line up then think hard before going”. 

[benali]

1 hour ago, The Nal said:

This is a thread about the bogs though. 

They were grim. 

I don't agree.

Festival toilets in the 90's were grim. My experience of these at EOTR and GM was that they were fine.

They obviously aren't in the pristine realms of Andy Loos but I didn't encounter any issues.

[Melaniemmb]

OMG those toilets - to anyone who thought that in 2023 that was acceptable is mad ! 
The locks - many were broken or missing 

The steps - hazardous in the mud and I was convinced I was going to fall every time 

The seats and surroundings - covered in wee (& other stuff too)

How did parents managed to persuade their children to use them 😞 ?

How did you manage if you were pregnant ? 

Provide many more urinals - I would use female urinals and a shepee - please use some sense and clean the cubicles regularly even washing down with clean water would be a start.

More sawdust containers and cups and maybe more people would use them ?

Better lighting ! I don’t particularly want to look at the contents but I would like to see where I’m about to sit 😞 

This was our 12th time at EOTR but I literally couldn’t cope with next year if it was like that again ….. (and I’m not suspicious Lol !)

[Gabby mm]

I’ve been to EOTR 12 times and I have to admit that the new toilets made me question if I’m ever going back. The loos were a total disgrace and, as someone mentioned, not friendly at all for women in their periods. 

[HastingsBoy]

The toilets were an absolute disgrace and anyone saying otherwise is kidding themselves. Dangerous and filthy with no consideration for women or those less able. They looked like they'd been built on the cheap with failing locks and seats. The organisers should be ashamed of themselves for going for this so called "Green" option. I appreciate that times are hard, but cutting corners on something as fundamental as toilets won't do. Added to that a less than stella line up means I won't be early birding and will have to seriously think about ever going again. 

 

[Llamasausage]

Thought that they where better than last year tbh. They stank a bit sure, but nowhere near as much as a nice full portaloo does after a day in the sun. Admit a bit of lighting and hand rails would make things better. Maybe some sanitizer in each cube. Some urinals in the campsites would help.

[PassingCloud]

The lack of urinals was ridiculous, but the toilets weren’t that bad! Female friends thought the same. It’s a festival, not The Ritz. 

[Memory Man]

Theres a few massive over reactions here, if they are even serious posts

its a festival

yes to more urinals but beyond that they were honestly not that bad

[killyourtv]

Mrs KYTV just said they were OK once you learnt not to look, smelt OK and were actually cleaner inside (less cleaning liquids etc). 

[ljsawyer]

I could never contemplate skipping an event as magical as EOTR just because of some dirty toilets, but to each their own I guess.

[jplewes]

Fair enough people didn't like them and might have had different experiences, but I thought they were better than last year tbh and didn't have any problems (and yes I'm a man, but no one in our party did either). 

They obviously used to be a lot better but comparatively to other festivals I think they were fine. 

Edited September 5, 2023 by jplewes

[paulwa]

I posted a congratulatory comment about this year's event to Simon on Instagram and also asked him to listen to people's comments about the loos. He responded that he would.

Edited September 5, 2023 by paulwa

[The Nal]

They were pitch black at night, no lights in them. 😬

On Saturday morning some of them were full, peaks of human sh*t visibly rising above the toilet seat level. A couple of squatters missed the bowl too. There was a huge Barry White beside the seat in one of them at the entrance from the camping to the Woods for all of Saturday. Door wide open, a 3 inch high stool. 

Every toilet had a noticeable permo glisten of blokes piss under and around the seat due to the lack of urinals. Been to 15 odd Glastos, 5 EOTRs and a load of other festivals but this is 2023. Was fine for me. I found the flushing toilets behind the Cider Bus I used once a day for a plopsie and made the extra effort to walk to one of the two urinals. but for women, sitting down in them maybe 7, 8, 9, 10 times a day, urgh. 

Talked to a load of people over the weekend who were avoiding drinking at night (water and booze) so they didn't have to use them after dark. 15,000 people. 10k blokes maybe? Two small urinals. Two! 

And thats even not to mention people with mobility issues etc. 

A bizarre misstep from the festival.

[KevRP]

1 hour ago, paulwa said:

I posted a congratulatory comment about this year's event to Simon on Instagram and also asked him to listen to people's comments about the loos. He responded that he would.

To be fair it's a relatively simple fix, more urinals for the blokes and some dedicated, female only loo's 

[paulwa]

1 minute ago, KevRP said:

To be fair it's a relatively simple fix, more urinals for the blokes and some dedicated, female only loo's 

I agree. There always were more urinals than this year. Not sure they would take the female only loo option though, in case of trans issues.

[LowerMead]

18 hours ago, benali said:

I don't agree.

Festival toilets in the 90's were grim. My experience of these at EOTR and GM was that they were fine.

They obviously aren't in the pristine realms of Andy Loos but I didn't encounter any issues.

At festivals in the 90s you didn't drop the best part of 700 quid on tickets (two adults, a kid and a campervan). 

Simon needs to realise that he's charging people a fair old bunce so should provide some decent services, like EOTR used to do very well.  You may not have encountered any issues but you're probably a healthy adult male, not a woman (with period or fashion challenges - they were hardly outfit friendly, unless you like your clothes covered in piss), a child or someone with mobility issues. 

As was mentioned further up the thread, the staff and performer bogs were not composters - ask yourself why? 

For clarity I have no problem with composting loos per se, or looking at the contents, it's just that the design of the stalls is abysmal from a usage perspective. 

Edited September 5, 2023 by LowerMead

[5co77ie]

i think a lot of people are in for a shock as e head to net zero - and a pollution free world

 

[jplewes]

Did they get the same criticism at Green Man? I'd agree with the fix above anyway but never experienced anything quite as dramatic as some of the above!

[robith]

As I got there on Friday, seeing some of this stuff before I got there I was expecting the wild west.

It was actually fine on the whole though. Some design issues particularly for women and people with mobility struggles. but a massive improvement imo on the previous two years which were properly wretched

[wolfamongwolves]

I'm a relatively fit healthy male, no problems for me at all 

But even I could see if you're female , children or have mobility issues it was pretty dire

3 steep steps,  Slippy, no light in there , no hooks to hang your bag 

 

 

[5co77ie]

“The Committee on Climate Change estimates that around two-thirds of the emissions reductions we have to achieve in the UK are going to require some kind of change in how people live. There’s a huge opportunity here to role-model these shifts in our own (event) spaces – influencing and nudging people."

- Chiara Badiali, knowledge and sector intelligence lead at sustainable events consultancy Julie’s Bicycle

 

Dorset County Council - Green Charter and Ecological Emergency Strategy

 

https://moderngov.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/documents/s29602/Appendix A - Draft Dorset Council Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy - Progress report - Spri.pdf

 

Low Carbon Dorset guidance for businesses https://www.lowcarbondorset.org.uk/guide-to-reducing-emissions/

Julie's Bicycle (sustainable events consultancy) - https://juliesbicycle.com/

Meegan Jones, Sustainable Event Management: A Practical Guide - https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315439723/sustainable-event-management-meegan-jones

 

ISO 20121 offers guidance and best practice to help control an event’s environmental impact – in everything from plastic cups and compatible toilets to the use of public transport. It addresses all stages of an event’s supply chain, and includes monitoring and measuring guidelines, KPIs, purchasing choices, circularity and climate impact. Julie’s Bicycle, meanwhile, offers its own free resources for water and waste management, as well as a carbon calculator.  

In addition to Scope 3, ESOS and SECR reporting.

 

Festival goers should be aware the kind of festivals you may have become used to are not what you can expect in the coming years.

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by 5co77ie

[5co77ie]

7 minutes ago, wolfamongwolves said:

I'm a relatively fit healthy male, no problems for me at all 

But even I could see if you're female , children or have mobility issues it was pretty dire

3 steep steps,  Slippy, no light in there , no hooks to hang your bag 

 

 

agree - i do think they need some work in design - hooks are expected - perhaps lower front to ensure everyone sits down, the steps is a harder issue to solve with the need for the seat to be over the collectors. I'd add lighting in the roof is also something even permaculture events have.

Edited September 5, 2023 by 5co77ie

[lloydey]

Green Man had the Peequal female urinals ( amazing 🤩, no sheepee needed ) more male urinals and lighting which mitigated a lot of these issues. 
Compost toilets fine but the design of these is not fit for purpose for a lot of users

[wolfamongwolves]

9 minutes ago, 5co77ie said:

agree - i do think they need some work in design - hooks are expected - perhaps lower front to ensure everyone sits down, the steps is a harder issue to solve with the need for the seat to be over the collectors. I'd add lighting in the roof is also something even permaculture events have.

Absolutely 

Also I don't drink alcohol, but if you like a drink that's quite the task getting up and down those Slippy steps. 

Edited September 5, 2023 by wolfamongwolves