Free music festival puts green steps centre stage

Those behind the free festival will be putting an emphasis on environmentally-friendly measures such as recycling and using alternative energy sources.

Sarah Nulty, one of Tramlines' co-founders and its first sustainability director, said: "All the best outdoor festivals have adopted a green approach – they have to as they tend to be on farm land where the impact is very obvious.

"For Tramlines we want to see Sheffield city centre become as close to a greenfield site as we can.

"We've got a whole range of initiatives from sustainable travel options, extra recycling facilities, cheap overnight stays, an emphasis on local suppliers and much more.

"At Tramlines 2010 you'll feel as if you could almost be on a greenfield site – give or take the toilets and the showers."

Top of the environmentally-friendly attractions at Tramlines will be the "Sheffield Is My Planet" solar-powered headphone disco, which will run in Devonshire Green on the second and third days of the festival.

Last year more than 400 litres of paper, 2,080 litres of plastic and 560 litres of aluminium were recycled from the outdoor element of the festival alone – in addition to what each of the 35 venues recycled.

Ms Nulty added: "We have tried to consider everything, from the minute the festival-goer leaves their front door until they return home.

"Our first and most important aim is to encourage people to use sustainable transport. It's going to be a busy festival and, like all good festivals, the less cars there are on site the better."

Tramlines, which will be headlined by Echo and the Bunnymen, Mystery Jets and Craig David, runs from Friday, July 23 until Sunday, July 25.