For more information, check out our Frequently Asked Questions

Critical Waste manages the Recycling Crew for Glastonbury Festival.
You do NOT need to register for tickets on the main Glastonbury Festival website - you do need to register and apply on this web site. Read the information below to find out how...

How does it work?
We will send you an email which asks you to register on this site. New applicants must be recommended by a current member of The Recycling Crew.
You receive notification by email if your initial application has been successful.
Log in to this site and complete the form. You will be required to upload evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

If your application for a place on The Recycling Crew is successful we will send you a confirmation , however this may take a few weeks. If you do not hear from us you have been unsuccessful.
You will be required to make a security payment which is refunded after the festival once you have completed your shifts.

• If you are in your first or second year of volunteering with The Recycling Crew your security payment will be £380.00.
• If you are in your third or more year of volunteering with The Recycling Crew your security payment will be £75.00.
• If you miss a year of volunteering you will return square-one.
• If you choose to donate to one of the charities who volunteer with us the amount you select will be deducted from your security payment and we will refund you the remaining amount.
• Details of how to pay will be sent to you by email once you have filled in all details on the form. Your application is NOT complete until you have paid. Once we receive your security payment you will be emailed final confirmation of your place.

You will receive details about your shifts as soon as possible – we are aiming for February.
In early June you will receive a Letter of Confirmation; you must bring this letter to site with you. For information on what else to bring see Packing List section and on how to get here see Travel Info section.
Please note: you are required to register with The Recycling Crew once onsite and attend an essential briefing before you start your first shift. Any queries regarding your shifts should be directed to us by email before the festival, then to Tom’s Field Office once you are on site.
Pease Note: Tickets are not posted to you. You will collect your Worker’s Pass at our Accreditation Cabin’s at either Pedestrian Gate A or Pedestrian Gate B (instructions will be given to you nearer the festival).

To qualify for a refund of your security payment you will need to give a total of between 20 and 32 hours of your time, but most of our volunteers work for 24 hours. For most volunteers this involves working 6 hours a day for 4 days. Remember: you must be on-site the day before your shifts start, at the latest, to register.

We EXPECT genuine volunteers to complete all the shifts they have agreed to, the security payment will not be refunded if this is not the case.

Once you have completed all the shifts you agreed to, refunds will be sent by bank transfer approximately 3-6 weeks after the festival. Make sure you have followed the instructions on the Security Payment page to enable the refund to go through smoothly. If you have not received your refund by early August please contact us at email us.

Due to the large numbers in the Recycling Crew it is not possible for you to choose your shifts. However, on the application form you can select your preferences and we will do our best to accommodate them. We provide Team descriptions to help you make your choices.

Facilities for volunteers
-Two free meals for every day you work , three if you work before or after the festival.
-Access to a crew camping area with hot showers and toilets. Please remember to bring your own tent. Crew camping areas are for tents only - caravans, camper vans and cars are not permitted.
-Free tea and coffee at all times.


-You will be provided with specialist protective gloves, however you must bring your own protective clothing (old clothes) and sturdy footwear. Steel toe-capped shoes or boots are the ideal footwear and they are essential if you're working on the tractors – please do not wear trainers. Litter picks are only to be used as a mobility aid by those with significant mobility issues.

-A free car parking pass if required. If you are driving to the festival you will need to request a car parking pass from us on your application form. These are limited in number so please try to carpool and ensure only one driver requests a pass.

Please note: It is a condition of Glastonbury Festival’s licence that animals are not allowed on the festival site.

Family and friends
Family and friends who are not part of the Recycling Crew will have to camp in the public camping areas. You can camp with them if you wish, but we suggest you don’t camp too far from Tom’s Field due to shift meet-ups and catering. You cannot pitch your tent in the festival until the gates open to the public on Wednesday.

If you have children they can stay with you in Crew Camping, but you must arrange care for them whilst you work as you cannot take them with you nor leave them unsupervised. Children up to 12 at time of festival come on site for free but will need proof of age. Children aged 13 or over will require a ticket. You will need to obtain this in the general sale.

If you withdraw up to and including  Sunday 22nd June 2025 or fail to collect your Worker’s pass between Sunday 22nd to Friday 27th June 2025, you will be charged a £50 admin fee and refunded the remainder of your security payment. Any charity donation committed to at the application stage will be honoured. 

Glastonbury Festival depends upon volunteers for this vital work over the festival period, so please be sure that you are committed to volunteering with The Recycling Crew before submitting your application. Everyone who completes their shifts without any problems will be invited back the following year, and good workers will always be welcome to join us in the future.

Don't Forget
The vast majority of Recycling Crew volunteers complete their work and have an amazing time at the greatest festival on the planet. Some also choose to donate part of their security payment to one of the many charities who volunteer with us – this can easily be done when you complete your application form.

HAVE A GREAT TIME!

For more information, check out our Frequently Asked Questions