Chloe FrenchAfter attending many different festivals over the years, it has recently occurred to me that no matter where in the world you travel to for your annual festival fix, one thing will always remain the same. That is the absolute carnage we walk away from as we’re trailing our bags away from the campsite and towards our first hot bath in days. Our bags feeling considerably lighter than the ones we struggled with when we arrived.
Festival goers have a terrible habbit of ditching their cheap tents once the festival has finished. Not one festival is immune from the tent discarding problem, making it one of the biggest environmental issues facing festival organisers today. It’s alarming how readily people just walk away from the campsite leaving everything behind without a thought of how it will be disposed of, which is at best thought provoking and at worst an environmental disaster.
It’s time we took more care of our environment and gave some thought to the poor people who are left with the job of attempting to clean up our mess.
Here’s some steps we can take to ensure we take care of our environment as much as possible whilst embracing the festival season.
Firstly take the time to pack your tent up before you leave. Even if you don’t think it’s in good enough shape to re-use, you can always dispose of it properly once you return home.
If you really don’t fancy trailing it all the way home with you, then donate it to charity. Almost every festival will have a donation point where you can donate any unwanted pillows, tents, sleeping bags and blankets to homeless people. Many of these items go to refugees in third world countries and families who have lost their homes in natural disasters.
Secondly, KEEP IT CLEAN ! If you’re bringing in reusable plates, cups and silverware that is fantastic, but remember to wash those dishes with biodegradable soaps. You wouldn’t want to cancel out your green camping cutlery by using toxic dish detergent. And remember, waste water should be directed or emptied onto dry ground or vegetation – not into a stream or river.
Lastly, have a tidy up before you say goodbye to your area. There’s no harm in getting a bin bag and putting your empty beer cans in there along with any other waste around your tent which will certainly be piled high by the end of the weekend. Why not save waste by buying biodegradable tissues and toiletries ?
It may seem like common sense but it’s surprising what a difference we can make just by following some very simple steps. So before you head off for your long weekend of fun, friends and brilliant live music, take a moment to think of the after effects on our environment