There's No Excuse for Leaving Festival Grounds Trashed Like This
It is wasteful to leave behind your tents, trash, and Tevas after a weekend of partying.
Music festivals are a place to let loose, have fun, and feel free. But when the sun rises and the weekend ends, the escapism comes to a close. You've got to head back to work, back to routine. But for some people—a lot of people based on the visual evidence—the return to responsibility comes after one final "F" you to the concept of consideration. Even though it is one of the earliest responsibilities we learn in life, festivalgoers seem to totally forget to clean up after themselves.
In photos and videos from recent festivals all over the world, there are endless miles of festival trash. People leave behind wrappers, food waste, abandoned tents, clothes, shoes, blankets, pillows, air mattresses, chairs, and toilet paper. Every few feet there are heaps of garbage, leaving a pretty unimaginable volume of work for volunteers to clean up afterwards.
The issue of festival trash is nothing new—it is one of the biggest problems that music festivals face. According to a 2019 BBC report, major music festivals like Coachella and Stagecoach produce 100 tons of trash per day. Music festival organizers have deployed numerous strategies to reduce the amount of waste generated by their events, and utilize cleaning companies and volunteers to deal with all the garbage left behind.
But part of the problem is that people are not taking out what they bring in, especially for camping festivals. And, listen, I understand the exhaustion that comes with three or four days of partying under the summer sun. But leaving behind your garbage in such a disgusting manner, including items that could be donated and used by others, is just gross and inconsiderate.
So please, I beg you: follow the trash protocols at music festivals for waste, and take everything else with you. Pack up those tents, coolers, and chairs—and if you don't have a need for them, clean it up and donate it or sell it on Facebook marketplace. Anything is better than leaving those goods to end up in some landfill. Looking for places to donate your used festival supplies? You can donate your gear to organizations likes YAMM, Outside Online, or Green Guru, which all offer some version of drop-off and shipping nationwide. Outside Online even offers free shipping labels. Just make sure to check the requirements before you proceed.
And hey, when you consider packing those supplies you can head out on a new music festival adventure in the future.
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