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Festival-goers help in cleaning up the venue at the end of Glastonbury, on June 27, 2022. (Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN via Getty Images)

Glastonbury is over, but the big cleanup has just begun. Collecting waste abandoned by festival-goers has taken between four and six weeks in previous years.

Now, a new survey has revealed the items people are most likely to leave behind, lose or break at festivals, despite 81% of people saying they think festivals generate too much waste, and 89% claiming they want to be more responsible.

Over half (58%) of those surveyed by giffgaff said they have left, lost or broken something at a festival before. The most common items are:

The findings also show that waste isn't confined to what's left behind on the site, with 79% of festival-goers buying new items ahead of the festival season. New outfits and wellies come top of the 'must have' list, with 49% and 41% respectively making the purchases. Around one in three (30%) buy a new tent and 15% also pick up a spare phone.

But festival organisers say they're doing their bit to encourage environmentally-friendly habits. Glastonbury has launched the Love Worthy Farm, Leave No Trace campaign, for example, urging ticket holders not to pack anything they won't be taking home with them again.

"There are now 15,000 very well signposted and beautifully painted bins (colour-coded for recycled and other rubbish) virtually everywhere on site for your rubbish," the festival organisers say on their website.

"As you enter the site, stewards will hand you a green bag for recyclables and a clear bag for general waste - please help us look after the land by correctly filling them up as you go!"

In 2019 - the last pre-pandemic festival - organiser Emily Eavis said on Instagram that "93.3% of all tents were taken home", calling it a "massive improvement" on previous years.

Waste left by festival goers waiting to be cleared at Worthy Farm on the Monday after Glastonbury Festival. (Photo: Ben Birchall via PA Wire/PA Images)

The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), a membership body for 60 independent festivals including Boardmasters, Boomtown and Kendal Calling, previously called on people to take their tents home with them.

The AIF said it wants to reduce the estimated 250,000 tents that are left at music festivals across the UK every year - most of which aren't collected by charities and can't be recycled, meaning they end up in landfill.

The average tent weighs 3.5kg and is mostly made of plastic - the equivalent of 8,750 straws or 250 pint cups, the AIF said.

In 2021, photos showed the mass waste left behind by revellers at Reading Festival. After seeing the images, Clean Up Britain founder John Read said: "Leaving behind tents seems like self-indulgent, first world and lazy behaviour."

Abandoned tents at the Reading Festival campsite after the event in August 2021. (Photo: Matthew Childs via Reuters)

He continued: "All of us must become more aware of the need to protect and cherish the environment. Dumping perfectly good tents runs contrary to this. Festival organisers need to get more socially responsible too, and insist on festival goers taking tents home with them.

"Some sort of deposit return scheme is required, but they have been very slow to act on this."

Charities such as New Beginnings in Reading collect some of the abandoned tents and donate them to the homeless community, according to Berkshire Live.

Lily Robbins, the Reading festival's sustainability manager, said: "We have loads of different teams working together this year to actually get the site back to what it was looking like before we arrived.

She added the clear up "always takes time, because we want to do it properly".
This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.
Related...

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6 Things People Leave Behind At Festivals (And Really, Really Shouldn't)

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Festival-goers help in cleaning up the venue at the end of Glastonbury, on June 27, 2022. (Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN via Getty Images) Glastonbury is over, but the big cleanup has just begun. Collecting waste abandoned by festival-goers has taken between four and six weeks in previous years.

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I particularly liked this one as it has a tick list.

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Festival Checklist | What to take to a festival | GO Outdoors

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This has some really useful information maybe it could be used in the multimedia resource.

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Did you know that one festival can generate more than 6 pounds of waste per person? At first glance, this figure may seem shocking, almost unbelievable. After all, it is a much higher figure than the waste produced at your home or workplace.

However, this figure is very real. The total amount of waste produced at the average music festival is estimated as over 23,500 tons!

You may wonder then, where does all the trash go when all is said and done? Well, if you're the one planning the event, you'll make that decision! Yes, you can have your fun working out details on venues, promotional activities, decor, and more. However, you must not forget to work out a plan for efficient waste disposal during events while you're at it!

If you're unsure where to start, worry not. This article brings you all the pro tips you need on effective waste disposal to up your event management game!

Best Practices for Proper Disposal of Event Waste

When organising an event, make it your priority to come up with an effective waste management plan. For starters, this an excellent way to safeguard the environment.

However, it also has a personal benefit. Prior planning prevents you from feeling overwhelmed when it's finally time to deal with the waste. Here are a few helpful waste disposal strategies for you to implement!

Label Bins Clearly

Merely strewing your event with waste bins isn't enough. Equally important is ensuring your attendees know just how to identify them to dispose of their waste properly.

Most events tend to have several kinds of bins around, from recycling bins to trash cans. As such, it is your responsibility to make the bins easy to distinguish. That way, people will know just where their trash is supposed to go.

Here's where bold labelling comes into play. One of the easiest ways to differentiate trash cans is to colour-code them.

Another good idea is to pin a list of recyclable and non-recyclable materials near or on the respective bins. Such signs will help those relatively unfamiliar with recycling practice proper disposal of waste at your event and in the future!

What's more, these labels will make disposal of the waste post the event that much easier!

Make Trash Cans Easy to Find

Perhaps even more important than making bins easily identifiable is making them easy to locate. After all, most event-goers will not be in the mood to search for trash cans. If they don't find one, they're more likely to dump their waste on the ground!

That's a huge no-no if you're looking to organise a sustainable event. As such, the golden rule to effective waste management at any event is appropriate garbage can placement. Ensure waste bins are evenly spaced at frequent locations throughout the venue. One within every 50 feet is a good rule of thumb.

Also, try to position trash cans where their requirement is greater. Food vendors, restrooms, and exits fall in this category.

Remember, it is important to place all types of bins at the same spot. Unfortunately, people tend to be lazy. So even if a bin is for recyclable waste, they will throw non-recyclable trash into it if they don't see another bin around.

The easier you make disposal for attendees, the easier waste pickup becomes for staff in the future. Not to mention, this will ensure your event looks seamless throughout its duration!

Consider drawing a map of where you intend to place your waste bins. That way, you will be gauge just how many you'll be needing for the event. While you're at it, find out whether the venue themselves will provide any, and if so, ask for a figure.

Rely on a Garbage Bin Monitor

If you're planning a large event or one that will last several days, consider investing in a waste bin monitor. These monitors can detect the content going into a bin at any point in time.

As such, these monitors are capable of identifying when a trash can is almost full. What's more, they can even sense when wrong materials have been dumped into the bin! Others even record when trash cans are emptied. This, in turn, makes it easier for you to check that your employees are actually doing their jobs.

Other benefits that come with bin monitors are the elimination of overflow and easy material sorting. All in all, this is one investment that will make your life a whole lot easier immediately!

Simplify Waste Collection

While you're focused on rubbish disposal during the event, don't forget about what's to come after. Yes, most important of all is the method of disposal of the event waste.

So first thing's first, try to make it as easy as possible for the person responsible to collect the waste. The easiest way to do this is to fix a waste collection point. This point serves as the spot for emptying the trash cans.

As such, this collection point would be a good place to set up your main dumpsters.

After that, try to help out the trash can collector by identifying the simplest route they can use. Ideally, this route should pass by every bin around the venue before reaching the dumpster.

A bit of planning here will go a long way. For one, you will avoid forgetting bins. What's more, you'll also end up saving a ton of time throughout the process!

Set Up an Organic Waste Bin for Food Vendors

Organic bins are non-negotiable if you want your event to be environment-friendly. These waste cans are exclusively for the collection of biodegradable and compostable materials.

Naturally then, setting them up for food vendors, assuming you have some at your event, is a smart move. You could even choose to include them in your set of waste and recycling bins for larger events.

Avoid Incorporating Single-Use Plastic

Plastic is one of the leading culprits behind the large amounts of waste generated at events. So make it your event management rule to do away with things you don't need. For those you do need, do your best to ensure they're as green as can be!

Also, don't forget about materials that can be reused or recycled! Items like lanyards, display stands, badges, and so on are easily reusable, provided you avoid making them event-specific. If that's not possible, compromise by making some sections interchangeable!

Certain items like merchandise, water, or snacks tend to come individually wrapped and are unavoidable. In these cases, the least you can do is recycle the wrapping yourself to ensure proper waste management.

Now, let's talk about plastic water bottles-the most common forms of waste at events. Well, there a couple of things you could do to avoid using them. For one, you could install water dispensers or fountains with glasses around the venue.

Or, you could encourage attendees to bring their own reusable bottles or provide some for sale yourself. Either way, eliminating plastic is one of the easiest ways to reduce the waste generated. This, in turn, makes managing waste that much simpler!

Utilise Sustainable and Well-Sourced Resources

Likely you want your event to represent who you are and what you do. However, to do that, you don't need to compromise on sustainable, well-sourced, or reusable resources!

Consider opting for eco-friendly choices like recycled paper, chlorine-free paper, and so on for your printing needs. From hard copy literature to banners and posters, these materials are ideal to print whatever you need!

Also, you can up the designs of your stands to make them reusable instead of single-use. What's more, using the right processes to build your stands can significantly reduce the generation of harmful fumes or toxins.

Another good idea is to rent or borrow any equipment required. Whether you choose to hire the equipment from a third party or the venue itself, renting and borrowing can significantly reduce waste.

It also eliminates transportation emissions from carrying the items to and from events. Naturally then, it will save you a fortune on costs as well!

Cut Down on Paper Usage

Let's be honest-this one is easier said than done. After all, certain marketing materials like leaflets, brochures, and so on are ones you can't do without. That said, a few sneaky tricks could help you cut down on the amount of waste paper tends to generate.

For instance, you could opt to hand out attendee packs upon arrival instead of days in advance to eliminate duplication. Also, consider formatting pages to be double-sided to reduce the total amount you need!

Keep handouts handy, but provide them only when necessary. Last but not least, try to set up a laptop and printer to provide materials as and when needed! That way, you can avoid stacking up on tons of paper that may eventually go to waste.

Wrap Up

Waste management, especially at larger events, can seem a little challenging. However, a few simple tweaks to your overall plan should more than suffice to dispose of the trash effectively.

Apart from the points mentioned in this article, another important strategy to implement is to hire the right dumpster service. A reliable service can go a long way in making an event coordinator's job quicker and more efficient. After all, they provide not only the right kind of dumpster as per your needs but however many you require!

With these tips in mind, you will be on your way to planning events that will create an impression for years to come!
Summary
While many recognise events for the fun and festivities they bring, only a few realise the environmental detriment they cause. Yes, on average, a single music festival is capable of generating nearly 23,500 tons of waste. A figure that is alarming, to say the least.

Aware as we are of our planet's dire condition, it is up to us to do what we can to save it. Event planners, in particular, are in a position where calling the right shots can make all the difference. A simple tweak like printing your flyers on recycled paper has a more significant impact than you might realise.

However, the benefits of effective waste management during events don't end with the environment. They also have a positive influence on businesses in terms of costs and their bottom line.

Simultaneously, sustainable event waste management sends forth a positive message about a business and its practices. After all, a business that practices efficient rubbish disposal saves from the $45-105 spent per ton on sending waste to landfills.

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Best Practices for Efficient Waste Disposal During Events | Mobile Skips®

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Did you know that one festival can generate more than 6 pounds of waste per person? At first glance, this figure may seem shocking, almost unbelievable. After all, it is a much higher figure than the waste produced at your home or workplace. However, this figure is very real.

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I found this what do you think?

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We all have a part to play in saving our planet from the ongoing and increasing dangers of climate change. Our guide explores the key steps that festival organisers can take to make future festivals greener, as well as providing actionable advice from sustainable organisations, a directory of suppliers and organisations, and a selection of case studies to take inspiration from.

After reading this guide, organisers should be equipped to consider quick and easy sustainable initiatives to make their festival greener - it could be as simple as providing more water stations or having a designated car park closer to the site for car-sharing attendees - as well as the larger-scale projects that green festivals around the UK and Ireland have already adopted.

The most important thing to know is this - no matter how small the change, it will have a positive impact.

Enter your details to download the guide and take the first step towards making your festival greener!

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Sustainability 101: The Guide To A Greener Festival

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We all have a part to play in saving our planet from the ongoing and increasing dangers of climate change. Our guide explores the key steps that festival organisers can take to make future festivals greener, as well as providing actionable advice from sustainable organisations, a directory of suppliers and organisations, and a selection of case studies to take inspiration from.

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The ‘please don’t bring’ list Gazebos – they take up valuable tent space. Excess alcohol – only food and alcohol for personal consumption can be brought onsite. Excess packaging – if you purchase something new for the festival, remove packaging at home. Non-biodegradable body glitter – biodegradable glitter can be bought from traders onsite. Disposable wipes – try a washcloth and bar of soap instead.

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The ‘please don’t bring’ list Gazebos – they take up valuable tent space. Excess alcohol – only food and alcohol for personal consumption can be brought onsite. Excess packaging – if you purchase something new for the festival, remove packaging at home. Non-biodegradable body glitter – biodegradable glitter can be bought from traders onsite. Disposable wipes – try a washcloth and bar of soap instead.

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As well as not bringing more than you will need for the five days on site, there are also a few items on the banned list. Being found with certain items could lead to their confiscation and your removal from the festival so make sure you are up to speed on this year’s banned items

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As well as not bringing more than you will need for the five days on site, there are also a few items on the banned list. Being found with certain items could lead to their confiscation and your removal from the festival so make sure you are up to speed on this year’s banned items

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When you arrive, security will check your car and your bags for contraband, and you'll then need to carry your belongings a long way to a camping spot so bringing only the essentials will make the whole arrival process a lot easier and quicker.

In recent years, some festival-goers have taken to covering bags with plastic wrap, however this will all need to be taken off for the searches so, to save time and waste, event organisers recommend not putting it on in the first place.

READ MORE: Charge your mobile at Glastonbury Festival 2022 - here's how

READ MORE: Glastonbury 2022 line-up - George Ezra and Chemical Brothers could play secret sets

READ MORE: Glastonbury Festival fans' guide on where to eat - including Ab Fab's Julia Sawalha's tip

Items you can't take to Glastonbury Festival 2022

Please don't bring gazebos to #Glastonbury2022. They take up valuable space & often get left. People may be politely asked to take them down to free up space. Also please don't put tape around your camps, it makes it harder for others to get through and creates unnecessary waste. pic.twitter.com/meSzIZhcau
- Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) June 16, 2022

As well as not bringing more than you will need for the five days on site, there are also a few items on the banned list.

Being found with certain items could lead to their confiscation and your removal from the festival so make sure you are up to speed on this year's banned items.

The 'please don't bring' list

Gazebos - they take up valuable tent space.

Excess alcohol - only food and alcohol for personal consumption can be brought onsite.

Excess packaging - if you purchase something new for the festival, remove packaging at home.

Non-biodegradable body glitter - biodegradable glitter can be bought from traders onsite.

Disposable wipes - try a washcloth and bar of soap instead.

The banned list

During searches on entry to the festival, any items that may be used in an illegal or offensive manner will be confiscated.

In addition to this, anyone suspected of carrying out illegal or offensive activities onsite may also be searched and face eviction.

Prohibited items:

Anything made of glass (this includes perfume and mirrors)

Portable laser equipment and pens

Animals (except registered guide dogs)

Sound systems or drums

Generators

Sky lanterns or kites, unauthorised fireworks, or wax flares (anyone using fireworks will be evicted)

Nitrous oxide (laughing gas)

Unauthorised tape recorders, professional film or video equipment (cameras for personal use are welcome)

Flying or filming with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones)

Glastonbury Festival 2022 packing advice

If you are coming to #Glastonbury2022, please remember to only bring camping equipment that you can take home again to reuse.

In 2019, 99.3% of all tents were taken home. Let's see if we can beat that this year! Love the farm, leave no trace. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/Cwl4RKBQ9c
- Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) June 19, 2022

Along with detailing the items you can't bring along to Glastonbury 2022, the festival also has some advice on what you should bring.

While certain camping gear is available on site, it's better to arrive with the essentials and make sure they are good quality so they can be packed up, taken home and used again.

Opting for reusable items will not only save you money but is also better for the planet.

What to pack for Glastonbury 2022 checklist

Festival ticket

Reusable water bottle

Sturdy tent

Sleeping bag

Roll mat

Wellies or sturdy boots

Toilet roll

A warm jumper

Suntan lotion

Waterproof coat

Toiletries

Enough changes of clothes in case you get wet

Money and cards (some bars and traders will accept cards while others will only take cash)

Medical info (if applicable)

Medication if required

Torch

ID (original ID documents (not photocopies) are needed for: Hospitality tickets, Challenge 21, Lead Booker for coach packages, Sunday tickets)

Hat

Bags for dirty clothes and rubbish

Contraceptives

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Glastonbury Festival 2022 prohibited items - what you can and can't take on site

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When you arrive, security will check your car and your bags for contraband, and you'll then need to carry your belongings a long way to a camping spot so bringing only the essentials will make the whole arrival process a lot easier and quicker.

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Reading festival final day marred by violence and tent burning

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Videos show several tents set on fire on Sunday, and police say about 50 people ejected from site after disorder

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Thousands of tents and sleeping bags were abandoned at the festival's campsites but a huge salvage operation will ensure items go to those most in need, while music lovers' unopened food will help feed hungry families for weeks. 

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Thousands of tents and sleeping bags were abandoned at the festival's campsites but a huge salvage operation will ensure items go to those most in need, while music lovers' unopened food will help feed hungry families for weeks. 

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Rubbish left behind at Reading Festival will be used to help rough sleepers and hungry families.

Thousands of tents and sleeping bags were abandoned at the festival's campsites but a huge salvage operation will ensure items go to those most in need, while music lovers' unopened food will help feed hungry families for weeks.

Shocking aerial photos show the scale of the clean up after the three-day music festival.
READ MORE: Positive lateral flow tests found littered outside Reading Festival site
One homeless charity has revealed that despite thousands of the tents being abandoned, it took fewer tents this year.

Grace Gomez, of Reading charity New Beginnings, and her team took around 300 leftover tents after 2019's event to hand out to people sleeping on the town's streets.

But she said the coronavirus pandemic had led to a huge drop in demand over the last 18 months.

Rough sleepers in Reading were housed in hotels and bed and breakfasts during the pandemic, to help keep them safe and at the same time, New Beginnings' had to close its overnight shelter.

Grace said: "The clear up is organised by another charity and we asked them to get us 30/40 tents.

"We've actually got a lot of tents and sleeping bags left over from 2019.

"The combination of closing and rough sleepers being taken off the streets as part of the government's "Everybody In" scheme, it meant there was far less demand. This means we've got a lot left over.

"We're already seeing demand start to increase though."

The homeless shelter, at the former Queen's Head pub in Great Knollys Street, was closed for nearly 18 months as people were not allowed to share rooms, it has only recently reopened after restrictions were eased earlier this summer.

The government's support for the homeless has also ended and Grace said the charity was now seeing the number of rough sleepers in Reading on the rise again.

She added: "What I'm concerned about is the end of the ban on evictions.

"The courts are going again and we're expecting a rise of people who get kicked out of their houses."

She said the festival does give the charity a great opportunity in another area.

She said: "We're always able to salvage a lot of unopened food.

"People bring stuff to eat and then never even open it.

"They just leave it and a lot of the time our team are able to take it and use it in our food bank."

The clean up operation takes around three days after the end of the festival.

Grace said while charities like hers make use of what they can, there just isn't the time to go through all of it. She said anything that's damaged, or that has parts missing, tends to go into landfill.

Lily Robbins, the festival's sustainability manager, told the BBC: "We have loads of different teams working together this year to actually get the site back to what it was looking like before we arrived.

She added the clear up "always takes time, because we want to do it properly".

But she added: "Unfortunately, tents are one of the worst things to try and recycle,"
Do you want the latest news from across Berkshire delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here.
BerkshireLive spoke to security staff at the site who said they'd found a range of items like used condoms, women's underwear and even half a set of false teeth at the event.

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Reading Festival rubbish to help homeless and hungry families

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Rubbish left behind at Reading Festival will be used to help rough sleepers and hungry families. Thousands of tents and sleeping bags were abandoned at the festival's campsites but a huge salvage operation will ensure items go to those most in need, while music lovers' unopened food will help feed hungry families for weeks.

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Festivals have traditionally struggled to get revelers to take all their belongings off site and put rubbish in the correct bins despite the environmental impact of the waste. There is a mistaken belief among festival goers that if they leave their tents they will be donated to charity

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Festivals have traditionally struggled to get revelers to take all their belongings off site and put rubbish in the correct bins despite the environmental impact of the waste. There is a mistaken belief among festival goers that if they leave their tents they will be donated to charity

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Drone footage reveals tents, rubbish left behind at Reading Festival

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Festivals have traditionally struggled to get revellers to take all their belongings off site