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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/she-said/2014/jun/13/tens-of-thousands-of-tents-are-discarded-at-festivals-and-i-know-why
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| Tens of thousands of tents are discarded at festivals - and I know why | Tens of thousands of tents are discarded at festivals - and I know why |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Oh to have been a tent | Oh to have been a tent |
| manufacturer with a crystal ball in the 1970s. | manufacturer with a crystal ball in the 1970s. |
| Back then, camping was | Back then, camping was |
| in decline, due in part to holidays in the sun becoming cheaper and | in decline, due in part to holidays in the sun becoming cheaper and |
| more available. | more available. |
| But then the sun came | But then the sun came |
| out for the likes of Vango et al – not literally, of course, you | out for the likes of Vango et al – not literally, of course, you |
| understand. The rise and rise of the great British music festival | understand. The rise and rise of the great British music festival |
| over the last couple of decades has made owning a tent a | over the last couple of decades has made owning a tent a |
| pre-requisite for any under-30. Meanwhile, camping came back into | pre-requisite for any under-30. Meanwhile, camping came back into |
| fashion for the over-30s, who rediscovered a cheap and delightful way | fashion for the over-30s, who rediscovered a cheap and delightful way |
| to holiday with the kids. | to holiday with the kids. |
| Later this month Worthy | Later this month Worthy |
| Farm, near Glastonbury, will host 150,000 revellers, staff and | Farm, near Glastonbury, will host 150,000 revellers, staff and |
| performers. Latitude, in July, will entertain around 35,000: the Isle | performers. Latitude, in July, will entertain around 35,000: the Isle |
| of Wight this weekend will play host to about 55,000; | of Wight this weekend will play host to about 55,000; |
| that's an awful lot of party-goers and tents – and there are many | that's an awful lot of party-goers and tents – and there are many |
| more festivals happening all over the UK this summer. | more festivals happening all over the UK this summer. |
| Each year, tonnes of | Each year, tonnes of |
| rubbish are left at festival sites. A figure that includes thousands | rubbish are left at festival sites. A figure that includes thousands |
| upon thousands of tents. In one year alone at Glastonbury, 20,000 | upon thousands of tents. In one year alone at Glastonbury, 20,000 |
| tents were abandoned, according to Rob Kearle, the festival’s head | tents were abandoned, according to Rob Kearle, the festival’s head |
| of refuse and recycling. In an interview with recycling website, | of refuse and recycling. In an interview with recycling website, |
| Resource, Kearle says the festival tries to recycle what tents it | Resource, Kearle says the festival tries to recycle what tents it |
| can, however, many still end up in landfill. “Last year, a local | can, however, many still end up in landfill. “Last year, a local |
| woman collected about 1,000 to use to make clothes, and groups like | woman collected about 1,000 to use to make clothes, and groups like |
| the Boy Scouts and Air Cadets also get to pick through the | the Boy Scouts and Air Cadets also get to pick through the |
| leftovers,” says Kearle. | leftovers,” says Kearle. |
| Kearle lays the blame | Kearle lays the blame |
| for this figure at a throw-away mentality and a change in the | for this figure at a throw-away mentality and a change in the |
| demographic of festival-goers from the original green-minded hippies. | demographic of festival-goers from the original green-minded hippies. |
| However, I personally would like to add another reason, which is that | However, I personally would like to add another reason, which is that |
| the damn things are so difficult to pack up. | the damn things are so difficult to pack up. |
| I often go away with | I often go away with |
| the kids on my own, and I have noticed over the years that quite a | the kids on my own, and I have noticed over the years that quite a |
| lot of mums do the same thing. I have just enjoyed a couple of nights | lot of mums do the same thing. I have just enjoyed a couple of nights |
| on the south Devon coast with my daughter. Nearby a mum was camping | on the south Devon coast with my daughter. Nearby a mum was camping |
| with her two young children in one of those pop-up tents beloved of | with her two young children in one of those pop-up tents beloved of |
| festival-goers. | festival-goers. |
| I was interested to | I was interested to |
| witness her attempts to pack up with the hindrance of her toddler and | witness her attempts to pack up with the hindrance of her toddler and |
| a baby who had crawled off to chew on some grass. She worked hard and | a baby who had crawled off to chew on some grass. She worked hard and |
| long to get the tent to fold up – trying this way, then that, | long to get the tent to fold up – trying this way, then that, |
| bending it into contortions it was never designed to be bent into. | bending it into contortions it was never designed to be bent into. |
| Eventually she managed | Eventually she managed |
| to fold it into the required circle, but just then | |
| the baby headed off for pastures new – literally. Poor mum looked | the baby headed off for pastures new – literally. Poor mum looked |
| from the folded tent in her arms to the disappearing baby and with an | from the folded tent in her arms to the disappearing baby and with an |
| anguished howl let it go, whereupon it promptly pinged back into shape. | anguished howl let it go, whereupon it promptly pinged back into shape. |
| It was at this point | It was at this point |
| that I felt I should offer my services. It is possible you have been | that I felt I should offer my services. It is possible you have been |
| thinking that I should have done this earlier. However, it | thinking that I should have done this earlier. However, it |
| was 7am and I was in my jim-jams reading a Buddhism book on the | was 7am and I was in my jim-jams reading a Buddhism book on the |
| benefits of loving humanity and living in the present moment. Slowly, | benefits of loving humanity and living in the present moment. Slowly, |
| it occurred to me the moment had come to show my love for this | it occurred to me the moment had come to show my love for this |
| despairing human. | despairing human. |
| Mum grabbed baby and | Mum grabbed baby and |
| toddler and forcefully strapped them into the car, where they | toddler and forcefully strapped them into the car, where they |
| screamed in indignation. Then we both set to and wrestled with the | screamed in indignation. Then we both set to and wrestled with the |
| tent for a long time, hampered by mum's stress levels and my concern | tent for a long time, hampered by mum's stress levels and my concern |
| that the dubious elasticity of my pyjamas would not long survive this | that the dubious elasticity of my pyjamas would not long survive this |
| dance around a campsite with a pop-up tent. | dance around a campsite with a pop-up tent. |
| Once tamed it took as | Once tamed it took as |
| long to stuff the billowing folds of nylon into its absurdly | long to stuff the billowing folds of nylon into its absurdly |
| snug-fitting bag. "I'll have to do it again back home," said mum | snug-fitting bag. "I'll have to do it again back home," said mum |
| sadly once it was in the boot of her car. "It's wet on the bottom." I | sadly once it was in the boot of her car. "It's wet on the bottom." I |
| gazed at her with empathy; her children were still screaming, she | gazed at her with empathy; her children were still screaming, she |
| looked completely done in, a three-hour drive to the Midlands lay | looked completely done in, a three-hour drive to the Midlands lay |
| ahead of her and it was not yet 8am. | ahead of her and it was not yet 8am. |
| I vowed not to repeat | I vowed not to repeat |
| the same procedure when I left and stuffed our tent in the back of | the same procedure when I left and stuffed our tent in the back of |
| the car to be dealt with once home. I have unsuccessfully tried seven | the car to be dealt with once home. I have unsuccessfully tried seven |
| times since to fold it so it goes back into the bag from whence it | times since to fold it so it goes back into the bag from whence it |
| came. | came. |
| It appears to me that | It appears to me that |
| tent manufacturers seem to me to be overly focused on compact and | |
| lightweight tents that can be transported and put up easily but less | lightweight tents that can be transported and put up easily but less |
| concerned with how they get put away. Why, for instance, do the | concerned with how they get put away. Why, for instance, do the |
| sleeves they come in have to be quite so tight fitting? | sleeves they come in have to be quite so tight fitting? |
| They seem to be unaware | They seem to be unaware |
| that people may not be folding up tents in ideal conditions – that | that people may not be folding up tents in ideal conditions – that |
| it might be windy and wet for instance, or a woman might be camping on her own | it might be windy and wet for instance, or a woman might be camping on her own |
| with small children, or a hapless and hungover teenager could be trying to | with small children, or a hapless and hungover teenager could be trying to |
| deal with a sodden, mud-encrusted mass of nylon and bendy poles. | deal with a sodden, mud-encrusted mass of nylon and bendy poles. |
| I'm not up to the | I'm not up to the |
| maths, but if 20,000 tents were left at Glastonbury in one year – | maths, but if 20,000 tents were left at Glastonbury in one year – |
| what is the total for all the festivals in the UK every summer? | what is the total for all the festivals in the UK every summer? |
| Call me a cynic, but | Call me a cynic, but |
| replacement tents every festival season must be big business. | replacement tents every festival season must be big business. |
| Oh, for that crystal | Oh, for that crystal |
| ball. | ball. |