We've all seen the aftermath of a festival — glow sticks, wrappers, and abandoned gear scattered across the grounds. But some people are turning that messy reality into a conversation about reusing and repurposing festival waste.
A TikTok video shared by Paul Vile (@jellomanphilly), part of the self-declared "desolate trash team," shows himself driving around the site of the 2023 Electric Forest Festival and collecting leftover items discarded by festival-goers. "Lots of ground scores: E-Z Up bags, [and] I got some fruit snacks earlier," he says in the video.
@jellomanphilly Trash aftermath at Electric Forest #fyp #jelloman #jellomanphilly #paulvile #bestshow #electricforest #musicfestival #trash #edm #music #electronicmusic #cleanup #foryou ♬ original sound - PAUL VILE
The video, posted to Paul's over 11,500 followers, had over 40 comments discussing post-festival trash and what to do with it. Many viewers agree with the idea of repurposing leftover festival gear instead of letting it end up in landfills.
One commenter wrote, "People should take those tents and repurpose them—such a waste otherwise!"
The video highlights how we manage trash at large events and the potential for creative solutions to reduce waste. "Ground scoring" is a helpful way to manage usable trash, but one thing's clear — the conversation about festival waste is not reserved for festival goers but for festival throwers, too.
Music and arts festivals like Coachella are adopting sustainability measures to reduce their environmental impact. These include waste reduction programs, renewable energy sources, and eco-friendly partnerships.
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Coachella promotes recycling, composting, and reusable water bottles with refill stations. Glastonbury bans single-use plastics, while Burning Man enforces a "Leave No Trace" policy. Many festivals now use solar panels and biofuel generators for power.
However, some people are concerned that the trash is being left in the first place. One user pointed out that leaving trash behind doesn't align with the festival's core values of peace, love, unity, and respect (PLUR).
"It's sad that so many people chose to leave that trash behind," they said.
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Another called attention to the bad weather at the event that likely damaged many tents, which could explain why so many were abandoned.
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Attendees are contributing to an environmentally friendly festival experience by bringing reusable items, avoiding plastic, and carpooling. They might even stay for the aftermath and try to hit some luxury ground scores.
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