Abandoned tents at last year’s Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Co Laois
Mr [Melvin] Benn, the chief executive of Festival Republic, which runs the Electric Picnic, said the issue of abandoned tents is a societal one.
“Do I see it as a reflection on the festival? I see it as a reflection on society. What we have at every festival is a decent cross-section of what society is.”
Mr Benn suggested some people were under the impression that the tents are recycled for charity, but only a “tiny percentage” are suitable.
…“We are trying to encourage people to do the right thing,” he said. “Our ideal is that we would have to pick up hardly any rubbish. I don’t think a lot of people are getting the connection between them supporting Extinction Rebellion as a point of principle and picking their tent up. They can’t think they are doing the right thing.”
Electric Picnic runs from August 30 to September 1.
Electric Picnic promoter calls for an end to abandoned tents (Ronan McGreevy)
Previously: A Picnic Without Plastic?