Campaign group seeks to implement “tent tax” for festivals

Clean Up Britain have called for a “tent tax” at festivals.

The group, who campaign for cleaner and greener communities, has suggested a £25 tax should be charged for all campers at the festivals.

Aerial shots of the Reading Festival campsite emerged online earlier this week, and showed that despite more tents being taken than in previous years, there was still a mass of camping equipment left behind.

“This is heartbreaking and such a waste of resources – it should not happen,” John Read, founder of Clean Up Britain, told the BBC. “You see a lot of people saying they care about the environment but their words and actions don’t match up.”

The campaigners are also calling on the organisers of Reading and Leeds festival to push more of an environmental message to attendees about littering and waste in general.

This year, 99.3% of the tents at Glastonbury were taken home by festival go-ers.

From the 1st of August, London clubs Oval Space and Pickle Factory are plastic-free.