Festival-goers asked to fold their tents-and take them

That is the message being given to groups like the ''mozzie boys [and girl]'', of Mosgiel, who...
That is the message being given to groups like the ''mozzie boys [and girl]'', of Mosgiel, who were heading to the Rhythm and Alps music festival, near Cardrona, yesterday. Photos by Mark Price.
''Stomp 'em down.''

That's what you do with your tent at the end of a music festival, according to one member of a group planning to be at the Rhythm and Alps music festival, which begins near Cardrona today.

However, that is not the advice being given out by festival organisers.

They want to ''educate and encourage'' festival-goers to pack up their tents and take them home.

Cleaning up after the last New Year event became a massive undertaking when many of the 10,000 who attended abandoned their tents and other camping gear.

In a statement before this year's event, chief executive Kieran Spillane said festival organisers wanted to lessen the impact on the Wanaka environment and show they were ''committed to a sustainable pathway''.

Checking in at this year's Rhythm and Alps music festival in the Cardrona Valley should be faster...
Checking in at this year's Rhythm and Alps music festival in the Cardrona Valley should be faster with more staff working at check-in.
Another company, GreenShoot Pacific, has been employed to help reduce the ''unacceptable'' number of tents and amount of camping gear abandoned by festival-goers, he said.

''They have teamed up with Love Your Tent, an international campaign created by Eco Action Partnership and A Greener Festival to educate and encourage festival attendees to simply pack up their camping gear, take it home and re-use it.''

GreenShoot director Amanda Wright said at the heart of the problem was the availability of ''very cheap, bad quality camping gear''.

''When a three-man tent is available for between $20 and $40, there is no perceived value in what is their temporary home for the two to three days of the festival.

''They party hard and then think that they have the right to walk away and leave the mess for festival organisers to clean up.

''Unfortunately, most of the abandoned camping gear can't be recycled and ends up in landfill, which is costly to the environment and festival organisers.''

Ms Wright said she will be sending out positive messaging through social media to ''love their tents'' in the hope a tipping point can be reached ''where good behaviour becomes the social norm''.

Some of those who attended the last festival were critical of the time it took to get into the event - two hours in some cases - and the length of queues for other services.

Festival co-founder Alex Turnbull told the Otago Daily Times yesterday the number of staff had been doubled at the check-in, and a faster ''multi-pour'' beer system had been installed.

In total, 100 staff and 200 volunteers would be on hand during the festival.

The first festival-goers were arriving to set up camp, at Robrosa Station, late yesterday afternoon, and Mr Turnbull advised those attending today to arrive early and to use the buses provided.

The festival begins at 2pm and ends on New Year's Day.

Artists appearing include: Bastille, Chet Faker, Doprah, Mad Professor, Mr. Carmack, M, Shapeshifter, State of Mind and Zane Lowe.

mark.price@odt.co.nz

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