Efforts from volunteers at Reading Festival saw 2.8 tonnes of waste collected and 264 items repaired amid questions about reuse and recycling.
This year’s event saw around 10,000 people attend the festival in Richfield Avenue.
Afterwards, a major collection and clean-up operation was undertaken by staff, contractors and volunteers, with the group Lifes a Beach collecting 2.8 tonnes of recycling and waste material through its involvement.
The amount left behind has prompted questions about what can be done to track progress on recycling going forward.
These were raised at a Reading Borough Council policy committee meeting on September 16.
Councillor Rob White (Green, Park) said: “Reading Festival is one of the UK’s biggest and best-known music festivals and brings significant benefits to the town.
“It is an event that Green Party councillors want people to enjoy, however, every year large numbers of tents, sleeping bags, chairs and other equipment are left behind, along with substantial amounts of other waste.
“We want to see Reading Festival become a leader in reducing waste, increasing recycling and minimising its environmental impact.
“Could it be outlined what work the council is undertaking with Festival Republic to reduce the waste left behind after the festival?
“What measurable progress has been made each year over the last three years?
“Is data published so residents can track progress each year?”
Finn McGoldrick, lead councillor for environmental services, answered: “Reading Festival is a huge asset to our town, not just because it generates an estimated £30 million for the wider Reading economy, but also because it is a flagship cultural event and in fact, a rite of passage for many Reading residents.
“I was sadly far too old and boring to go this year myself.
She went on to list measures Festival Republic had introduced this year, including improved provision for recycling points, free recycling and general waste bags in the campsites, and a volunteer ‘green team’ encouraging people to take their belongings home.
Additionally, there was a Recycle to Win campaign attracting more than 1,000 participants, and a new campsite repair facility run by local repair cafe volunteers, which repaired 264 items at the festival.
The Lifes a Beach volunteer group collected 2,802kg of waste across the weekend, with other groups involved in the clean-up as well.
Cllr McGoldrick (Labour, Norcot) said: “I’d like to put on record my thanks and our thanks to the 30 local litter-picking volunteers, who collected nearly 1.5 tonnes of waste and recycling.
“Ultimately, the aim is not simply to clear the site after the festival, but to reduce the amount of material left behind in the first place and to maximise what can be reused, repaired, donated or recycled.”
She added that the festival commits to sending zero waste to landfill and a material recovery recycling rate above 50 per cent.
Councillors will receive a presentation from Festival Republic on waste figures at a meeting of the housing, neighbourhoods and leisure committee in November.
Cllr White asked for the tonnage of waste left so it can be tracked year-on-year to monitor Festival Republic’s performance on waste reduction.
He said: “It’s all good and well that what is being left behind is being reused or being made use of for energy from waste, but that is burning it to generate energy, and that’s not a particularly good way to deal with the waste.”
Cllr McGoldrick said: “I take your point on tonnage about how we measure the tonnage, how residents can see that transparently and how we can report back on that year on year and track progress, and it’s something that I’m very happy to work with them on.”
