Summer in Australia means it is music festival season. Sun on your shoulders, your favourite band on stage, and that magical feeling of escaping real life for a few days. But once the last song plays and the crowds head home, there is a less glamorous side to festival season that is left behind. 

When the Music Stops, the Waste Stays

Australia hosts more than 500 music festivals every year, and while the memories are priceless, the waste pile is anything but (we know packing up is not everyone's favourite part). According to Green Music Australia, around two kilograms of waste per person is created each day at festivals. Even more surprising is where most of it comes from. Around 80 percent of festival waste is generated in campsites, left behind by festival goers themselves. 

It is not just a few forgotten items either. We’re talking tents, sleeping bags, camp chairs, clothes, food, and plenty of “how did this even get here” items. It’s an issue tied to convenience, fast consumption, and the idea that it is easier to leave things behind than carry them home. 

A Global Problem, Not Just an Aussie One

As confronting as Australia’s festival waste problem is, it is far from unique. In the UK, more than 250,000 tents are abandoned at music festivals every year. To put that into perspective, a typical four person tent weighing around 4.8 kilograms can contain as much plastic as nearly 9,000 plastic straws or around 200 plastic bottles. These materials are not biodegradable and are rarely designed to be recycled easily.

Whether it's an Australian paddock or a muddy field in the UK, the outcome is the same. Perfectly usable materials are sent to landfill after just one weekend of use.

Meet the Designer Turning Tents into Treasures

This reality inspired UK designer Jess O’Riley to take matters into her own hands (very cool!). While studying Fashion Design at Manchester Fashion Institute, Jess discovered there was no formalised recycling system for festival tents in the UK. Her graduate collection, titled 'There’s no such thing as the tent fairy', said exactly what everyone needed to hear. No one is coming to clean up after us.

      

Jess graduated with First Class Honours in 2024 and founded J.O.STUDIO. Based in Manchester, the brand salvages abandoned tents from UK music festivals and reimagines them into unisex apparel and accessories. Each tent is carefully washed, sorted, and reworked, right down to repurposing tent ropes as fastenings. Every piece is made in small batches, giving new life to materials that already exist.

Repair, Rewear, Repeat

J.O.STUDIO produces its pieces in small batches, reducing overproduction. The brand also offers free lifetime repairs on all of its handmade bags and accessories. Items with broken zips, worn fabric, loose stitching, or damaged straps can be sent back to be repaired rather than replaced, no matter how old the item is.

This commitment reinforces a simple but powerful idea. Products should be built to last, not to be discarded. Repairing is always better than landfill, and every item deserves a long life.

Why Stories Like This Matter

Positive change happens when people feel inspired. Festival waste can feel overwhelming, but brands like J.O.STUDIO remind us that creative solutions already exist and it's possible to transform unwanted items into something meaningful, practical and long-lasting. 

So, when you go to a festival, make sure to dance hard, sing louder, and when it is time to leave, pack up your tent. When we take responsibility for what we bring and support brands that rethink waste, we help create a future where fun and sustainability go hand in hand. 

The planet is counting on us to do better, and the good news is, we absolutely can.

With Love, 
Ellie