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23 Sept 2025

One day only for charities to salvage Electric Picnic discarded tents

'Take everything. Leave nothing' Melvin Benn pleads campers to clean up after themselves

One day only for charities to salvage Electric Picnic discarded tents

Clearout underway in an Electric Picnic Campsite.

Reporter:

Lynda Kiernan

19 Aug 2024 1:13 PM

Email:

lynda.kiernan@leinsterexpress.ie

Charities and salvage groups are going to have a brief window to clear any reusable tent equipment at Electric Picnic.
There are multiple vast campsites at the Laois festival which took place over the weekend of August 16 to 19, with tens of thousands of people camping there.
The Electric Picnic MD told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that they cannot give charites much time.
"We try to do it within a 24 hour window, we don't want people here for very long. Just that first afternoon and evening.
"We try and give people that salvage operation where we can but at that point we have to get focussed on the clear out for Thomas and the local landowners."
His advice to departing campers is blunt.
"Take everything. Leave nothing for the salvagers, take everything that you arrived with apart from the beer which I presume you drank.
"People don't, we have to tidy up, we have a separation system to separate what's recyclable and what's not.Try and be as tidy as you would be at home," he said.
Portlaoise Action to Homelessness (PATH) volunteers will be allowed on site picking through the waste to find sleeping bags, tents and equipment to help the homeless. Last year they gathered some 500 sleeping bags. 
They are holding a sleeping bag washing day on Thursday, August 22, in Laois Shopping Centre, where the public volunteer to take, wash and return the bags.

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