Leave No Trace guidelines

 

 

We, the Burners, are environmentalists. With respect to our environment, it is the principle of Leaving No Trace (LNT) that allows us to build and burn. We leave the place of a burn the same or better than before. LNT is all about protecting our beloved nature. It is a collective effort; no one is excluded; everyone is an integral part. It’s very important that we leave the natural environment pristine, even better than when we arrived, not only so that we can continue to celebrate in future years but also because that is part of our ethical and moral values as burners. Respect for the environment is a reflection of our respect for ourselves and each other. Recognizing that the Earth sustains us and gives us life, and doing our part to honor that, helps us feel connected to the cosmos and the natural flow of life in all its forms.

There are no trash bins at Amber Burn. So everything you bring, you must take back with you. Keep recycling trash bags at your camping place; bring and share trash containers with your neighbors — it’s a very kind gift! Everything that stays in the City that was not there before us is considered MOOP (Matter Out Of Place).

MOOP (Matter Out Of Place) is anything or any condition that is not natural to the immediate environment and should not be there. Examples of MOOP: wood, trash, bottles, bottle caps, cans, cigarette butts, plastic debris, metal debris, fireworks, glow sticks, but it can also be in the form of debris from camp fires, firewood, splinters, wood chips, sawdust, glass, plants, burn scars, grey water spills, fuel spills, decomposed granite, and dunes.

Remember, you have to leave your camp as clean as it was before, or better. It is your responsibility to collect your trash and bring it along with you when you leave. It is a great idea to carry a bag or container with you to pick up stray MOOP. If you are a smoker, a portable ashtray is a must. Leaving no Trace begins before the event, permeates every instant of the event itself, and ends long after the event, after the selfless and heroic LNT volunteers sweep every millimeter of the site! So, here are some tips on how to be a LNT pro and live in harmony with this vital principle.

BEFORE the event (planning, packing, transport, food, costumes, attitude)

Food

Please bring as little packaging or waste as possible! Single-use plates, cutlery, cups, multi-packs, and individually packaged micro-snacks – just say NO!
Buy food in larger packages. It’s better to gift leftovers to the volunteers staying after the event than to create a fresh piece of garbage for each tiny snack you consume. Individually packaged snacks are relics of the age of convenience and consumerism. The simple act of buying them is a vote for this outdated logic to survive. For example: 1 x 5L water > 5 x 1L water >>> 15 x 0.33L water bottles!

Cutlery and eating utensils

Simply bring one nice plate, bowl, cup, mug, fork, spoon, knife, or spork, which you can wash and reuse. That is stylish. Bring extras to gift to people who accidentally planned to use disposable things. DO NOT BRING DISPOSABLE PLASTIC cups, plates, cutlery, or bowls – nothing at all! You will not be served at the bar without your cup, plate, etc.

Clothing and party tricks

Do not bring party accessories that are disposable, fall apart, or are hard to pick up – glitter, feathers, things that explode little pieces of colourful paper out – these are environmental disasters. They end up in the soil, in the fish that you eat, and choking birds. Impossible to clean up. Very unstylish. Glitter, feathers, etc. are strictly prohibited items, and you will be denied entry if the Gate Crew finds such prohibited items.

Transport

Walking, biking, rollerblading, and skateboarding are healthy, fun, and awesome. For most of us coming with motorized vehicles, reduce your impact by: Motorcycles > Carpool (car full to the brim; extra fun!) > car with 1 person only > flying in a private jet.
Remember that waste comes in gaseous form too; we literally breathe the combustion by-products of cars, which contain similar chemicals as in cigarette smoke and are impossible for us to clean up.

DURING the event (being sustainably awesome and sexy)

Trash goes to bins, bring multiple garbage bags or containers

It’s called a trash bin because it is a bin where trash goes. Simple! Create a mini recycling station at your tent or camp, or for your close neighbours too. From there, just bring it all to a recycling point after leaving the site (remember, there are no trash points on AB site!).

If you smoke

Bring and carry a portable ashtray! Cigarette butts are consistently the most common MOOP. They are very much non-biodegradable; they will stay there, leaching toxic chemicals into the ground for years and years, unless an animal eats them first. Instead, simply put your butts in your cool little ashtray, dump it in your trash bag when it’s full, refill, and repeat. PRO TIP: bring extras to gift to people!

Separate your Recyclables

Recycling is a complex and energy-intensive process. But it’s necessary because we are literally running out of space to simply bury trash in piles in the ground where it can stay forever, creating leachate (bin juice or garbage liquid). Different materials are recycled in very different ways. Dirty tissues and greasy or food-stained paper are not recyclable. Plastic can be recycled, even if it’s dirty.
The first basic step of separation is:

  • GLASS
  • PLASTIC
  • METAL (CANS)
  • PAPER
  • DEPOSIT

Rivers and lakes on site

Don’t use chemical products in water bodies; bring biodegradable soap and shampoo or wash yourself without it.

Help each other out

There is a team of your fellow burners monitoring LNT, but LNT is only possible with a collective effort. Please be aware of this and help out by doing your part.

  • If you see someone litter, remind them that that’s not very cool at all!
  • If you see trash, bring it to its home in the bin. It could be lonely or afraid there, cold and on the ground all alone.
  • If you make trash, no problem. Just put it in your trash bin.
  • Karma cleared!

AFTER the event (pick up after your self, take everything out with you, volunteer to clean up)

Pick up after yourself before you leave. Scout the surroundings for any micro-trash on the ground, regardless of whether it’s yours or not. Your camping area will be inspected before you leave to ensure that no traces are left.

Stay for the strike up to 3 days after the gathering, combing the entire area to restore it to its pristine natural condition. Leave no trace means leave literally NO trace. Even if it’s tiny, if it’s not part of the natural environment, that means we generated it and it needs to be cleaned up. The entire area was pre-cleaned as well! We are all adults; let’s be honest and responsible and do our part! If you don’t pick it up, someone else will have to.

Take all your trash bags with you after the event, but please don’t dump them in a random dumpster in the first town on your way home. Take all your trash with you back home and sort it out properly.

If you’d like to VOLUNTEER to help clean up, amazing! Get in touch with the LNT team. It’s also extremely cool to organise a MOOP session around your camp, at your favourite stage, and to simply always pick up trash you see and remind others to do the same.

MOOPATHON

The funniest part of the event, when everyone is dancing and having lots of fun running around picking up MOOP.

Sunday @ 14:00 (2:00 p.m.).