The unique offer has been described as ‘brilliant’
Vick Hope is the face of Decathlon’s ‘No Tent Left Behind’ pledge(Image: PA)
Major retailer Decathlon is offering shoppers a full gift card refund on specific tent products this summer in order to reduce waste during the festival season.
The sporting goods retailer will accept returns for tents bought between June 9 and September 14. Customers must be a Decathlon member, which is free to sign up to, as well as provide proof of purchase of any Decathlon brand tent from the Quechua and Simond ranges.
According to the Association of Independent Festivals, as many as 250,000 tents are abandoned every year by festivalgoers.
READ MORE: Get Glastonbury Festival ready with ‘brilliant’ pop-up tent for under £40
Festival tents can be difficult to recycle as they are generally made from plastic, meaning millions end up in landfills. As many of these tents are cheap, they can often be regarded as single-use items by ticketholders.
Glastonbury Festival, which takes place this month, already runs a Leave No Trace initiative, encouraging festivalgoers to leave Worthy Farm how they found it.
After 2024’s festival, organiser Emily Eavis thanked attendees for taking 99 per cent of their tents home with them.
READ MORE: Decathlon backpack perfect for festivals that buyers say is ‘better than Osprey’
Now, Decathlon is starting its own initiative called the ‘No Tent Left Behind’ pledge. The retailer say the pledge promotes circularity as the returned tents will be repurposed through Decathlon’s Second Life programme, which helps make outdoor equipment more accessible.
Radio presenter Vick Hope is joining the pledge, saying: “Whether you’re dancing at Glasto, on a hilltop, or roasting marshmallows with family, your tent deserves more than one weekend of glory. Decathlon’s Pledge is brilliant because it simplifies doing the right thing!”
READ MORE: Festival and camping tent that stood ‘everything thrown at it’ is now £146 off
“The evolution of the No Tent Left Behind promise reflects our deep commitment to circularity and listening to our customers,” explains Chris Allen, Sustainability Leader, Decathlon UK.
“What started with one tent has grown into a commitment across our entire range, driven by the public’s desire to make more responsible choices.
“By making it easy and rewarding to bring tents back, we’re not only reducing waste across all camping activities, but also creating a vital supply chain for our Second Life programme, making quality outdoor gear accessible to even more people. This is about driving systemic change and changing camping culture for the better.”
READ MORE: Roman raincoat ‘so useful’ for unpredictable British summer weather
Additionally, Decathlon is partnering with circular designer Jess O’Riley who will be using end-of-life tents from previous seasons to turn them into flags bearing the message: “I’m not leaving my tent behind, you shouldn’t either.”
The flags will travel to various festivals and campsites by Decathlon and campaign partners to try and discourage people from leaving their tents behind.