After the UK’s shock at the thousands of tents left discarded by festival-goers in Reading, we asked people in Strand Street, Douglas, what they thought about this wastefulness, and what it represents more broadly about modern throwaway society.

Marek Kenny, 18, Douglas, said: that ’not in a million years’ would he leave his tent beyhind in a festival field like that.

’They’re just lazy,’ he added

As for consumer culture, when asked about how often he goes through mobile phones, Ethan Butler, 16, Douglas, said: ’I usually leave it until it’s on its last legs - the phone I have on me now, it’s got cracks and stuff.

’That’s the same with me,’ Marek agreed.

’Until it’s stopped working I’ll keep using it,’ he added.

’[And] there’s no point getting a new laptop if your old laptop is still working.’

When we spoke to Theo Jones, 27, Bride, who has been to Reading Festival in the past, he said that the practice could have started because tents are now sold cheaply at the festival itself, for as little as £10 or £20.

’People just buy it and chuck it, it’s disposable - whereas to buy a tent back in the day was probably a bit more of an investment, to go camping with.

’I’m sure people were disrespectful back in the day as well, I’m sure that hasn’t changed. But access to those cheap things, that throwaway culture, might have changed a little bit.’

When we asked Emily Thompson, 17, about the mass fly-tipping she said: ’I think it’s really negative. Especially with all the youth climate strikes going on, it shows that a lot of us [young people] can say stuff, but we don’t actually act.

’It sort of de-legitimises what we’re trying to say,’ added Harrison Pickard, 17, also a climate activist from Port Erin.

Emily continued: ’And that reflects bad on all young people, they don’t just see it as the [festival goers] who went, they assume that’s all young people.

’It’s like the scenes of [littering] on Port Erin beach, they try to use the [overflowing] bins, but rather than doing that, just bring the rubbish home with you.’

Asked about the wider implications about consumable culture, Emily said: ’The Isle of Man government’s got a single-use plastic consultation out at the moment, haven’t they?

’I think that as a whole we need to move to using sustainable resources.

’So obviously simple things like moving from [disposable] plastic bottles to reusable bottles, but then also if you’re going to a festival and bringing a tent - you’ve got to bring it back with you!’

’Surely you must have an environmental conscience telling you that’s wrong,’ Harrison added.

Sue Glenhill, 67, Douglas, described the scenes at the festival as ’absolutely disgusting’.

’Why would you spend all that money on tents and chairs and just leave them there?’ she said.

’They should have like a recycle centre if they don’t want to bring them home with them.

Asked about on-island incidents of littering which stood out to her, Sue said: ’In McDonald’s car park - that’s not the kids doing that, that’s the seagulls pulling the food packaging out of the bins

’I think the bins down there should be better, they should have them closed off so the seagulls can’t get into them, and have three or four bins so they’re not overflowing.’