Burning Man and associated Regional Events base themselves on some fundamental guidelines, or the 10 Principles. In this series over the next 10 weeks we will focus on each Principle in detail.
This week features Principle 8: Leaving no Trace
This is one of the most recognisable principles of Burning events and is also often referred to as avoiding MOOP (Matter Out Of Place), This means that any site frequented by Burners, such as the Paddock and surrounding areas, should be returned to be just as they were before anyone arrived, if not in a better state. This means taking all rubbish, building materials, waste water from site, including things like bottle caps, cigarette butts, tent pegs, fabric etc. It also means being very conscious about what is brought to site in the first place. Any costumes with parts that could come off, such as sequins, feathers or glitter should be avoided.
Food stuffs, where possible, should be placed into reusable containers to minimise waste. For example, if you love your morning cereal, perhaps only bring the inner bag and not the carton (which will also feature logos, see Principle III).
This is part of our responsibility towards nature, our environment and the planet as a whole and should ideally also at any other time of year in order to further our individual environmental footprint, produce less waste and live more consciously.
