Description:

How do we make circular economies a reality?
There is more awareness of sustainability in the design world today. However, there needs to be collective, incremental change through creating more appealing, accessible, and functional solutions than current ones to enable and persuade users to partake in a more sustainable market. I target the waste from music festivals to create a product and system that inspires regenerative behaviour in people and shows that an incremental shift toward sustainable living is necessary, enjoyable, and possible.
Campers leave hundreds of cheap, barely used tents on the fields of the Rhythm and Vines New Year's festival, a three-day event that attracts up to 21,000. Festival organisers do not recycle these tents due to poor treatment from users and different types of materials.
Currently, the tents used have an adverse environmental impact because users perceive them as single-use, and there is a lack of circular systems at festivals. Current solutions like hiring and using sustainable materials are not yet widespread within New Zealand, meaning there are opportunities to innovate more sustainable hiring options.
Loop Tent's nature-inspired colours, durable materials, quick assembly, and recyclability make it a sustainable, enjoyable alternative to camping for festival-goers.
Loop is durable due to the materials chosen; stainless steel poles and thick canvas waterproofed with organic wax, meaning one covering can be reused for 5+ years depending on repair and care. The outer canvas prolongs the inner cardboard tent's lifespan, protecting it from harsh rain or wind. If Loop became widespread, manufacturers would eventually need to make fewer nylon and polyester tents at an unsustainable rate as demand decreases.
Festival event organizers and users can conveniently discard the inner cardboard tents after use, then recycle them into new tents instead of cleaning them or dealing with the waste of cheap tents.
Users also benefit as they no longer have the burden of bringing their tent. They can customize their tent by choosing the colour and doodling on their cardboard tent with crayons.
With minimal material variety, simple loops for fasteners, and a cardboard net that folds into the tent, the assembly only takes 5-10 minutes. Both canvas and cardboard components can be flattened for efficient storage.
Loop's simple four-peg design and lightweight material allow users to easily arrange tents in any configuration, creating an opportunity for a more exciting, communal camping experience. Compact peg loops replace hazardous guide ropes. There are also built-in paper pouches in the ceiling, in which users can put their phone flashlights to create a warm glow during the night, and ventilation flaps that users can open or close as needed.
The design has the potential to be implemented at various festivals across New Zealand.
Loop tents could help create a 'loop' in the current, wasteful linear economy at these festivals, bringing everyone one step closer to living in a circular economy.