MOOP Management
Thank you to the Leave No Trace representatives, MOOP queens or Trash barons, we salute you! It is not a small thing, setting up systems and making sure people use them, but it’s very necessary.
MOOP is everyone’s responsibility, so you’re going to be an educator! Get everyone in your camp to buy in and create systems that are easy to use.
PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT
TOP TIPS :
- Remember that everything you take to Tankwa Town with you, you’ll have to take away with you again.
- Have your trash plan ready.
- Be explicit about what goes where and what you expect from your camp mates, especially if you’re a large camp, make sure everyone takes trash home with them, – don’t be left with a huge load at the end.
- Have some duct tape and a big koki with you so that you can make clear signs
- Make cigarette butt and small waste bins visible and available (to camp members and visitors alike) – empty 5liter bottles cable tied to tent poles works brilliantly.
- Separate your recyclables and organics.
- Read Davina Hall’s recommendations here, they’re great: www.afrikaburn.org/binnekringblog/how-to-manage-your-camp-waste
- Taking care of MOOP does not only mean taking care of it in your camp, it means taking care of it when you are enjoying the rest of Tankwa Town too.
- ALWAYS HAVE A BAG WITH YOU and make sure that everyone carries a bag with them when wandering the Binnekring. Its great for carrying water, sunsscreen etc and its great from putting your waste in when you’re done with it.
Open fires:
Open fire on the ground cause burn scars and are a hazard. The coals don’t just disintegrate in the desert. When you arrive on site you’ll find no evidence of the more than 30 open fires we found last year – because the Leave No Trace Team collected more than 5 barrels of coals. Raise your fire off the ground with a brazier, braai or other vessel.
Greywater:
Please use only biodegradable soap for all washing (humans and dishes). Do not dump water into the toilets or camping areas or watercourses, as it attracts flies and creates bio-hazards. If you’re a camp of 50 people or more, you’ll need to build a greywater evaporator (search for it on Google – there are many great examples of versions made for Burning Man) and make use of it throughout the week. Think about building a catchment basin underneath your shower as this will likely be your largest greywater output.
DJ Stop That Music:
If you have a dancefloor, chances are that you are going to be dealing with lots of bits and pieces hitting the ground. When the dancefloor turns into a trash heap, we advocate turning off the music, until the area is cleaned up. The sound buses will be implementing this strategy this year, as we found it works to great effect.
MOOP MAP:
Once you have MOOPed your site, please check and have it signed off by a MOOP or Theme camp representative from Off-Center Camp. The statistics are in and cigarette butts, glow sticks and coals from open fires are the great offenders.
Check out the 2013 MOOP Map here:
https://old.afrikaburn.org/latest-news/afrikaburn-2013-moop-map
And bear in mind that your camp’s MOOP rating will affect your placement in the future.
p.s: EL wire is reusable, looks great and so much more fun than glowsticks…
Adopt a toilet
Decorate it, write it a little poem for it, add extra flags to it and please, keep it tidy. If it didn’t come outta your body, it doesn’t go in the potty.
Take an (extra) bag of garbage with you.
There is always some muppet who forgets about Radical Self Reliance. Please take an extra bag of trash with you if you have space. And never drop bags on the side of the road, it is deeply uncool and disrespectful to our neighbours.
Please distribute this information far and wide:
Where to take trash on the way out of Tankwa Town?
Ceres has two Recycling centers:
– Ceres Waste Control (who also have bins outside the Spar)
www.cylex.co.za/company/ceres-waste-control-19639118.html
– Enviro Pulp & Paper also take cartons, bottles, paper, plastic & cans.
Directions:
Arrive in Ceres (Voortrekker Road) and turn right at the 1st traffic light into Vos Street. Turn right at the sign for Mr. Paper (situated before Snowcooled which is on the left).
And lastly, here’s a great tip on soft recyclable plastics (think zip ties and cellophane wrap): stuff them into big bottles to create compact plastic bricks. Easy to transport!
http://inspirationgreen.com/plastic-bottle-schools.html
Thanks to each and every one of you for your efforts to leave no trace and keep Tankwa Town as pristine as we found it!
psst: have your read our other info on how to manage waste & MOOP? Check these out:
