Jan Portheine, Co-Founder & CEO of KarTent, joins Earth Care for episode 9 of the Sustainability in the Live Music Industry Series.

KarTent is a sustainable solutions company based out of Amsterdam. Their name means cardboard tent because their original product was exactly that! After witnessing the waste left on music festival campgrounds, founders Jan and Wout wanted to develop a solution. Through their research, they found that 1 in 4 tents were left behind at festivals in the Netherlands alone.

Together, they developed a completely recyclable cardboard tent that was made from strong wood fibers, could survive heavy rain and fit two people. The tents were delivered to music festival sites, then taken back when it was over to use the cardboard again.

KarTent’s philosophy is that cardboard offers a perfect alternative for all kinds of products and is a sustainable alternative. Although they no longer produce tents, they now over 200 different products that are completely recyclable!

In this episode, Jan Portheine, co-founder and CEO of KarTent, discusses the problem of tents left behind at music festivals and the sustainable solution his company offers. The conversation covers the background of KarTent, the environmental impact of discarded tents, the process of turning cardboard into a sturdy tent, the logistics and challenges of KarTent, and the transition to other cardboard products. Jan also provides advice for individuals on reducing their impact at festivals.

Watch their TedX Talk, Waterproof, here

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