Roskilde Festival, Denmark’s biggest summer music event, and one of the largest in Europe always features a long roster of big-name acts, but the musicians are not the only ones to turn a buck on the event. It’s also a highlight of the year for people making a living by cashing in deposit containers.
There’s so much drink-toss-repeat going on that the most dedicated gleaners can cash in the containers for as much as $8000 for the 8 days, although most earn less than that. Still, it’s enough to draw a steady core of collectors who come each year, and some of whom track other events as well.
Their work contributes significantly to reducing the level of cleanup after the event, but they are also often subject to abuse or harassment from festival-goers. Most of the collectors are Africans, Roma and other groups who have faced discrimination for years, and the current anti-immigrant feelings in Europe have made it worse.
This week, an editor from TheLocal.dk who has been attending and writing about the festival, tracked several of the collectors and interviewed them. His report can be found HERE
Have the Danes never heard of trash and recycling receptacles? I had no idea they exhibited such piggish manners. Like something from the mid-20th century.