Finding treasure among the trash: The Leeds Festival salvage operation...

Every August, tens of thousands of people descend upon Bramham Park for Leeds Festival. When the music fades and the fans leave, hundreds of items are left behind, abandoned on the field and set to go to landfill.

- by Jennifer Cartwright

But this is when the salvage operation begins. From tents to toiletries and snacks to sleeping bags, Leeds Festival salvagers look to save items that can be reused, repurposed, or recycled. All salvagers are volunteers who have applied to salvage at the festival either as an individual or part of a group. They are looking for items that can be used to support local charities and not for profit initiatives.

Volunteers apply to salvage at the festival months in advance, either as individuals or as groups, and they are often looking for items to support local charities and nonprofit initiatives.

It is up to Leeds Festival organiser Festival Republic to decide when volunteers can access Bramham Park to salvage, what parts of the site they can access, and how long they can access it for.