A CAMPAIGN group has suggested that festival goers pay "tent tax" to encourage people to protect the environment.

The group, Clean Up Britain, was started by a small group of professionals who united based on a shared passion for looking after the environment with a particular concern about the increasing problem of litter.

Founder, John Read, believes that abandoning tents after festivals is "glorified fly tipping" with people "dumping" their belongings and heading home.

READ MORE: Reading Festival: What happens to the thousands of abandoned tents?

He explained that this is a criminal offence that could result in a fine of up to £2500.

To reduce the number of tents left onsite and therefore help protect the environment, he suggested that a tent deposit scheme is set up.

Revellers would pay a deposit of £25 when they enter the festival with their tent and receive a ticket to prove they had paid.

The group is open minded to this figure, with many people suggesting that it should be around £50 instead.

When leaving the venue, festival goers would need to prove they have packed up their tent to take home before their deposit is returned.

If people don't leave with their tent, they will lose their money.

The idea being that organisations can then use this money to fund a tent distribution scheme.

The scheme would help to send salvaged tents to homeless charities and other organisations.

READ MORE: Reading Festival: Homeless charity salvage hundreds of sleeping bags.

Mr Read explained that they don't want to see the tents go to landfill but instead "see them go to a good home".

He is hopeful that they can work with festival organisers, Festival Republic, to bring the idea to life, hoping to build upon the successful environmental work organisers have done so far.

Festival Republic have been contacted for comment.

Alongside the tent deposit scheme, Mr Read wishes to run a highly visible campaign on fly tipping.

He believes that with a huge concentration of young people, Reading Festival, holds a captive audience that they could enlighten by encouraging them to be responsible for their own actions.