This is one of the main reasons I don’t go to festivals any more. I can’t really enjoy myself knowing I’m part of something like that, even though I’ve never left anything at a festival. (No, I’m not probably not fun at parties am I?)
I have worked it to my advantage though. I’ve scavenged some great stuff from festivals. A 6 man, 2 bedroomed Outwell tent, with all the bags, labels still attached. A nice little 3 man Highlander tent I’ve used for years. A really good stainless steel saucepan I got when I was a student maybe 8 or 9 years ago and still use daily. God knows what other stuff I’ve forgotten about.
Last time I went to Glastonbury I pulled a massive flysheet off a pile of rubbish on the Sunday night. I’ve made two tarps for bivvying out of it, a hammock and some lightweight bags for a folding bike.