MOOP.
A common burner word that pretty much expresses our desire for an LNT event but what exactly is MOOP?
First of all, the pure definition is “Matter Out Of Place” and it means anything that is not originally OF Apache Pastures (or whatever location any event takes place).
Anything we bring out has the potential to become MOOP. No matter how small a thing is, it must be removed by the participants at the end of the event. Otherwise it is MOOP!
One question that comes up every so often, “Are Biodegradable items considered MOOP?” The simple straightforward answer is YES! Orange peels, egg shells, food scraps, etc. are all still considered MOOP and must be removed.
Why? Well for several reasons. Not only does it potentially affect the ecosystem by introducing foreign materials, it can potentially endanger the sustainability of the event (no 21st Burning Flipside?). Sure, one egg shell is probably not going to do anything catastrophic but if every participant left behind every piece of biodegradable item they encountered we would have a dump on our hands.
Do you leave banana peels on your living room floor? Then why leave them in the landowners back yard.
Items that are especially troublesome include carpet debris, feathers and worst of all glitter (No *&^% Glitter!). For Restoration’s sake PLEASE do not bring glitter! Trying to pick up hundreds of pieces of glitter from a trampled ground takes hours and is very tedious. It is a problem we simply don’t need.
If you smoke, take a small tin (such as an breath mint container), decorate it and carry it around as your personal ashtray.
A MOOP bag is a great idea. They are simple to make, and you can be as artistic as you want. Here are some simple directions from BM’s Earth Guardians <http://earthguardians.net/2017/06/10/make-your-own-moop-bag/>
Lastly, every year Restoration takes stock of how the participants/camps left the land and makes a MOOP map showing who were problem camps. This can affect treatment in future years so I suggest not getting listed as being a MOOPhole.
However stuff can get blow around so if you are concerned, I suggest, as you are leaving, call one of the sign off crew to check out how you line sweeps did, get a clean bill of health and you too can be burning green!