From Festival Waste to Fashion: How Reclaim Tentwear Secured £10k+ to Scale Sustainable Innovation
- Monday, July 21, 2025
- Posted By The Growth Company
Manchester-based entrepreneur Marlon Bethell is transforming the UK's festival waste crisis into a thriving sustainable fashion business. His company, Reclaim Tentwear, has secured over £10,000 through the Start Up Loans scheme to accelerate growth and tackle one of the events industry's biggest environmental challenges.
Every year, UK festivals generate staggering amounts of waste, with an estimated 250,000 tents abandoned across festival sites, totalling around 900 tonnes of discarded materials annually. For Marlon and his mother, the pandemic provided a moment of reflection on this environmental impact, sparking the idea that would become Reclaim Tentwear.
"UK festivals are amazing, but with over 250,000 tents left behind each year, the environmental impact is hard to ignore," explains Bethell, founder and creative director of Reclaim Tentwear. "I wanted to create something fun and functional that also tackles this issue head-on, and that is exactly what Reclaim Tentwear does."
What began as testing designs alongside university coursework has evolved into a fully-fledged business launched in 2024. Reclaim Tentwear transforms discarded festival tents into vibrant, water-resistant outdoor clothing, giving abandoned materials a second life while creating high-quality, functional apparel.
The journey from concept to launch required years of dedication, with Marlon perfecting his designs and processes before officially bringing his vision to market. His commitment to both sustainability and quality has positioned Reclaim Tentwear at the intersection of environmental responsibility and practical fashion.
The Start Up Loan, delivered by GC Business Finance (GCBF) on behalf of the British Business Bank, came at a pivotal moment for the business. The funding is being used to purchase a hydraulic press that will significantly increase production speed, while also supporting marketing initiatives to build brand awareness and reach new customer segments.
"The Start Up Loan has arrived at a perfect time, allowing us to invest in better kit and expand our reach," says Bethell. "The team at GCBF made the process really straightforward and I'm incredibly grateful for their support in our journey."
Looking ahead, Reclaim Tentwear has ambitious plans for expansion. Marlon is actively pursuing partnerships with UK festivals to establish direct collection systems for discarded tents, creating a more efficient supply chain while helping festival organisers address their waste management challenges.
The product range is also set to expand, with plans to introduce a line of water-resistant dog coats, demonstrating the versatility of the upcycled materials and broadening the brand's market appeal.
The business has garnered strong support from key stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Alex Mearns, head of start up lending at GC Business Finance, praised Bethell's journey: "Marlon's commitment to sustainability and creativity is exactly the type of drive we aim to support through the Start Up Loans programme. Starting a business can be intimidating, but Marlon's entrepreneurial spirit should inspire more people to take the leap."
Delyth Edwards, senior network manager for the North West at the British Business Bank, emphasised the broader impact: "Businesses like his play a crucial role in regional growth and help us to move towards a Net Zero economy. This is why targeted programmes like Start Up Loans are so important in helping to drive forward this progress."
Reclaim Tentwear represents more than just a successful funding story it demonstrates how innovative entrepreneurs can address environmental challenges while building commercially viable businesses. By transforming waste into desirable products, Marlon has created a model that other sustainability-focused start ups can follow.
From humble beginnings creating clothing on a makeshift table in his garden to leading a thriving business with growth funding secured, Marlon Bethell's story showcases the power of combining environmental consciousness with entrepreneurial drive and the importance of accessible funding programmes in turning sustainable innovations into scalable businesses.