SUSTAINABLE CAMPING: A GUIDE FOR ECO-FRIENDLY CAMPERS

A popular theory that ties into sustainability is the Reduce-Reuse-Recycle or “Three R's” philosophy. The core of this idea is to promote sustainability by conserving natural resources and preventing waste. Each of the R's helps to achieve this in its way.

Reduce

Efforts at reducing consumption focus on using fewer resources to conserve natural ones and lower the amount of waste that you produce.

This R can involve lowering the overall energy use, pollution, and resources needed to make products. For the camper, it involves minimizing the use of products and production of waste while on a camping trip.

Below are some ways you can Reduce when camping:

• Leave extra electronics at home, and carry only what you need for safety.
• Go for products with less packaging.
• Consider buying in bulk.
• Use an all-in-one biodegradable soap for all washing needs.
• Minimize supplies — take enough, rather than too much.
• Schedule cleaning activities ahead. Wash dishes once or twice a day at the most to avoid overuse of water and soap.

Reducing your consumption is only part of the solution, though. Reusing things during your camping trip is a related aspect of the Three R's.

Reuse

When you reuse an object more than once in its original form, you postpone discarding it. This sounds obvious, but it is very effective in reducing waste and limiting the use of resources.

Reusing things when you’re camping helps with sustainability on two fronts. First, it reduces the demand for new resources to make an object. Second, it postpones the entry of new garbage into the waste stream.

The reuse principle is particularly important for substances like plastics, especially single-use plastics like water bottles, which slowly degrade and infiltrate the environment, poisoning water systems, plants, and animals.

Reusable containers can be a great way to eliminate single-use plastics from your life both while camping and in your day-to-day.

Here are some ways:

• Buy used products. You can find second-hand versions of almost everything, from clothes to camping gear. These items often help you save money, as they are cheaper than new ones.
• Purchase quality items that will last for a long time without needing replacement.
• Repair your existing tools and gear if possible, rather than buying replacements.
• Borrow, share, or rent items that you don’t use frequently.
• Buy reusable items rather than disposable ones. There are reusable versions of most camping items, including mugs, vacuum bottles, flasks, jugs, plates, and silverware.
• Keep water from washing dishes on hand. It might help extinguish the campfire, for example.

The next R, which is just as important as the other two, is recycling.

Recycle

Recycling your waste involves reusing disposable items or converting existing waste into new products.

While reducing and reusing seek to decrease the usage of new resources, recycling closes the loop by diminishing the amount of waste you create. It takes energy to recycle, but few or no new resources get used in the process, and waste-related pollution and contamination are greatly decreased, as well.

Below are some ways you can recycle while camping:

• Consider purchasing products made from recycled materials.
• Collect all your trash and sort it, keeping all recyclable waste in one place. You can take it to a recycling center on your way back home.
• Consider carrying reusable trash bags when you go camping. You can use one for recycling and the other one for composting. If there is no recycling or composting at your campground, take it home with you to dispose of it properly.
• Consider visiting eco-friendly campsites with recycling and composting systems already in place.

By implementing the Three R's diligently, you can make significant contributions to sustainable camping.

Our IceFlow Flip Straw Tumblers and Jugs take sustainability to the next level. Utilizing @oceanworks’ recycling solutions, every 1,000 Classic IceFlow Jugs made removes nearly 100 pounds of plastic from the ocean to be used to form parts of the leak-proof lids. Oceanworks recovers discarded fishing nets and recycles them into sustainable, long-lasting products that help clean our planet.

Sustainable camping is most effective when treated as a community endeavor. As such, you should try to bring others on board, whether it is children on the site, other campers, or even campsite officials.

Here are some suggestions for promoting sustainable camping within your community:

• If recycling is difficult to coordinate at your campsite, you can use some of the waste, such as plastic bottles, to create art projects. This is an especially fun idea to do with the kids, as it allows them to cultivate their creativity.
• You can also encourage fellow campers to become involved in cleaning up the campsite and ensuring the area remains pristine.
• Organize a tree planting for the entire campsite. Campers can see the trees they planted grow every year when they come back, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

By involving others in the sustainability process, you not only make it easier for yourself, but you also increase your positive impact overall.

Leave the Campsite Cleaner Than You Found It

The leave-no-trace philosophy is a system of principles people can follow if they wish to leave nature just as they found it. This effort includes not changing the natural environment in any way during your stay. This effort can have a wider impact because it allows other campers to realize the benefits of spending time in nature when they use your campsite.

Some ways to implement the leave-no-trace philosophy in a campsite include:

• Properly disposing of waste. Carry enough reusable trash bags and collect all trash, litter, and left-over food on the campsite.
• Use local wood to make fires and keep them small.
• Leave what you find. You may examine plants, animals, and landscapes but not move them or take them with you.
• Respect wildlife. Observe creatures from a distance but do not follow or feed them.
• Control your pets at all times, or leave them at home if you can.

The essence of leave-no-trace is to minimize your footprint on nature, even as you enjoy it.

Even something as seemingly innocuous as personal hygiene can harm the environment. When keeping yourself clean, you can follow the leave-no-trace philosophy.

Here are some tips to help with that:

• Bag all your trash for proper disposal, including toilet paper, pads, tampons, and wipes.
• Use all-in-one biodegradable soap and carry water at least 200 yards away from any body of water when bathing.
• Dig cat holes for all human waste if there are no toilet facilities. They should be at least six inches deep and at least 200 feet away from any trails, campsites, or waterways.
• If you bathe in a natural body of water, consider not using soap.

By following the tips above, you should be able to maintain the integrity of the campsite while staying clean and healthy.

When they ignore environmental conservation efforts, campers can negatively impact wildlife and their habitats. For example, feeding wild animals is common for some campers, but it leads to many issues. Not only is it likely to damage the animals' health, but it also exposes them to predators and, in the long term, may make them dependent on campers for sustenance.

Here are some tips to follow when dealing with wildlife on a campsite:

• Store your trash and food rations securely.
• Do not approach or follow wildlife. Observe animals from a safe distance.
• Leave your pets at home if you can. If you must bring them along, control them at all times.
• Avoid wildlife during especially sensitive times, such as when in winter, when mating, nesting, or raising their young.

Wildlife is as much a part of nature as the flora. To preserve the spaces where animals flourish, make your next camping trip as sustainable as possible.