10 Ways to Create Less Trash at Camp
Cape Hatteras, NC – Ever seen a ton of trash piled next to trash cans at your campsite? What about litter scattered around the campground? Maybe
Trash and litter create major ecological and social impacts in the outdoors. Managers of parks, forests and protected areas will tell you that the waste generated by visitors is a massive problem. In U.S. national parks alone, over 100 million pounds of waste is generated annually. Though the National Park Service promotes visitation and enjoyment of parks, the agency is also charged with providing sustainable parks.
Through education backed with research, one of Leave No Trace’s primary goals is to provide people with the skills and knowledge they need to become stewards of natural areas. Disposing of waste properly is one of the most vital skills sets — and it’s not just a matter of keeping parks visually appealing. Food waste, for example, attracts wildlife and erodes their natural instincts to avoid humans. It can take common items like plastic bags and aluminum cans up to 100 years to decompose.
Leave No Trace’s Hot Spots program is frequently called on to address trash-related impacts in natural areas. In places such as Nevada’s Six Mile Cove, Florida’s Indian River Lagoon and Jamaica Bay in New York, our teams have helped address trash-related concerns with Leave No Trace education.
Learn a framework of minimum impact practices for disposing of waste properly.
Cape Hatteras, NC – Ever seen a ton of trash piled next to trash cans at your campsite? What about litter scattered around the campground? Maybe
Elkhart, IN: Living on the road and traveling campground to campground, we unfortunately see a great deal of litter. Whether we are in the mountains
Mount Shasta, CA: Toilet paper on the sides of trails or in camp areas can certainly ruin your day. Visitors often recreate to experience an
Long Eddy, NY: Does your walk routine with your furry best friend look something like this? Grab poop bag. Walk dog. Pick up poop. Leave
The National Park Service was founded over a century ago to preserve and share with future generations our historic, cultural, natural and scenic treasures that
