Easy Ways to Make Your Next Camping Trip More Sustainable

Hitting up campgrounds as the weather heats up? Here are some helpful tips to stay mindful about your waste while enjoying time in the great outdoors! 

1 - Make Eating Easy

MEALS

Reduce food waste by prepping one-pot meals ahead of time, and freezing them so they keep during your journey. They are easy to heat up, create less dishes to clean, and don’t have any food packaging that goes in the trash. Some great go-to’s are bean chili, veggie pizza and pasta salad!

SNACKS

Also making snacks ahead can make your adventures easier and nutritious! For a power up on long hikes, we love to bring peanut butter hummus to enjoy with veggies. Some PB + J fat bombs are also great kept frozen and a guiltless treat for the late afternoon cravings... 

2 - Bottles of Bubbles 

Like to sip on a drink around the camp fire? Same here. This enjoyment can be waste free too! There are tons of local breweries where you can grab a growler from and can fill up again and again. One of my favourites is SunnyCider with donated fruit to avoid food waste! 

3 - Toxic Free Teeth

Most people brush their teeth and spit it right into the ground of their campsite. One of the best things about camping is that nature is your home, but it’s easy to forget that toothpaste can contain toxic ingredients that may be harmful to wildlife. All natural toothpastes like tablets from Crush & Brush travel so easily and leave no toxic trace so you can spit freely (not recommended to try in your tent)!

4 - Sustainable Suds 

Another thing that gets splashed onto the grass while camping is dishwater. While it is great to bring reusable dishware, the soap that is used to clean them has an impact as well. While you are packing for your get away, I can deliver a jar of biodegradable + river safe dish soap on your doorstep for you to take! 

5 - Burns + Bites 

Along with making sure you are not putting harmful things into the planet, you should make sure you are doing the same for your skin. Camping necessities like sunscreen and bug spray can ward off burns and bites, but can cause other problems due to the many chemicals in them. Treat your body to a natural sunscreen, and make your own gentle bug spray with essential oils as a replacement! A favourite combo I use is lemon, eucalyptus and lavender essential oils, mixed with water in a reused spray bottle! 

6 - Bag it Up

Being completely zero waste, especially during camping, is a really difficult goal to achieve. Not to be discouraging - if you want to try it, we are fully on board! But, for the times you can’t, the next best thing to do is to ensure your waste is going in the right place, and you bring the necessary compost, recycling and garbage bags to deal with them at home if there are none on your campsite. 

When choosing a camp site, make sure to check with the current recommendations on travel, and do your part to respect the health and economic eco-systems of our neighbouring provinces and towns. Oh and most importantly, have a great time!