Zero Waste Camping

Food and beverages are the number one source of waste on camping trips: a breakfast sandwich from the bakery, take away noodles, coffee to go or barbecue food wrapped in tinfoil. On the road, we often produce an abnormal amount of waste. Here is the good news: with a little preparation you can buy good and healthy food and avoid producing waste.

The best way to avoid producing waste is to cook and to avoid buying packaged food. And cooking in the kitchenette makes the cooking experience even more enjoyable. Before you embark on your trip — maybe even at home — think about what you want to cook, what you need or how you can simplify recipes. You can bring some staple foods from home and avoid having to buy them twice. This not only saves garbage but also money.

Personally, I cannot go without my assortment of spices. You can store dry foods like rice, noodles, quinoa, couscous, muesli and nuts in glasses or cloth bags and reuse them on the road. When shopping, keep in mind to bring your tote bags instead of using plastic bags. When running errands you can just pull out your tote bag. Even paper bags are not a good alternative. Compared to plastic bags the ecological footprint of paper bags only improves when using them at least three times. With your tote bag you can do your grocery shopping without producing any waste.

Every camper van is equipped with a complete set of cooking utensils and dishes so you don’t have to resort to plastic forks and paper plates. If that’s not enough or if you’re travelling without a camper van a cutlery set consisting of a fork, spoon and knife is essential. You can find them in every outdoor store. I even have a cutlery set in my purse for business trips.

A cutting board, tupperware, a mason jar and a bread tin are part of the basic equipment for the road. You can store food in these containers or even use it for your ToGo food. Jars and tupperware can also be useful for grocery shopping. At the supermarket or at the local weekly market you can have food like cheese or meat filled into the can or glass at the counter. For dishes, cans and cutlery it's best to use stainless steel. This also applies to camping pots. When cooking acidic foods (e.g. tomato sauce) in aluminium pots the aluminum can leach into your food. This can also happen with plastic.

Basic equipment that is also essential when on the road: cloth napkins or dish towels instead of kitchen rolls, a french press or Bialetti for the gas stove and for those who take zero waste seriously also pack stainless steel or glass straws.

The famous baked potatoes or fish in tinfoil prepared comfortably at the campfire or on the barbecue are favorites on camping holidays. However, tinfoil is not only controversial from a health point of view but it also leaves a damaging ecological footprint. Although aluminium can easily be recycled the bauxite necessary for aluminium production is mined under unbelievably bad conditions for workers and the environment. This is why we should avoid it as much as possible. Alternatively, you can bring a (cast iron) pan for cooking outdoors — there's no need to buy a new one. Check if you have any pans in your kitchen that can be used for this purpose. Further tips can be found on pages like Smarticular.

Although you're on vacation you still have to do the dishes and occasionally clean your vehicle. If you don’t want to use curd soap, vinegar or baking powder you can buy environmentally friendly and biodegradable (!) cleaning and washing detergentes (included in Off camper vans). They're available in drugstores and organic markets and are a good alternative to conventional products. Don’t forget to bring the following items: washable towels and cloths, a compostable brush and a scourer to clean the dishes.

Another important aspect to keep in mind is drinking water. When preparing for your camping trip find information on the quality of drinking water at your destination. Often you can drink tap water. In case the water is not purified you can consider switching to water filters or so-called lifestraws. Using a water filter should depend on the type of pollution. There are many filters that filter bacteria but not viruses. The best place to get advice on this topic is at an outdoor shop or simply buy drinking water from large containers which you can then recycle.

A reusable water bottle should not be missing on hikes. Plastic bottles are a large source of rubbish. Especially, if they are disposable bottles as is often the case outside of Germany. Even if the bottles are recyclable it can be a bit annoying to collect all the bottles and return them to the supermarket at the end of your trip. You can avoid the hassle by bringing your reusable water bottle along.

If you are still looking for a disposable water bottle a glass bottle with a snap lock is ideal although it's quite heavy. Travellers prefer plastic drinking bottles for their light weight. Make sure your plastic bottle is BPA-free as this can leach into the water and be harmful to your health. Even aluminium bottles can be coated with plastic on the inside which is not visible to the eye. Keep in mind that acid, e.g. in juices or teas can make the aluminum leach into your beverage. Therefore, stainless steel bottles are a good compromise and particularly robust. These tips are not only useful for zero waste camping but also for everyday life.

It's very apparent that ToGo cups are small yet cause serious environmental damage. Here's why: the cups are made of composite materials that are difficult or even impossible to recycle. An alternative for coffee on the go: reusable ToGo cups that you carry with you. Thermos cups are an alternative keeping your coffee or tea hot.

Hygiene is an important issue even when talking about zero waste. As hygiene products produce a lot of waste. Zero waste in the bathroom is still a current personal struggle of mine. Conventional shower gels and shampoos are just so practical. Unfortunately, they can not only ususally be bought in plastic bottles but they also often contain microplastics which are extremely harmful to the environment, humans and animals. So what should we use instead?

The bar of soap is making a comeback. Solid soap is available for showering as well as shampooing. You can just put it in a tin and bring it on your camping trip.

The same goes for deodorant. Deodorant is also available in a solid form without packaging or you can try making it yourself. Find great recipes for natural and waste free deodorants on Smarticular. Instead of body lotion you can use oils like olive oil, sesame oil or sunflower oil. It should be a native oil. You can use it for cooking as well.

In general, make sure you use biodegradable soaps and cleaning products when camping, then you can easily drain your showers and dishes outdoors.

Brushing your teeth is also waste-free. Toothbrushes made of plastic can be replaced by those made of bamboo or wood. They are often compostable down to the bristle. As a replacement for toothpaste I am currently testing toothbrush tablets. You can order them online or buy them in your organic market. Here is my honest judgement: it takes some getting used to but it's quite alright, although I was very skeptical at first. A packet of baking soda should never be missing on the road. If necessary, use it not only to brush your teeth but also to clean very dirty pans. It is an absolute all-rounder.

Whether you need the same amount of make-up on your camping trip as for a night out is questionable. As is often the case: less is more! We don’t necessarily need all the lotions we use, especially not in a camper van where space is very limited. If you don’t want to go make-up free when camping you can easily remove your make-up with oil and a washing cloth. This will save cotton pads and make-up wipes.