Mizuki KawashukudaSummer is coming, making it the ideal time to go camping. As spending time in nature is one of the best parts of camping, it is a prerequisite that you don’t harm the environment. However, camping produces more rubbish than usual.
To solve this issue, we provide some tips on making camping as nature-friendly as possible.
How do I choose a campsite?
The first and most important thing is to choose a campsite that reduces your environmental impact as much as possible. In particular, waste disposal services are the first thing to check. Compare whether recycling is done properly and whether composting is available.
For example, composting is available at the following campsites in Japan.
- Fuji Eco Park Village, Fuji Eco Campground (Yamanashi prefecture)
Food waste is fermented and used as chicken feed. Users can experience feeding chickens. - Horenbo no Mori Campsite (Yamanashi prefecture)
They request users to separate garbage finely. Food waste is composted at the composting facility in Kosuge Village and sold at the roadside station.
Also, if you want to take as little belongings as possible, don’t forget to check if there is a dish and utensil hire service.
How to avoid generating rubbish?
Cooking is a particularly wasteful process.
The first step is to reduce disposable items as much as possible. For example, buy vegetables that are not packaged and bring cut-up foodstuffs where possible. Also, instead of carrying large quantities of water in plastic bottles, use water tanks and use water provided locally or bring your own from home.
Bringing your utensils instead of disposable crockery is also a good idea. In addition, using towels instead of paper towels and wet wipes is another tip to reduce waste.
A further option is to reduce the number of cooking steps. It may be a good idea to bring food that can be eaten without cooking, such as hummus or cheese. Raw food, which means eating vegetables and fruit raw as much as possible, is not only good for you as it reduces the cooking process but also provides effective enzymes and nutrients from heat-sensitive plants.
What should I do with the waste I produce?
If you do all of the above, you should be able to reduce your waste to some extent. If you still produce food waste, you can throw it into compost at the campsite or take it home in a storage container. Stasher, a silicone bag with zips are ideal for taking excess food and food waste home, as there is no risk of leakage.
How do you wash up?
The most important thing to be aware of at the campsite is detergent. Common dishwashing chemical detergents can harm the rivers and soil near the washing-up area. Therefore, it is advisable to use organic and 100% natural ingredients, such as Dr Bronner’s ALL-ONE! soap.
Microplastics from sponges as well as detergents can be equally problematic. So using naturally derived, such as Hechima Kokochi‘s loofah scrubbing brush, can help.
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What about camping toiletries?
When camping, where you spend a lot of time outside, protection against sunburn and insect bites is essential. However, swimming in a river after using chemical-based ingredients will inevitably affect water quality. Therefore, it’s better to use 100% natural ingredients. Regarding insect repellent, it can be homemade using herbs, alcohol, and lemon.
[Reference] 4 sustainable sunscreen brands from Japan for this summer’s outingsEarth-friendly camps are connected to daily life
These are just a few tips for earth-friendly camping, but many of these can be practiced in everyday life, not just in camping situations. Why not try to lead a nature-friendly lifestyle in your everyday life through the experience of earth-friendly camping?
