Going on a camping holiday is a great way to be at one with nature. Exploring the countryside, going back to basics and leaving your daily life behind for a while is truly relaxing. Although camping holidays are often seen as one of the most eco-friendly types of holiday, this is not always the case. Single-use plastics and littering are big problems when it comes to camping. But you can do better than this! Here are our top tips to enjoy your camping holiday as an eco-consious traveller.
Reuse and recycle
This is one you should start thinking about before you leave home. What items will you bring that can help you be eco-conscious? This starts with getting a premium quality tent so that you can get multiple uses out of it (and it doesn’t end up in landfill after one holiday!). Especially when camping, most of your waste will be in the kitchen. Make sure to ditch the single-use plates, cups and cutlery and swap them for longer lasting alternatives. Get everyone to bring their own mug for hot drinks, soup and even a pasta meal. Metal cutlery you can wash and reuse doesn’t take up much space and is not heavy, so this is an easy eco-friendly alternative.
A filtered water bottle is also very handy to have on you. Instead of buying single-use water bottles that are bad for the environment (and over a longer time more expensive!), invest in a reusable water bottle. You can carry this around at all times ready for when you need a sip. Ideally when camping you’d want a filtered bottle so you can fill it up from a nearby stream or tap. If you worry about the space a bottle takes up, there are some water bottles you can collapse when they’re empty!
Leave no trace
Most of you will hopefully do this already on their camping hoildays! In order to help the planet, it is essential you respect nature and don’t leave anything behind on your holiday. Bring plenty of bin bags to ensure you can gather all your rubbish. Leave no plastic or other litter behind. Ideally you want to split out your recycling and keep this separate. Your campsite might have a place where they can turn your food waste into compost!
Look around your camping spot before you leave and leave no trace. Especially at festivals a lot of tents, sleeping bags and mats get left behind. Sadly, this really harms nature. If you worry about carrying everything with you and need some help with moving your stuff, have a look at these trolleys from Trail Outdoor Leisure.
Buy local produce
I think this one gets overlooked the most with eco-consious travellers. It is tempting to buy from the chain supermarket you are familiar with, but why not pop by the local shops? Items are generally locally-grown, which means it hasn’t been shipped by plane or ship from a faraway country. There is plenty of produce from the UK that is super tasty!
Local, smaller shops often waste less plastic by not having all their fruit, veg and other items wrapped in plastic (like milk in glass bottles!). Usually you get offered a paper bag for your shopping, or you can be really good by bringing your own!
Litter picking
If you really want to do your bit to help the planet, you can pick up litter whilst you are out. Camping holidays often go paired with hiking, lots of walking and exploring nature. Sadly you will find bits of plastic in most nature reserves nowadays. Whether you are by the beach, in a forest or exploring mountains, you can give nature a helping hand. Bring a bag with you, pick up any litter you find on your explorations of the countryside and dispose of it back at your campsite. This way you leave the area cleaner and better than you found it! This is a fun and educational thing to do with kids too!
Seek it close to home
Camping is often seen as an eco-friendly way to travel, because it usually doesn’t involve air-travel. However, driving in a car for hours isn’t very good for the planet either. Why not seek a campsite closer to home? It gives you a chance to explore your nearby surroundings and appreciate them more. Think of all the money you’ll save on fuel too! If you really want to camp a bit further from home, consider taking public transport. Travel by train or bus and your carbon footprint will reduce drastically.
What are your tips for eco-friendly camping?
This is a paid collaboration with Trail Outdoor Leisure. All views and opinions in this article are my own. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
