In line with the philosophy of ‘leaving no trace‘, we should always be thinking of how to reduce and manage our waste when we are preparing food on our outdoor adventures. Some simple tips to do this can include:
Dehydrating foods– Many of the dried foods we enjoy can be made at home. For the keen bushwalker, using a dehydrator at home to make their own can mean avoiding buying lots of individually packaged foods. Simply packaging their own foods into reusable bags can prevent a lot of plastic packaging.
Use plastic alternatives– With a little planning and experimentation, much plastic can be avoided. Some alternatives to plastic bags that may be more suitable can include things like calico or cotton bags instead of plastic bags, biodegradable ziploc bags or ideally hard bodied plastic containers that can be used for other purposes such as serving food or storing other waste when finished.
Be mindful of what to do with any rubbish– Despite our best intentions and plans, the reality is that we will end up with some plastic that needs to be thrown out. Some things to think about can include ensuring that any waste is kept away from our foods to avoid contamination and not disposing it anywhere other than in a bin. In some isolated areas this might mean holding it for several days until a bin is found.