- Time of past OR future Camino
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Triple like, Alex! The more in this club, the better!On my next camino (sept. or so, I think) I am going to bring a bag each day and pick up garbage. I have often done this, but not systematically.
You can use tongs, or one of those fancy pick-up-tools. Both work. But be prepared to go slowly while you pick...which is actually good since it makes you pay attention here and now and undercuts the goal-oriented 'getting there' mentality.I'm planning to use a pole (no way I'm using my hand to gather other people's used TP!)
It depends on the route, and what part of the route you'll be walking. I take plastic bags that come from tiendas, and on the Frances have filled several over the couse of a day's walk. When one is getting full, I just turf it in the trash container at the next village and start on the new one.How much trash do you think it's possible to collect daily?
Please.Will you join in?
Which Camino is that, Alex?On my next camino (sept. or so, I think) I am going to bring a bag each day and pick up garbage. I have often done this, but not systematically. Why do it?
I am tired of seeing empty plastic bottles (weighs nothing), empty sigarette packs (weighs nothing) etc etc along the trails. If I put it on the back of my pack, it will not bother me at all, and I'll dump it upon arriving at the albergues. I cannot fix the stupid graffiti along the way, but I can contribute on the garbage.
It is so sad to realise that the camino is hosting so many mindless people who just throw things on the ground. What are they (not) thinking?! Better clean up after them. Payback for all the good times I have had on the caminos. Will you join in?
I do not think that either (or both) of those reasons will solve the problem!I probably wouldn't get involved for two reasons.
When there is nothing to be picked up anymore, These people can do even better things!1. People are employed to clear up trash. They are paid for by tax payers.
On roads in towns, perhaps. But not along parts of the Camino that are more out of the way.1. People are employed to clear up trash. They are paid for by tax payers.
They couldn't care less whether it gets picked up or not. That's why they litter. The scale of the mess won't matter one iota.2. Perhaps people will eventually stop littering when they see the scale of the mess they leave behind. Picking up their rubbish and they'll probably continue to litter thinking that someone else will clear up after them.
If there are 100 people a day starting from SJPdP, and everyone would clean only 1 km during their whole camino (about 33 meters a day), every spot on the Frances would be cleaned every week. There is an average of 500 people a day arriving in SdC who did the Frances. If a tenth of us.....
Thank you. Yes, I will most likely do CF, which is the main problem vs. littering. With a 3-4 days sidetrip from Burgos to Covarubbias on the Camino San Olav:Which Camino is that, Alex?
Because I don't remember really a lot of garbage along the road on other Caminos than Frances.
Anyway, nice gesture!!!
We didn't see much in June, but thank you. I am thinking of bringing a small had of yellow paint with a little brush to brighten up some of the arrows when I walk next summer. Does anyone know if this would be illegal?On my next camino (sept. or so, I think) I am going to bring a bag each day and pick up garbage. I have often done this, but not systematically. Why do it?
I am tired of seeing empty plastic bottles (weighs nothing), empty sigarette packs (weighs nothing) etc etc along the trails. If I put it on the back of my pack, it will not bother me at all, and I'll dump it upon arriving at the albergues. I cannot fix the stupid graffiti along the way, but I can contribute on the garbage.
It is so sad to realise that the camino is hosting so many mindless people who just throw things on the ground. What are they (not) thinking?! Better clean up after them. Payback for all the good times I have had on the caminos. Will you join in?
Very insightful!There are benefits: besides the slowing down...it's service, and polishes our patience and non-judgement!
... Picking up their trash is not getting to the root of the problem.
No, but it gets the trash off the Camino and out of the environment. If we would only do what addresses "the root of the problem" we very often would end up doing --- nothing.
Educate them by issuing stiff penalties.
And no, nobody HAS to do it
Read the title of this thread.
Are trash bags available to the "pickers up"? I can't stand the sight of trash so I'd be willing to collect.Ok! We’re in. We will each pick up at least one bag of garbage a day and put it near a garbage basket along the way ( which will be overflowing, of course).
I agree with SYATES... most of us..especially from other countries cannot change poor habits in a foreign country except through example. If we all even pick up one bag a day and are on the Camino for 30 days =30bags times 100 people do it every day... that would be 3 thousand bags being picked up every day! Yes it would make a difference.
Definitely will pick up . Pity those mindless people don't know that humans are "stewards of this world" or I'm sure they'd think twice before just dumping stuff.On my next camino (sept. or so, I think) I am going to bring a bag each day and pick up garbage. I have often done this, but not systematically. Why do it?
I am tired of seeing empty plastic bottles (weighs nothing), empty sigarette packs (weighs nothing) etc etc along the trails. If I put it on the back of my pack, it will not bother me at all, and I'll dump it upon arriving at the albergues. I cannot fix the stupid graffiti along the way, but I can contribute on the garbage.
It is so sad to realise that the camino is hosting so many mindless people who just throw things on the ground. What are they (not) thinking?! Better clean up after them. Payback for all the good times I have had on the caminos. Will you join in?
Most Hospitalero/as will be happy to provide a bolsa de basura to the willing.Are trash bags available to the "pickers up"? I can't stand the sight of trash so I'd be willing to collect.
So, when we see a wrong that can be remedied we don't do something? Sorry, @long trails...respectfully, I beg to differ. Very pragmatically, the people who trash the camino don't have a problem with litter. We do. So if we want it cleaned up, we do it - and then eventually reap what we sow. The fairness in the long run comes with the consequences of having done something decent versus having done something that's selfish and lazy.Why should I or anyone else have to clean up after others? It's simply not right.
Nor is not picking up the trash. The folks who litter are oblivious and probably won't notice one way or another.Come on that's not a real world solution.
It's not a command but the insinuation is that if you do not pick up other people's trash then you are not conscious. It seems that most people on this thread agrees.
I am merely suggesting that it's not the best way to tackle the issue long term.
In my honest opinion it's better that you stop with your negative talk , it's going now where.It's not a command but the insinuation is that if you do not pick up other people's trash then you are not conscious. It seems that most people on this thread agrees.
I am merely suggesting that it's not the best way to tackle the issue long term.
Educating them by picking up their trash? Yea like they are going to be standing there watching pilgrims all day. Come on that's not a real world solution.
The sort of people who would ruin their environment will not respond to do-gooders and being 'educated' this way. They'd respond more to signs with fixed penalty notices and other threats.
If anything, seeing others pick up their rubbish would probably encourage them to do the opposite.
Getting angry or even annoyed by the people who litter is a waste of time, as is trying to 'teach them a lesson,' either by way of example or laissez faire. We'll continue to pick up trash, @long trails, and you can or can not - as you choose.if you have a plastic shopping bag at the start of the day, and you just pick up trash along the path as you see it, just enough to fill one bag, and you put that bag in a trash bin, well. You´re DOING something about the problem. Enough people do this simple thing (which also gives you a good morning warm-up stretch), and the problem would be on its way to solution. People will see you doing this. Some will smirk at you. Others will be careful not to drop their junk on the ground when you are around. Some might actually start picking up trash,
too.
Counting the plastic bottles and cans and doing the math on how bad it´s going to be in 2020 and getting steamed at the idiots who do these things will only make you peevish and ill. Getting mad and assigning blame does not help anything.
It´s very rare to actually see someone throwing trash on the ground. When this happens, I ALWAYS pick up the trash (unless it´s doodoo) and I run up to the person who threw it and I say "Hey! You dropped this trash on the ground! I know you didn´t mean to, right?" And I hand it to him. (This has only happened twice, but it was very gratifying. Until one of them just dropped the trash on the ground again. So I reported him to the guardia for littering.)
I am not usually such a weenie, but this is my pet peeve. You go to all the trouble to come to Spain to walk this extraordinary path, and then you literally shit on it.
Anyway, the best thing we can do is just pick stuff up when we see it. Simple, effective, and practically free.
On my next camino (sept. or so, I think) I am going to bring a bag each day and pick up garbage. I have often done this, but not systematically. Why do it?
I am tired of seeing empty plastic bottles (weighs nothing), empty sigarette packs (weighs nothing) etc etc along the trails. If I put it on the back of my pack, it will not bother me at all, and I'll dump it upon arriving at the albergues. I cannot fix the stupid graffiti along the way, but I can contribute on the garbage.
It is so sad to realise that the camino is hosting so many mindless people who just throw things on the ground. What are they (not) thinking?! Better clean up after them. Payback for all the good times I have had on the caminos. Will you join in?
#ecoperegrino / Camino del ReciclajeView attachment 44904
There is already a Spanish initiative to encourage pilgrims to pick up litter. I was given this sturdy nylon bag by the hospitalera in Villambistia, it has a slogan printed on it about saving our environment and comes with a small brochure. I picked litter for a day, without a pole, and my knees were hurting the next day. I forgot I had 9 kg on my back! I would definitely do it again, but with a pole.
This is wonderful news.#ecoperegrino / Camino del Reciclaje
Brava!I picked litter for a day, without a pole, and my knees were hurting the next day. I forgot I had 9 kg on my back! I would definitely do it again, but with a pole.
I feel very strongly about rubble on the Way, please please pilgrims, just pick up a few items, especially plastic, it weighs nothing and as alexwalker says, just dump it in the next refuse bin.On my next camino (sept. or so, I think) I am going to bring a bag each day and pick up garbage. I have often done this, but not systematically. Why do it?
I am tired of seeing empty plastic bottles (weighs nothing), empty sigarette packs (weighs nothing) etc etc along the trails. If I put it on the back of my pack, it will not bother me at all, and I'll dump it upon arriving at the albergues. I cannot fix the stupid graffiti along the way, but I can contribute on the garbage.
It is so sad to realise that the camino is hosting so many mindless people who just throw things on the ground. What are they (not) thinking?! Better clean up after them. Payback for all the good times I have had on the caminos. Will you join in?
News report of 2 August 2018:#ecoperegrino / Camino del Reciclaje
Just because I won't pick up other's rubbish does not mean I am not a conscious pilgrim.
I find this particularly irksome about this thread - the suggestion that if you do not pick up anything you are somehow a lesser being and even as bad as the litterer themselves. That's really not fair. I respect other's choices to do actions that might or might not help the situation. It's a shame the respect is not reciprocated.
You are potentially encouraging them to litter again by cleaning up after them. Now that could be seen as harming the situation too.
There is a serious 'holier than thou' attitude being displayed here.
Oh, Tinker , you make me laugh........None should be discomfited by the aspiring martyrs in this thread.....
It looks like a nicely reusable bag. However, most of the garbage bins like you are using, have a decal asking that all garbage be put in plastic bags!!!I was given this sturdy nylon bag by the hospitalera in Villambistia
On the contrary, it sounds like they take it very seriously.You only have to drive through Spain and see the state of the verges along the highways to know that the Spanish do not take littering seriously.
On the contrary. Studies show that people are more likely to drop litter in environments that are highly littered. It's a vicious cycle:Perhaps people will eventually stop littering when they see the scale of the mess they leave behind.
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