Our service project on the Camino-- Picking up trash

[kelleymac]

My 13 yo son and I walked from Leon to Santiago last Spring. We walked not only as pilgrims, but also as scouts. As long as we were walking 200 miles, we decided to get our "50 Mile Hiking Award", We needed to include a 10 hour service project on the way and so decided to pick up trash for 1/2 hour per day, dumping it in a public trash can when we came upon one in a village/city. It was a pain in the neck-- actually in the back,-- as we were wearing packs as we bent over to pick up garbage. My son got quite good at stabbing trash with his walking stick. We hauled quite a bit of garbage off the trail, but sadly left quite a bit behind. The amount of wind blown garbage (including toilet paper and sanitary pads) between Leon and Ponferrada was appalling.

So I encourage you all! Scouts and non-Scouts! Spend some time picking up garbage that's not yours! Leave the Camino a better place than you find it!

I wish you all a Buen Camino!

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I applaud both of you for your hard work and practical approach to fulfilling the Scout requirement. You took on a tough patch -- that stretch of camino hasn't been thoroughly cleaned up in a good while.
You brought up the subject, so I will pursue: toilet paper and sanitary pads. Toilet paper will degrade over a long time. Sanitary pads won't. Most of them contain chemical compounds that expand and encapsulate liquids, much like a "disposable" diaper does. These objects do not belong in nature. And here they are, scattered along the holy pathway. I cleared away two yesterday morning, my own self. Disgusting trash, left by disgusting people.

 

[Sailor]

 

[Dave C.]

My 13 yo son and I walked from Leon to Santiago last Spring. We walked not only as pilgrims, but also as scouts. As long as we were walking 200 miles, we decided to get our "50 Mile Hiking Award", We needed to include a 10 hour service project on the way and so decided to pick up trash for 1/2 hour per day, dumping it in a public trash can when we came upon one in a village/city. It was a pain in the neck-- actually in the back,-- as we were wearing packs as we bent over to pick up garbage. My son got quite good at stabbing trash with his walking stick. We hauled quite a bit of garbage off the trail, but sadly left quite a bit behind. The amount of wind blown garbage (including toilet paper and sanitary pads) between Leon and Ponferrada was appalling.

So I encourage you all! Scouts and non-Scouts! Spend some time picking up garbage that's not yours! Leave the Camino a better place than you find it!

I wish you all a Buen Camino!

Thanks for your service to the Camino and congrats on the 50 miler award.
Yours in Scouting,
Dave C.
ASM

 

[Seabird]

Spend some time picking up garbage that's not yours! Leave the Camino a better place than you find it!

Thank you, I hope to follow your example, including using my walking stick.

 

[mountaingoat999]

Great attitude ....leading the way
Thanks also

 

[Anniesantiago]

Thank you for your hard work!

I'm blown away that women would leave sanitary pads along the Camino!
But I see them all the time.
WTH???
Disgusting trash LEFT by disgusting trash!

What kind of women do this?
Is this what their mothers taught them?

 

[alhartman]

Scouting ethics stuck with me from 50 years ago. Always pack out what I pack in--a baggie to collect my tissues, ibuprofen blister packs, and sardine cans. And I pick up Camino trash for about two half days--but always near the end as by then my back is conditioned and the bending isn't a pain.
And my general observation is that the Camino has gotten trashier even in proportion to the increased number of walkers. I wonder if one of the best things the Camino Amigos could do is get trash cans along the way to incent those too lazy to carry their garbage all day to deposit trash along the way. My sense is that we have reached some tipping point where trash is so prevalent that it gets people to think there is no reason to pick up their own trash. And now a viscous cycle.
And the French routes seem to be nearly spotless; even tho I am convinced that EVERY Frenchman smokes, I have yet to see a cigarette pack or butt along the chemin. Only trash seems to be tissues, which, although they degrade, sit unsightly beside the forest mushrooms for a very long time.
Thank you and your son kellymac for making the Camino a little better.

 

[Granniesruntoo]

Scouting ethics stuck with me from 50 years ago. Always pack out what I pack in--a baggie to collect my tissues, ibuprofen blister packs, and sardine cans. And I pick up Camino trash for about two half days--but always near the end as by then my back is conditioned and the bending isn't a pain.
And my general observation is that the Camino has gotten trashier even in proportion to the increased number of walkers. I wonder if one of the best things the Camino Amigos could do is get trash cans along the way to incent those too lazy to carry their garbage all day to deposit trash along the way. My sense is that we have reached some tipping point where trash is so prevalent that it gets people to think there is no reason to pick up their own trash. And now a viscous cycle.
And the French routes seem to be nearly spotless; even tho I am convinced that EVERY Frenchman smokes, I have yet to see a cigarette pack or butt along the chemin. Only trash seems to be tissues, which, although they degrade, sit unsightly beside the forest mushrooms for a very long time.
Thank you and your son kellymac for making the Camino a little better.

 

[Granniesruntoo]

I carry a plastic nappy bag in my pocket (courtesy of my Grandaughter) and put my toilet tissues in that until I can empty them into a bin.
The bags weigh nothing (dog pickup bags are similar). There is no way I could leave anything on the Camino except my footprints.
As for other rubbish, if you can carry it full, then surely you can carry it empty!

 

[Inbar]

Thank you.
I'm now in León and find myself disgusted by the amount of toilef paper I've seen from SJPP, behind every bush and on the Way. I'm sure it's bound to get worse as we go along.
You've encouraged me to pick up a plastic glove and remove at least some of it. I hope more people will do the same.

 

[Granniesruntoo]

What a good idea the plastic glove is! You can get one from the fuel stations along the route. We are finishing our Camino next year and I will do the same. Buen Camino!

 

[Inbar]

What a good idea the plastic glove is! You can get one from the fuel stations along the route. We are finishing our Camino next year and I will do the same. Buen Camino!

You can also find them in many albergues. These guys leave trash bags and gloves in the albergues for the use of pilgrims.
https://m.facebook.com/unpasolimpio

 

[alhartman]

It would be great if those of us seen picking up trash could turn the tide for a clean Camino. An Irishman I was walking with while picking up up trash started the same thing the following day!
Nice to know albergues have gloves.

 

[Mooncat]

I just got back. Yes, I was appalled as to how many white tissues were scattered along the trail and were behind bushes. Pilgrims need to change their mindsets and pack that stuff out with them. No doubt! On the other hand, there was a lot less regular trash along the trail than I had expected. It was mostly an occasional water bottle or candy wrapper. There are trash cans at rest stops where the trail intersects the road or at other Pilgrim rest areas. Some of the trash bins were in need of emptying, but the locations I saw were being used by Pilgrims to deposit trash. And, at Cruz de Ferro, there was no garbage blowing about, as I was led to believe before my trip. There were two large dumpsters there for trash. There were occasional signs on the edges of towns that asked people not to litter along the trail. So, there is an awareness of a need for change.

Consider this, though. I saw NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS in Spain. None in the beautiful public parks in the cities. None along the trail. And, we did see one Spaniard upon exiting his car to go into a bar, just throw a bag of trash on the ground next to his car. Three other Spaniards saw him do this and had no reaction, but welcomed him into the bar. Granted, this was a single incident. But, if no solutions are advocated and pushed by the residents of Spain, then you really shouldn't expect things to change quickly. For myself, I did not litter and did not see any Pilgrims along the Way litter. Though, I did not follow people behind bushes.