Sustainable camino

[gittiharre]

I was organising my gear for my next camino and was aghast really when I looked at Altus, Gortex shoes, snaplock bags, plastic drink bottles, shampoo minis, plastic toothbrush, lunch container, folding cup, spork, quick dry hiking clothes....everything just about was non biodegradable let alone compostable. Has anyone put together an " environmentally ethical" pack...with a "leave no trace" approach in mind? I think it would be a great project!
p.s. I do use merino and silk items, not just plastic based ones...I use snaplock bags to keep my sleeping bag liner in to isolate in case I pick up a bedbug or eggs...etc...I have used the same clickclack container and drink bottles for several trips...but still...

 

[TaraWalks]

Such a great post! On our Camino together, my sister and I worried about our sustainability regarding our use of plastics etc.

This time, I am trying to do better (much less plastic and more reusable products) however a couple of zip locks have snuck their way in - mainly for meds, first aid and a care package for the 24 hour plane trip from Aus.

A great idea for a project.

 

[evanlow]

1. Fill the water from the fountain or tap and never ever buy even a single plastic bottle. That's already enough.
2. Two zip locks to waterproof my documents and my phone when it rains.
My toiletries bag (the type that can be unrolled and hung) has lots of compartments, eliminating the need for other zip lock bags.
3. The only reusable I use is the travel size 80ml shampoo bottle where I fill it with body wash before I depart for my Camino. If I do end it in a hostal (which is not uncommon for routes outside the CF), I can refill it.
4. Two plastic bag. One for my sandals (to go to the showers and to walk in the evening) and another to buy stuff at the supermarket. When they ask you 'bolsa?' say no.

If everyone can do just number 1, that would be enough...

 

[gittiharre]

I do no 1. Don't quite have no 2. Hmm have moisturizer, hand sanitizer, sunblock, toothpastes, deo, mozzie repellent...lip balm.....etc...but wait there is prob more.. .ouch...
4. Cloth bag for crocs.. and eco bag for food shop and inside out as laundry bag

 

[Oravasaari]

Inter-continental air travel is the biggie. Choose a carrier that is at least making noises about trying to using sustainable biofuels in the future (carriers who are involved in the testing studies and have had demonstration flights, or have its use as an objectice in their sustainability policy). This Wiki article has a list at the end containing this info. If you live in Europe take the train. Of course walking from your own front door would be best and totally authentic!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation_biofuel

In terms of gear, just getting good value and usage out of it is as important as how or what it's made if. Buy good stuff, from good manufactures, not made in sweatshops, made from sustainable sourced materials, keep it, keep hiking, keep using it, don't get it "upgraded" for fashion or vanity until it is shot.

In terms of consumables, a bar of olive oil Marseilles soap in a reuseable tin does for showering, laundry, shampoo. Go au natural and leave out the beauty products.

 

[gittiharre]

Inter-continental air travel is the biggie. Choose a carrier that is at least making noises about trying to using sustainable biofuels in the future (carriers who are involved in the testing studies and have had demonstration flights, or have its use as an objectice in their sustainability policy). This Wiki article has a list at the end containing this info. If you live in Europe take the train. Of course walking from your own front door would be best and totally authentic!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation_biofuel

In terms of gear, just getting good value and usage out of it is as important as how or what it's made if. Buy good stuff, from good manufactures, not made in sweatshops, made from sustainable sourced materials, keep it, keep hiking, keep using it, don't get it "upgraded" for fashion or vanity until it is shot.

In terms of consumables, a bar of olive oil Marseilles soap in a reuseable tin does for showering, laundry, shampoo. Go au natural and leave out the beauty products.

Yes bought Marseillaise Soap for that reason. Is Emirates up with bio fuel? If not which airline is between NZ and Europe?

 

[Oravasaari]

Air NZ, Quantas and Virgin have done test flights. Check the wiki link, table at end of the article.

 

[Paladina]

Would you prefer to relieve your back or your conscience? An ‘environmentally ethical’ pack list would probably begin with a heavy duty cotton rucksack, the steel-framed kind that I took hiking and camping fifty years ago. It must have weighed 4 or 5 kilos, and I doubt that many walkers would contemplate carrying that load on the Camino. I agree with the earlier responses: do the best you can by reducing, reusing and recycling the contents of your pack. As for air travel, the ‘ethical’ pilgrim wouldn’t even go there... Buen Camino!

 

[gittiharre]

I do plant trees! Live in NZ. My family is in Europe....hard to avoid Air travel and at least my holidays involve walking once I get there.

 

[gittiharre]

I do plant trees! Live in NZ. My family is in Europe....hard to avoid Air travel and at least my holidays involve walking once I get there.

And we use an electric vehicle in NZ, some compensation for air travel....

 

[gittiharre]

Vaude have a range of Sympatex products, backpack, jackets, boots, shoes. A clean green breathable and waterproof alternative to nasty gortex...

 

[RJM]

Very difficult to be greener these days, but I try to when I can. Some less plastic use is better than none.
I despise the plastic water bottle usage these days and almost equally the plastic grocer bags. One use and tossed in a bin and only a small fraction are really recycled. I see so many pilgrims buying plastic bottled water everyday. I guess they are afraid to drink the water at the fountains.
If and when I do buy a soda type drink on the Camino (or anywhere) I try and get it in an aluminium can. High recycle percentage for those. If I don't bring my own water bottles, I buy two soda drinks in plastic 1/2 liter bottles before I start. I drink the contents and those two bottles are my water containers the entire walk unless I lose one. I try not use any more if possible. I use the soda type because they are sturdier and very much leak resistant. You would have to abuse one quite a bit to make it leak.
To avoid the plastic bag usage and waste (also some markets now charge for them) I just use a small cloth with strings for straps pack I carry rolled up in my backpack in case I have to check the backpack on the flight. It is just large enough to hold what few groceries I may buy at a market or shop in towns on the Camino, and it weighs so few grams it won't register on my small scale.

 

[Oravasaari]

Water bottles - All the plastic shop bought water bottles in Finland are sturdy so I take one with me. The Spanish ones can often be very thin and brittle.

 

[gittiharre]

We have Systems BPA free bottles in NZ. They really don't leak and I have had mine for several years. I use the slightly squashable softish ones. Thought about stainless steel option, but I carry my bottles attached to waist belt and shoulder straps and thought if I fell over I might do myself an injury falling on hard bottles...

 

[MrsGoGo]

We bought a modular hydration system to our backpacs. We will fill them with tapwater, not from a plastic bottles. I'm wondering about the water's hygiene. We will go CP from Porto.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Most of our kit is still in use from our first Caminos (2009 and 2010 onwards). We don't 'upgrade' it. Boots are leather and have needed replacing.
Water bottles are aluminium and although we do buy bottled water we get a very large size each afternoon after walking, drink about half and fill our bottles for next day. Then we make sure that the bottles are left for recycling.
Shopping, a small folding bag not plastic bags. We do carry a few freezer type thin bags for food storage but re-use until they are no longer any good and then use them for rubbish. We do this at home anyway.

Basically we can try to use less but it is not really possible to use none at all and it would be bad to dump things because of their plastic content, better IMO to wear it out first.

 

[gittiharre]

Most of our kit is still in use from our first Caminos (2009 and 2010 onwards). We don't 'upgrade' it. Boots are leather and have needed replacing.
Water bottles are aluminium and although we do buy bottled water we get a very large size each afternoon after walking, drink about half and fill our bottles for next day. Then we make sure that the bottles are left for recycling.
Shopping, a small folding bag not plastic bags. We do carry a few freezer type thin bags for food storage but re-use until they are no longer any good and then use them for rubbish. We do this at home anyway.

Basically we can try to use less but it is not really possible to use none at all and it would be bad to dump things because of their plastic content, better IMO to wear it out first.

Yes I agree. Dumping is a bad idea as the stuff is already there! My approach has been similar to yours. Just cross with myself for having acquired some of this stuff in the first place. And I just bought new gortex boots only to discover Sympatex option at Vaude a week later. Grrrr. Basically the question at the point of purchase to ask oneself" How will we/the planet get rid of this one day?" Great anti consumer strategy!

 

[Albertagirl]

How about re-using plastic bags from your shopping: one for plastic bottles and other plastic items picked up along the trail and put in the "plastico" recycle bin in the next village, and the second for whatever more disgusting forms of garbage you can bring yourself to pick up along the trail and dump in the next available garbage bin? You can ration yourself in doing this, as it gets a bit tedious after a while. Just use the bags which you are given.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

And before you reach for that plastic bottle of crystal clear water read this:

Micro-plastics in bottled water

and for a shopping bag try a "filet" string net bag beloved by French grannies for ages:

shopping bag