We always leave a place cleaner than we found it. I'm not ranting about trash or how messy some people are. Not the purpose.What I'm asking is simply: what have you found to be the best way to deal with trash. Not only in developed parks, but when no services are provided or Sunday afternoon when the park trash bin is overfilled.When we started pre-cooking meals at home before the trip, that helped a lot not only in storage dept. But as a side benefit of less trash when RVing. Even though that wasn't the reason behind pre-cooking, just worked out that way. The amount of plastic and blister packaging is not like years ago when food was wrapped in butcher paper. The amount of trash generated by just two people makes me wonder. We probably make about a 1/4 of kitchen size trash bag a day. Not a very good subject but important. Packaging seems to be the main problem IMO Anybody care to share what works best for them: generate less trash or any helpful ideas?

Yes when you start RV'ing it becomes real clear how much garbage a person creates daily. At home you just don't seem to notice because you are not having to move it daily like in a CG.I change nothing regarding cooking or purchasing food habits. It's only a bag of garbage and there are dumpsters at all CG's so for me it's not big deal.When on the road RV'ing there are not many CG's that offer recycling bins. That bothers me a bit.But a full dumpster does not. That is the CG's problem not mine. If it's full and I am leaving, my bag is put on top even if it takes a balancing act. Or on the ground up against the dumpster. I paid for the site AND a dumpster for my garbage. It most certainly is not coming with me in the RV!

It really is a toss up....packaging that you can throw away, or packaging that you have to wash, using up your water supply.We recycle our water bottles, so those go back home with us, and really don't pose a "threat" with regard to wild animals, so we can put those in a 5-gal pail outside the RV.We try to keep it low-tech...using packaging that will crush easily (as compared to tin cans), so that it will take up less space.Fortunately, we're not really 3-meal/day eaters......rather going for a Brunch and dinner, so that pretty much eliminates about 1/3 of our trash too.Since we haven't taken a long trip yet, I can't speak for long term trash, but we're usually good with a single 30-gal kitchen trash bag.....if need be, we'll just take it home with us.:)Definitely agree that we should (and we do) leave the campsite better than we found it. Years in the Boy Scouts pretty much drilled that into us:B

I would think that there is a big difference between "weekenders" and full-timers regarding garbage, and type of camper/RV. We are weekenders, and I have taken our garbage home from rustic state parks that I either couldn't find the dumpster or forgot I had it in the back of the truck when we were leaving. The back of my pickup truck is fine with bags of garbage in it if necessary... with a Class C or A I would think I would mind it a bit more, having garbage in the camper!We don't worry so much about how much garbage we create, as we are there only for 2 or 3 days. We use a lot of paper plates and plastic utensils for easy cleanup. We do not burn plastic in campfires, but will burn most of our paper products before leaving -- I have NEVER left a campfire burning, or even hot coals, when leaving a campsite.

Oh, if the campsite dumpster is full, I'm with Rockhillmanor -- just put our bags on top or next to it. We have run into that many times. The campgrounds where I've talked to the manager said not to worry about it, as they would have a special dumpster pickup on Sunday afternoon or first thing on Monday.

I camp alone 98% of the time. Most trips are two nighters. I don't do any major cooking. Just the same, I seem to fill two kitchen sized bags per trip. I even crush and roll up my water bottles before throwing them in. Anything that might stink doesn't even go in my trash, but gets an instant hike to the dumpster.I agree with the others with regards to full dumpsters. If it is a constant problem, the park needs to get another one.

Garbage: any hints or helpers or trash tips | Good Sam Community

Oaklevel
Explorer
Jul 29, 2013
rockhillmanor wrote:
I use grocery bags as garbage bags and take it to the dumpster at the end of the day. As I mentioned in my other post I have yet to stay at a CG that had a recycling bin. I full time so there is no taking it home with me so sadly it is going in the trash.

Interestingly when I run out of grocery bags I am also running out of food! Been on the road full time for a few years now and it still amazes me of this phenomenon.

It tells me my RV'ing garbage equals around 100% of what I buy when unable to recycle.

We are seeing more & more recycling at campgrounds ....A couple smaller campgrounds we stay at, recycle plastics & Alum Cans......but the bigger campground (Ocean Lakes in Myrtle Beach) recycles much more including the boxes food comes in, cans, just about all plastics, alum & so on , (Recycle sites in several locations throughout the campground). They also have a trash truck crew that picks up your trash at the curb as well.......
doxiemom11
Explorer II
Jul 28, 2013
We also use grocery bags for out trash and have 1 per day that we take to the dumpster after dinner. Or, if parked where we can have our large outdoor trash can, we fill that can with the tied grocery bags for a few days and then take the larger trash bag to the dumpster.
Roads_Less_Trav
Explorer II
Jul 27, 2013
We have a regular kitchen-sized trash bin and we empty it every 2-4 days.

At boondocking and campground sites that are trashy, I run around with baggies on my hands and pick up all the trash.

We try to leave every site cleaner than we found it. Some have taken half an hour or so to clean up!!! But it makes it nice for the next person.
H345
Explorer
Jul 27, 2013
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I unpack or repack all food purchases . Everything is in a sealable container . My containers are sized for the type of items and fit in the storage cabinets and refrigerator .
When I stop to purchase groceries I save most of the plastic bags and take all of the trash to the store dumpster . At least once a day I dump the trash to prevent odors and bugs .

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Opie431
Explorer
Jul 24, 2013
I burn what I can on the campfire, wash the cans and bottles and put the rest in bags in a container with a tight fitting top. And there is a plastic bag in the container.
We are usually at campgrounds with dumpsters for the trash but when we are out in the woods sometimes it is several days before we can empty trash.
down_home
Explorer II
Jul 16, 2013
Not a whole lot of room for a big trash can under the sink. Wife use lemon scented trash can liners with draw strings. Every day, just about involves one trip to the dumpster. Dry camping, only a few times, have double bagged and put into a bay until we can find somewhere to dispose of it.
MillicentLake
Explorer
Jul 16, 2013
I too am wondering what is all this garbage? I'm not a camper (yet) but at home I produce about a plastic grocery bag full a week -- the rest is recycled or "pre-cycled," i.e., I take care to purchase only in quantities needed, to opt for product with less packaging, etc.

It really pains me to think of plastic bottles, cans, laundry jugs, aluminum foil and the like being tossed into garbage bin nationwide.
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Jul 15, 2013
We usually find recycle bins in public parks - national, state, etc... Or even in towns. When you're a full-timer you can't take it home with you. :) If we're at a place with a fire pit, we burn paper - nothing else. Between recycling and burning we have very little garbage.
bertnspike
Explorer
Jul 15, 2013
Wow, how come you folks have so much trash? I'm a fulltimer, never eat out, and use 1 grocery bag for all my trash. I go to the dumpster every 3 days or so, whether recycling is available or not. Crushing containers flat helps a lot...
jjjandrbaker
Explorer
Jul 14, 2013
rockhillmanor wrote:
I use grocery bags as garbage bags and take it to the dumpster at the end of the day.

I need to start doing that. My dad took two of those little cup hooks and screwed them into the sides of his kitchen trash can. The bag handles were then held in place.

He also had a rope strung in his garage where he hung the bags by the handles until he needed one.

Dad was about as frugal as they come. I need to adopt some of his techniques.