Garbage: any hints or helpers or trash tips

[path1]

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?

[Tvov]

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.

[Tvov]

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.

[PapPappy]

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

[rockhillmanor]

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!