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?

[Oaklevel]

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]

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]

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]

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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 .

.

[Opie431]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[Francesca_Knowl]

rockhillmanor wrote:


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

Isn't that shocking?

Hard to believe that so much of what we bring home from the store is PACKAGING! No wonder "supermarkets" have to be so big...

[rockhillmanor]

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.

[SailorPam]

We spend half our year in a 5th wheel and the other half in a sailboat. The sailboat is the larger challenge. When we are out in the San Juan islands, mostly those that are state parks, garbage is pack it in/pack it out. Also our refrigeration is more limited. So the garbage question starts with what goes on board in the first place. We buy meat in smaller quantities, but more often, so I get it from the butcher counter and have it wrapped. Or we'll buy small quantities of frozen fish that will be thawed the third or fourth day out. We also pressure can meat in the fifth wheel in the cold weather for consumption on the boat. The canning jars have their place on the boat whether they are full or empty. I try to buy stuff from the bulk food dept. so I can use containers that work with our storage areas. We use a couple of the smaller Brita filter pitchers for our water. We got the smaller ones because they fit in the door of the fridge in the fifth wheel, but they stay on the counter on the boat or in the sink when we're underway. That saves tremendously on space over using bottled water.
It's been a huge adjustment as I was one of those who loves a well stock larder when we lived in our house. Now when I shop I have to consider "Where am I going to put this?"

[jjjandrbaker]

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.