Where to compost packaging?
What to do with the sachet after your meal?
After a long day of hiking and a good meal, what do you do with your waste? Any conscientious hiker automatically puts it in their bag, to throw it away once they get home. With a compostable bag, is it Is it okay to leave it there? The quick answer: no. Here’s why.
Burying the bag on the trail: why it’s not a good idea?
This can attract animals to human-frequented trails and campsites, and can make them sick. Even if you bury your bag neatly, animals are often able to find them. Since they smell like food, they may be tempted to eat them, which can have negative effects on their health.
The sad reality for some animals is that those who make a habit of foraging near human encampments are putting their lives at risk. Consider a bear. What do we do with those that prowl around encampments? There you have it.
Until it is completely degraded, the bag creates visual pollution for future hikers. The compostable bag used by Treko can take 20 weeks to degrade. If rain or animals pull it out of the ground, it can be longer! Imagine what you would think if you saw waste in the middle of nature.
What to do with your bag then?
Option 1: Use it to carry your trash or wet clothes
Since it's resealable, you can rinse it out, and use it to contain odorous waste, or waste that could contaminate your equipment, such as fruit peels or tuna cans.
Your socks that have been in the river can also be good candidates to be placed inside! Transporting them home will be easier that way!
Option 2: Take it home, and put it in the compost bin
Once back home, the bag can be placed in the municipal or domestic compost bin, or even buried directly in your garden!
It needs active bacteria to break down, so keep in mind that it may take until the summer heat returns for it to begin breaking down.
Be careful to dig deep enough to prevent rain from bringing it back to the surface.
Option 3: Take it home and reuse it for your next hikes!
Wash it by hand, and use it to bring your nut mixes, or your Treko products bought in bulk!