What can you do about rubbish in the bush?

Published 29 October 2020

We’ve all seen it… you pull up at your chosen camping spot and it’s covered in garbage left by the last campers that were there. It’s not just camp sites though. There’s a mounting problem with rubbish at camp sites, on beaches, along tracks and in rivers and lakes. If nothing is done, we’re facing some bad consequences.

So what’s the problem with leaving a little bit behind?

Think about it. If everyone left behind a plastic bottle ever time they went camping, that means that an average camp site would have 3 or 4 bottles left there every week.

But this problem is not just about that. It’s more about people that don’t want to take responsibility for their actions, think that they are better than everybody else and that the rules of common sense and decency don’t apply to them.

How can we all help to clean up the bush?

It’s really simple, and there’s only two things that you need to do!

First, it’s as simple as taking all of your rubbish with you when you leave. See, I said it was simple! All you need is some sturdy rubbish bags (so they don’t split or break when you’re taking them home), and maybe some rubbish bins, like or Croc Bins, to make sure that there’s always somewhere to collect your rubbish.

Second, if there’s rubbish lying around, clean it up and take it with you, even if it’s not yours.

What happens if campsites are left full of rubbish?

The simple answer is that councils and private owners have to pay someone to clean up the mess left behind by others. There’s a time when the costs of that outweigh the benefits of offering that area as a camp site. When that happens the camp site is closed so no one can use it again.

Join us in keeping the bush clean!

We all want to see the bush remain open, so please join us and keep the bush clean!