Litter-free hiking – plan ahead and make it easy

A litter-free environment is a shared effort: each of us is responsible for our own rubbish and takes it back with us. This article brings together practical tips that make litter-free hiking easy anywhere in Finland – whether you’re heading to the fells of Lapland, the forests of Eastern Finland, the national parks in the south, or the islands of the archipelago. You’ll also find a link to the Frequently Asked Questions about litter-free hiking at the end of this article.

Before your trip

The aim is to plan ahead and reduce the amount of packaging waste and leftovers you need to carry back.

1. Pack only the amount of food you’ll need. It’s convenient to bring snacks in durable, reusable containers and bags.
2. If you smoke or use snus or nicotine pouches, bring a pocket ashtray. A small, airtight box or bag keeps toxic nicotine waste out of nature.
3. Bring a bag or bags for packing your empty packages and other rubbish.
4. Avoid substances harmful to nature. Choose biodegradable detergents to ensure washing water doesn’t burden the environment.
5. If you use wet wipes for washing or at the toilet, choose a biodegradable version. Most wet wipes contain plastic and should never be put in toilets or left in nature.
6. You can check the waste management facilities – sorting points, composts and toilets – of your destination on luontoon.fi, either on the map or under services.

During your trip

Rest spots in nature areas generally have no recycling bins or mixed waste collection. The principle is simple: Take away everything you brought with you.

Biowaste

1. If there is a traditional dry toilet or composter, you may leave biowaste there. Only toilet paper may be placed in sealed-tank toilets.
2. Do not leave biowaste outdoors – it attracts animals and may start to smell.
3. If you need to relieve yourself in the forest, hide the used paper in moss or similar.

Other waste

1. A small amount of clean paper or cardboard can be burned in a fireplace.
2. During a wildfire warning, fires may only be lit in hut fireplaces or other chimney-equipped fireplaces. Fire-making may be locally prohibited even there if conditions require it.
3. Do not burn plastic, aluminium foil or any other waste. They can form non-degradable residue and toxic gases.
4. Do not leave burnable waste, fire starters or other rubbish for others to deal with, for example in firewood sheds.
5. If you notice rubbish left or dropped by others, picking it up is always the right thing to do. Thank you!

Washing and dishwashing

1. Wash dishes and yourself at least five metres from wells and bodies of water.
2. If there is a designated dishwashing spot or a place for wastewater at the rest area, use it.

After your trip

Sometimes it would be nice to lighten your backpack before heading home – but not all starting points have waste or recycling facilities.

1. When rubbish is neatly packed in advance, it’s easy to carry it home to your own recycling bins.
2. The busiest outdoor destinations may have waste management at the starting point.
3. Check this in advance on the destination’s luontoon.fi page, under page services or on the map.