Four Rules for an Eco Friendly Holiday

The amount of generated waste has tripled since 1960, and the amount of trash in the sea is ten times the amount from just two decades ago. More than eight million tons of plastic waste ends up in the sea each year, and plastic is one of the materials that decomposes the slowest. Some types of plastic last for more than 500 years. Aren’t all these figures reason enough to recycle even when you are on holiday?

Nowadays, camping sites are all well-equipped and offer all the infrastructure and services for responsible waste disposal, as well as many other opportunities to spend your holiday eco-conscious as possible. Escaping to nature and holidaying outdoors implies we care about the environment even when we are on holiday. So, avoid using single-use plastic and make sure you recycle. Here are some more pieces of advice on how to behave while camping to make your holiday ecofriendly.

1. FIND THE ECO ISLANDS ON THE CAMPSITE

Recycle even when on holiday! What we can do is make sure we don’t leave our waste wherever we can, but in dedicated places and containers. Waste sorting and recycling allows the reuse of certain materials, which is how we help preserve nature. Try to find the so-called Eco Islands in Valamar camping sites, which enable the separate collection of different types of waste. If there isn’t any of them on the campsite maps, or perhaps you need further information, feel free to contact our reception staff.

2. THE “LEAVE NO TRACE” PRINCIPLE

To make sure we can return to our favorite destination the following year and still enjoy the nature there, it is important to leave the place we have visited unspoiled. So, we should not break any branches, pick flowers, or destroy in any other way the environment we are staying in. You can enjoy nature simply by observing it. The “leave no trace” principle is fundamental for any camper. Bring only memories from your next camping trip.

3. USE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES AND SOLAR LAMPS

If not properly disposed of, used batteries pose a huge threat to the environment. If you have any battery-operated gadgets, make sure you use rechargeable batteries, thus avoiding the amassing of used batteries. Modern camping equipment is mostly in line with the strict environment protection rules, so you can get solar lamps and other electronic equipment that use solar power.

4. ELIMINATE THE USE OF SINGLEUSE PLASTIC

Plastic bottles can be replaced with multiuse glass ones. Use canvas tote bags or biodegradable bags instead of plastic ones, and if your food containers have t o be plastic, then at least make sure they are reusable. Nowadays, there are a number of plastic-free products for everyday use, including biodegradable cotton swabs and bamboo toothbrushes. Two years ago, Valamar banned all plastic straws from its restaurants and bars and replaced them with biodegradable ones.

BLUE CONTAINER

PAPER

PUT IN:

newspaper and office paper, magazines, catalogues, brochures, notebooks, paper and cardboard packaging

DON’T PUT IN:

Tetra Pak, plasticized paper, metallized paper

YELLOW CONTAINER

PLASTIC AND METAL

PUT IN:

packaging of detergents, shampoos and food products, bags, bottles, cans, tins, Tetra Pak 

DON’T PUT IN:

packaging of strong chemicals and flammable substances, packaging of sprays, paints and varnishes, plastic toys

GREEN CONTAINER

GLASS

PUT IN:

glass bottles and jars of all colors, glasses

DON’T PUT IN:

medical and automotive glass, packaging of strong chemicals and flammable substances, light bulbs