What do I do with my rubbish?
Littering in the landscape is a crucial issue. Left behind litter not only affects ecosystems, animals and plants but also has a negative impact on the human perception of the landscape. But what to do with your waste?
In the Ötscher Base nature park centre, we follow a "no waste bin" philosophy. After all, the golden rule for hiking is to never leave any litter behind. Everything I bring into the park I also take back home with me – no matter if it's tissues, plastic bottles or leftovers from the food I brought. The proper hiking equipment is therefore only complete with a plastic bag that you can use to collect your waste and dispose of properly back home.
Biological waste in nature
Even seemingly biological waste can cause damage to nature, whether by spoiling the pristine landscapes or impacting the alpine ecosystem. Leftovers from food such as tangerine or banana peels take serval years to decompose and can on top of that introduce pesticides into the fragile ecosystem. Even a common handkerchief takes up to 5 years to decompose completely. Therefore, make sure after your lunch break that you take your leftovers and wrappers with you and don't leave them behind in nature!
One cigarette stub contains more than 700 toxins. These can enter the soil or the groundwater. Therefore, do not just throw away your cigarette stubs, whether at the parking lot or in nature. For this reason, an environmentally conscious smoker always carries a pocket ashtray.
If you follow these simple rules, you will not only be protecting and benefitting the environment but also future generations!