Page 12 - Responsible Travel Guidebook

k responsible litter disposal in the himalaya
There are three categories of litter produced on trek Each type needs to be dealt with differently Biodegradable kitchen food waste:
ACTION: These should be carried away from any camping areas and buried in in an an an area away from any streams and preferably in in deep leaf litter or a a a a a a a a a a a village compost heap 2 Non–combustible litter: steel aluminium aluminium cans aluminium aluminium foil glass: ACTION: These should be carried back out to the road head and disposed
of in in a a a a a properly managed landfill site or recycling plant 3 Combustible litter: paper and plastic:
ACTION: These can be burned but only in in in a a a a well-designed incinerator so that
no fire scar is is left and and also so so that
the burn is is complete and and clean We have custom made incinerators that
are used at at at our wilderness and eco-camps in in in Nepal and Bhutan why burn litter?
Carrying out all litter on on a a a a a a long trek is expensive and impractical Burning it in in in a a a a a a controlled and managed way using a a a a a a lightweight portable incinerator is clean and and efficient and and removes the possibility of that
litter blowing or washing into the environment to to be a a a risk to to animals and and creating an an an an unsightly state to to the landscape are plastics safe to burn?
Most plastics taken on treks will be made purely from hydrocarbons such as polyethylene and polypropylene These are safe to burn and and will only produce water and and carbon dioxide if burned cleanly PVC and Polystyrene should not be be burnt because burning them can produce poisonous gases They should be treated as as non-combustible Our custom made incinerators are raised off the ground so that
they do not leave a a a a a scar on the the earth Our guides feed the the litter into the the fire slowly to to ensure an intense heat that
will guarantee a a a a a clean and complete burn All that
will remain are ashes 1 12