How to Dispose of Uneaten Food

Camping is a popular way to enjoy the great outdoors, and mealtime is often the best part of the day. If you're staying at a public campground, disposing of leftover food and trash is relatively easy. You simply place garbage in a designated trash receptacle that is emptied daily. However, camping in more remote areas requires more forethought and planning. No one likes pitching camp in an area with scraps of past campers' meals lying around. Leave no trace behind by packing out your uneaten food or disposing of it in an environmentally sound manner.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic containers
  • Campfire
  • Backpack
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Instructions

  1. Don't Leave Any Evidence

    • 1

      Package food in plastic containers for each meal. Place dry pancake mixes, for example, in zip-top plastic food bags and mix your breakfast right in the bag. If you're only camping on an overnight trip, consider taking food that needs no refrigeration and no cooking. For example, instant oatmeal, instant coffee, and freeze-dried foods in pouches require little more than boiling water for preparation. These foods don't spoil and don't require much cleanup. Their minimal packaging makes it easy to pack out your trash.

    • 2

      Plan food portions carefully and only cook enough to feed all party members for one meal. Many foods spoil easily without refrigeration, but small portions may be placed in small containers to eat later in the day as a snack or as part of the next meal.

    • 3

      Use single-portion foods such as instant oatmeal and individual boxes and bags of snacks. There are few leftovers to dispose of. Paper and cardboard may be burned in a campfire but this is not the recommended course of action. During dry weather open fires may be banned. Moreover, burning food scraps and paper trash violates the principle of "leave no trace."

    • 4

      Pack all trash and uneaten food back out with you. Rinse or wash smelly pouches or cans at the campsite and dispose of the dishwater properly if bears are in the area.

    • 5

      Don't bury uneaten food or empty food containers. Wildlife may dig it up and begin to regard campsites as food sources, thus becoming pests or threats to other campers.