We created an itemised kit list – this is a list of things that might encourage re-use/less waste, including reusable coffee cups, water bottles, and a quick-dry towel. The latter was a suggestion from one of the team, that they’d like to reduce their environmental impact when staying at accommodation for just one night. And the list has a blank space for them to make their own suggestion.
How it works – we set a small budget (approx. £20-30 per person, depending on the number in the team). They list the things they would like – and think they would use – in order of preference and we buy what we can depending on the cost. If they have made their own suggestion that sounds worth trying but it costs more than the budget, we’ll see if we can buy it.
No bulk buying – this was a conscious decision not to buy a bulk order of branded water bottles, or the usual canvas bags. We didn’t want to create waste before we’d even begun. Yes, it’d be lovely to have branded cups but if we ended up with even one cup unused it would have been the wrong decision. Also it was a way of buying for the individual. We feel it needs to be their own decision, to fit the individual, and be something they can take on – we can give encouragement but at the end of the day it’s up to them if they change their behaviour.
The van – as part of Green Wheels Touring we also used at what changes we could make for the van. This is still very much a trial, at the moment we’ve got shopping bags which are stashed in the door and we’re looking if just one big recycling bag would make recycling possible – the van is often jam packed and space is tricky.