Packing away a banana skin
Image: DOC

Introduction

Help keep our natural environment free of litter. Litter harms our environment, soil, waterways and wildlife.

Be prepared to carry your litter away with you. There are no rubbish bins in the bush.

If you see litter, pick it up, even if it's not yours.

Even food scraps are litter

Tossing orange peels and apple cores into the bush might seem harmless, but it isn't.

Food scraps can take years to break down and they feed predators like rats, stoats and mice. Protect New Zealand's wildlife by packing away all litter, including food scraps.

Pack in, pack out

When you plan to head out into nature, be ready to carry your litter with you.

When heading into the bush, you’re likely to travel through remote areas where it might be a while before you can find a bin.

Make your trip easier by minimising the amount of waste you produce. When you're planning your trip, remove the packaging and pack food and other supplies into reusable containers.

Take a bag or a container that you can use to store your rubbish. Air-tight containers (like ice-cream containers) are ideal.

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