Camping and caravanning is such a fantastic way to enjoy exploring and seeing new places and getting away from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives but it's also great to be mindful of our own impact on the environment. Nobody is perfect, but it is inevitable that we all produce waste, use electricity and gas and use petrol and diesel in our vehicles. There's been a lot of talk in the news recently about the devastating impact the insatiable use of plastic is having on the environment, and there are ways we can all minimise our own impact whether we're at home or away camping and caravanning.
Recycle whenever you can. We have glass recycling, mixed recycling, and standard waste bins. Sort your waste before disposing of it so you're ready to put it in the correct bins. The Bin lorry won't collect the whole bin if the wrong waste is them, so sorting your waste will really help.
Try using Solid shampoo bars and soap, instead of using plastic bottles of shampoo and shower gel. There are some fantastic sustainable plastic free products - and they take up hardly any space so are really easy to take when you're on the move.
Reuse items whenever you can. Use reusable camping cutlery and crockery instead of disposable. This will dramatically reduce the volume of waste each of us produces.
Braemar Caravan Park no longer sell bottled water, but we sell reusable travel mugs and drinks bottles - there are fresh water points around the caravan park for you to fill up your bottles.
We know it's not always practical to stop using all plastics, but reducing the amount we all use, reusing and recycling anything that can be recycled, will go a long way to help slow the problem.
Walking instead of driving can help to minimise the emissions from vehicles. Braemar village is a short distance from the caravan park, and there are lots of lovely walks on our doorstep. We all use our vehicles regularly, and they're essential in an area like Braemar to get around, but if we use it a little less it can help. Braemar Village car park has a charging point for electric vehicles too.
Buying local produce whenever you can also helps to minimise our impact on the environment. It's not possible all of the time but every little helps.
On the Caravan Park we have stopped using Pesticides to clear the pitches of vegetation. We will remove any on the hard standing by hand, but it can take us a bit time. We are sowing wildflower seeds in some of the borders and boundaries to help provide habitats for wildlife, and we are going to put up more nesting boxes for birds.
This is a fantastic area for watching wildlife, and if we can do a little bit more to help, then everyone's a winner.
