As one of the core principles of Burning Man, Leave No Trace (LNT) is quite easy when planned ahead and executed properly. Every attendee is responsible for bringing everything they need to survive and thrive for the five days we’re on the field.
Whatever you bring in, you must take home. This means collecting your garbage and recycling (e.g., food packaging) in sealed bags or containers with a tight lid. Bring clear garbage bags and some blue bags for recycling.
Grey Water
This one can be surprising for first timers–you’ll need to collect all of your used or “grey” water and bring it home! If 900 people dump their water on a (likely already muddy) field, it’s going to be an issue. We also want to make sure not to contaminate the environment!
This means that you should collect your waste water from cooking and washing, and store it in buckets or other containers to take home. A sealed bucket with a lid or a large jug is great for this! Bring a sieve or screen to filter your water as you pour it into your grey water container, and a funnel if your container has a narrow mouth. You can buy buckets at the hardware store, but a lot of restaurants put out buckets and jugs on garbage night, so get creative and see what you can find (remember–decommodification is one of our 10 Principles too!).
A lot of your water will be drinking water, so you won’t be taking home as much water as you brought, but make sure to be prepared.
No Dumping
LNT, radical self-reliance, and civic responsibility together mean we don’t make our waste the township’s problem! So, be prepared to bring home your garbage, recycling, and grey water.
