Camino Litter-Picks: do they ever happen?

[DomPhilip]

Greetings!

I was on my way, striding down the French Road, not so long ago. My attention turned to the litter, the garbage, that is scattered along the edge of the path, or bordering the carretera. Not just pilgrims' detritus, but just trash thrown, presumably, out of passing vehicles. And of course the tissues and toilet paper in secluded spots.

People often talk about giving something back. I wondered, as I walked: what about a camino litter-pick, undertaken by veteran pilgrims?

In case that's a British colloquialism, litter-pick, I mean of course a group of volunteers who go out armed with spatulas and trash-bags with the intention of spearing and collecting litter (garbage). Such endeavours are quite common in Britain. The American humorist David Sedaris is famous for his peregrinations, up and down country lanes, collecting other people's crap.

What about a litter-pick, I thought. Get some folks together and walk the path, or parts of it - do some stretches attract more rubbish than others? - and gather up all the old cans and packets, and the soiled loo paper, and bag it up. Could we do that? Could we get suitable bags from the local authority?

But then I thought, maybe this already happens? Does it? Is there already such an initiative amongst peregrinos? Do local people go out in parties, perhaps during the off-season, and scoop up all our travellers' filth? And would it, could it be, conceived, in these sensitive times, as an imposition or an affront? Would there be any danger of someone in the municipality getting annoyed at a bunch of estranjeros bagging-up along the highway?

What do others think about this? Are there a group garbage-gathering parties already? Does the idea have merit otherwise? Let me know.

 

[kelleymac]

My son and I walked in 2015 and as we wanted our BSA Scouting 50 Miler Scouting Award. We needed to have a minimum of 10 hours of service time so we picked up trash every day for about a half hour and then took it to the next public trash bin. The camino would be cleaned up pretty quickly if we all did that.
Buen Camino--

 

[SabsP]

Greetings!

I was on my way, striding down the French Road, not so long ago. My attention turned to the litter, the garbage, that is scattered along the edge of the path, or bordering the carretera. Not just pilgrims' detritus, but just trash thrown, presumably, out of passing vehicles. And of course the tissues and toilet paper in secluded spots.

People often talk about giving something back. I wondered, as I walked: what about a camino litter-pick, undertaken by veteran pilgrims?

In case that's a British colloquialism, litter-pick, I mean of course a group of volunteers who go out armed with spatulas and trash-bags with the intention of spearing and collecting litter (garbage). Such endeavours are quite common in Britain. The American humorist David Sedaris is famous for his peregrinations, up and down country lanes, collecting other people's crap.

What about a litter-pick, I thought. Get some folks together and walk the path, or parts of it - do some stretches attract more rubbish than others? - and gather up all the old cans and packets, and the soiled loo paper, and bag it up. Could we do that? Could we get suitable bags from the local authority?

But then I thought, maybe this already happens? Does it? Is there already such an initiative amongst peregrinos? Do local people go out in parties, perhaps during the off-season, and scoop up all our travellers' filth? And would it, could it be, conceived, in these sensitive times, as an imposition or an affront? Would there be any danger of someone in the municipality getting annoyed at a bunch of estranjeros bagging-up along the highway?

What do others think about this? Are there a group garbage-gathering parties already? Does the idea have merit otherwise? Let me know.

Yes it already happens.
Some forummembers are involved in the Ditch Pigs.
More info here.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/ditch-pigs-2023-la-rioja.84049/

 

[Tincatinker]

Greetings!

I was on my way, striding down the French Road, not so long ago. My attention turned to the litter, the garbage, that is scattered along the edge of the path, or bordering the carretera. Not just pilgrims' detritus, but just trash thrown, presumably, out of passing vehicles. And of course the tissues and toilet paper in secluded spots.

People often talk about giving something back. I wondered, as I walked: what about a camino litter-pick, undertaken by veteran pilgrims?

In case that's a British colloquialism, litter-pick, I mean of course a group of volunteers who go out armed with spatulas and trash-bags with the intention of spearing and collecting litter (garbage). Such endeavours are quite common in Britain. The American humorist David Sedaris is famous for his peregrinations, up and down country lanes, collecting other people's crap.

What about a litter-pick, I thought. Get some folks together and walk the path, or parts of it - do some stretches attract more rubbish than others? - and gather up all the old cans and packets, and the soiled loo paper, and bag it up. Could we do that? Could we get suitable bags from the local authority?

But then I thought, maybe this already happens? Does it? Is there already such an initiative amongst peregrinos? Do local people go out in parties, perhaps during the off-season, and scoop up all our travellers' filth? And would it, could it be, conceived, in these sensitive times, as an imposition or an affront? Would there be any danger of someone in the municipality getting annoyed at a bunch of estranjeros bagging-up along the highway?

What do others think about this? Are there a group garbage-gathering parties already? Does the idea have merit otherwise? Let me know.

Search “Ditch Pigs” on the forum. Much will be revealed

 

[wisepilgrim]

Tagging @Rebekah Scott so she can tell you about the approaching adventure.

 

[naplesdon]

Ditch Piggery, been there, done that! It is a very rewarding weekend at the end of November working out of Moratinos. I also spend most of my days while volunteering at San Anton walking between Hontanos and Castrojeriz picking up litter. It just takes a small plastic shopping bag and some latex gloves, rather than complain about the trash; you can do it, too!