On the go Use your own lunch box and water bottle

To avoid packaging waste in the first place, it’s best to take your food and drinks with you in reusable bottles and boxes.

In addition to reducing waste, they are also practical: Thermos bottles, for example, keep your drinks cold or warm. You can also buy special filter bottles that filter possible impurities from water filled from mountain streams. You shouldn’t drink that water unfiltered, as it could be contam­inated. Ideally, only fill your water bottles at drinking fountains to be on the safe side.

Your lunch box also has practical added value. It protects food from getting bruised in the backpack, and the lid of the box can be used as a makeshift cutting board.

But sustain­ability doesn’t have to end with packaging. Why take a tropical fruit up the mountain that has already travelled thousands of kilo­metres, when the farm shop in the valley offers so many delicious treats that are perfect for your hike. The big advantage: regional stores and markets sell food without packaging which you can simply pop into your lunchbox, and up the mountain you go. This way, you also support local farmers and small-scale busi­nesses.