RAW Travel, Australia's leading Camino hiking company, is launching an innovative 'Clean Trail' stewardship program, inviting travellers from all walks of life to unite to keep hiking trails litter-free.

RAW Travel's kicking off with '5 for the Camino', a concept we'll embrace and share on our inaugural 'Clean up the Camino' trip in June 2020 along the Camino de Santiago ancient pilgrimage walk traversing France, Spain and Portugal. 

This simple concept encourages walkers to pick up five pieces of litter on the trail. RAW Travel is going further by building a network of Camino stewards who promote clean trail etiquette and advocate a 'leave no trace' policy on all trails, wherever they are.

This announcement is an exciting next step extending RAW Travel's long-standing commitment to pioneering sustainable global travel.
 
RAW Travel founder David Reynolds has set the bar high since RAW Travel's inception two decades ago and continues to raise the bar for sustainable travel on a global scale.

“Litter is a worldwide problem affecting some of the places we love. Chances are you've spent time in a beautiful outdoor location, but noticed plastic wrappers, bottles and cigarette butts scattered along your favourite trails and beaches,” says David Reynolds. 

“When discarded in nature, litter can take a long time to break down, if at all. Plastic is particularly harmful as it never disappears, eventually fragmenting into our soils and groundwater. We want to empower people to make a positive change and become part of the solution for our most loved trails!” adds David Reynolds.

As the popularity of the Camino continues to grow, so does the potential environmental impact if pilgrims aren't mindful of how they treat the trail.

“By creating awareness, a little encouragement, new norms and by providing the mechanisms to clean up, RAW Travel is contributing towards all future Camino walkers being able to fully enjoy this wonderful journey,” said David Reynolds.

Here's how outdoor enthusiasts can get involved: 

1. Join RAW Travel's inaugural 'Clean up the Camino' trip in June 2020. Hikers become founding ambassadors, leading by example by cleaning litter hotspots along the trail. This walk is subsidised by RAW Travel's '10% for the Planet' initiative.

   
   
2. Become a trail steward. Hikers are invited to promote clean trail etiquette and advocate for responsible use on their next walk. 
   
   
3. 
Report. Using the Litterati app, walkers are encouraged to track litter they collect. Hikers take an in-app picture of the litter collected, tag it, and upload it to the Litterati digital landfill.