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I'm confused by the repeated use of the phrase "litter-free hiking". Is this a common phrase in Finnish?

If it means "don't produce any litter", as in only take biodegradable things with you, then that sort of makes sense. If it means make litter but you just have to carry it around that's another matter...

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In my usage, 'litter' is trash that has been improperly disposed of. If you bag and carry it, that isn't the case.

In the US, leave no trace means pack out everything... Including even used toilet paper. For wilderness areas biodegradable isn't enough to avoid causing damage to the ecosystem, creating wildlife used to feeding off humans, etc.

So your wouldn't even just bury (zero plastic, biodegradable) toilet paper?

Visiting some US national parks is high on my bucket list so I should know this... thanks!

In practice, backcountry hikers in the US do commonly bury toilet paper. There’s definitely a growing contingent arguing they shouldn’t, though. Portable bidets (like the culoclean brand) and pee cloths (like the kula brand) can reduce toilet paper use and make packing it out easier.

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