Let’s set the scene: you’ve just finished washing your dishes after a hearty campfire chili night. There’s soapy water left in your pan, full of food bits, grease, and that one burned bean that never quite came off. What do you do?
If your answer is “toss it behind a tree,” congrats—you’ve just made a raccoon buffet and possibly ruined someone else’s nature moment.
So let’s talk about grey waste, why it matters, and how to deal with it like a responsible, semi-civilised human.
What Is Grey Waste Anyway?
Grey waste (or grey water) is used water from washing—your hands, dishes, face, or anything else that doesn’t involve pee or poop. That stuff? That’s black water, and it’s a whole different nightmare.
So grey waste includes:
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Dishwater
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Tooth brushing rinse
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Soapy water from handwashing
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Shower runoff (if you’re glamping like royalty)
It’s not toxic, but it’s still full of oils, bacteria, leftover food particles, and soap that don’t belong in streams or sensitive soil.
Why Is Grey Water a Problem?
Because nature isn’t a sponge with unlimited filtering powers.
Improperly dumped grey water:
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Attracts wildlife (cue raccoons, bears, and ants that will ruin your day)
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Contaminates water sources
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Pollutes soil with non-biodegradable soap and food waste
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Makes campsites gross and stinky for the next group
Leave No Trace isn’t just a cute hashtag. It’s how we keep the outdoors wild, not trashed.
How to Dispose of Grey Waste Like a Pro
Okay, now that you feel sufficiently guilty (good), here’s how to actually deal with it.
1. Use Biodegradable Soap
Even though it still shouldn’t go directly into rivers or lakes, it breaks down faster and is less harmful. Look for “phosphate-free” or “camp safe” soaps.
Pro tip: A little goes a long way. If your dishes look like a bubble bath, you’re doing too much.
2. Strain It First
Use a mesh strainer or bandana to catch food scraps before dumping your dishwater. Bag the solids and pack them out with your trash. No one wants to hike over your soggy noodle bits.
3. Scatter, Don’t Dump
Walk at least 200 feet (that’s like 70 adult-sized raccoons) away from water sources, trails, and campsites. Then broadcast your grey water—fling it in a wide arc so it disperses and filters naturally through soil.
Clumps of greasy water = mini ecological disasters. Spread it thin.
4. Dig a Sump Hole (If You’re Fancy)
If you’re at a semi-permanent site or staying a while, you can dig a tiny sump hole. It’s like a mini grave for your dishwater. Line it with rocks and gravel to help with drainage. Cover it back up before you leave, you wilderness wizard, you.
What NOT to Do
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Don’t dump grey water in a stream, lake, or river (unless you want to swim in someone else’s toothpaste soup)
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Don’t toss it right next to your tent (hello, midnight rodent rave)
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Don’t use regular dish soap (it wrecks ecosystems and smells like sadness)
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Don’t assume “it’s just a little bit”—that’s how 500 campers turn a meadow into a swamp
Grey waste isn’t glamorous. It’s not the part of camping people post on Instagram. But it’s a huge part of being a decent human in the outdoors.
So be the camper who knows what to do. Who brings the strainer. Who broadcasts their dishwater like it’s fairy dust. Who leaves the site cleaner than they found it.
Because nobody wants to pitch a tent in your leftover chili bath.