An empty gel packet belongs in the trash bin at the refreshment station or in your own pocket. Gel packets must not be thrown into the forest, emphasizes technical expert Teijo Oksanen.
Last year, gel packets left in the forest caused a lot of bad publicity in Porvoo, which Kauhava wants to avoid at all costs.
The control points and trash will, of course, be cleaned up from the forest after Jukola, but a true orienteer does not leave trash in nature.
Gel packets started being used about ten years ago. According to Oksanen, they are a convenient way to get extra energy. The gel makes your mouth dry, so it’s advisable to consume the gel before the refreshment stations. And at the refreshment stations, you will find trash bins.
Responsibility has been highlighted in Jukola for about ten years, which is the entire time the theme has been discussed.
In Kauhava, responsibility is evident, for example, in waste sorting or in the showers, where only biodegradable shampoo provided by the organizer is allowed.