What does plastic do to our experience of being in nature – and do we really need it?
Written by Ingun Grimstad Klepp
Translated and edited by Marie Hebrok with a little help from SIKT AI.
We know we use more plastic in outdoor clothing than in most other categories, and that our garments affect both people and nature. But we still know little about how to change this — and what we stand to gain by spending time outdoors with less plastic.
One of the partners in the REDUCE research project, ULU, is a company in Vågå, Norway, that works with natural tanning, tanning courses, making outdoor clothing, and facilitating nature experiences with an emphasis on the simplicity of the Norwegian outdoors tradition. In autumn 2024, researchers Kate Fletcher and Ingun Grimstad Klepp conducted fieldwork with ULU, taking trips in nature entirely without plastic. This resulted in a talk at the “Forskning i Friluft” conference, and a contribution to the conference report.
In autumn 2025, SIFO and ULU continued this work within the REDUCE project, expanding it to include children and families. Researchers Lisbeth Løvbak Berg and Ingun Grimstad Klepp (SIFO) collaborated with Sofie Kleppe and Roni Öhman (ULU) to explore what happens when children go on trips with less plastic. The work involved both a weekly scout group led by ULU and family outings.
A key question was how reducing the use of plastic might influence play and wellbeing. Clothing and equipment shape how we perceive each other and nature — what we hear, smell, and how we move. We saw clear effects from the use of plastics in the 2024 fieldwork, and wondered if these effects would be observable in a group of children.
There were considerable practical challenges. Taking children on trips is demanding; taking children that are not your own even more so. It required people to adhere to and understand our expectations on what to wear and what to bring. Lack of essential items can be uncomfortable — even dangerous on longer trips. Asking parents to dress children in “as little plastic as possible” doesn’t always work; awareness of plastics in clothing remains low, and plastic is both normalized and, in a way, invisible despite its bright presence.
Currently we are testing hooded woollen camp cloaks for children to use outdoors. These are simple to sew, protect synthetic garments from campfire sparks, and soften the visual impact of bright everyday synthetics. Capes also carry a rich cultural history and invite imaginative play. As Sofie notes, the cloaks keep children warm by the fire, are great for hide-and-seek, and the kids were inspired by sewing them themselves. The pattern is inspired by the Greenlandic anorak and cut so the cloaks can double as blankets. They’re made in wool with fox fur around the hood, which looks soft and warm and feels comfortable around the neck. The children will make and sew on buttons from reindeer antler — replacing a detail that is most often plastic.
We’ll share insights, practical guidance, and resources as this work progresses. Follow REDUCE for updates and outcomes from this ongoing collaboration with ULU and SIFO.
