At Salema Eco Camp, we believe that caring for nature begins with small, everyday actions. Around two years ago, we started our Zero Waste journey, not as a pursuit of perfection, but as a conscious daily choice to live more closely connected to the land.
In the beginning, our organic food scraps were simply fed to our chickens. It was an intuitive and practical solution that fit naturally into life at the campsite. But as our project grew and we welcomed more guests, we soon realised we were producing far more organic waste than our chickens could consume.
That was the beginning of our composting journey.
We wanted to find a more respectful way of giving back to the earth what comes from it. To transform food scraps into new life. To trust natural processes and allow nature to work at its own pace.
Today, what was once considered waste is slowly transformed into rich, fertile compost, which we use to nourish the soil and plants throughout the campsite. Perhaps that’s one of the most beautiful things about composting: it reminds us that everything can become part of the cycle again.
Over the past two years, we’ve realised that this project is about much more than waste management. Salema Eco Camp welcomes people from many different countries, cultures, and ways of life, and we saw an opportunity to inspire small changes through shared experiences and everyday actions.
As time went on, this initiative expanded beyond the campsite itself. Our restaurant Nazari, joined the Zero Waste campaign, contributing to this more conscious and sustainable cycle by carefully separating and diverting its organic waste for composting.
That’s why you’ll find a small organic waste bin in every accommodation, while campers have dedicated collection points located near our composting areas. They are simple, almost silent gestures, but they allow every guest to actively take part in this collective effort to care for the environment.
Behind every batch of compost is a great deal of daily care and attention.
Our composting system requires continuous monitoring of temperature, moisture, aeration, and the balance of organic materials. The technical implementation of our composting programme is supported by Associação ZERO in Portugal, while our certification process is overseen by Mission Zero Academy (MiZA).
We are also fortunate to have the daily dedication of our regeneration team and our sustainability specialist, who oversee the process with care, expertise, and commitment. Above all, composting has taught us patience.
It has shown us that meaningful transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It requires observation, care, time, and trust. And perhaps that is exactly what we hope to cultivate here at Salema Eco Camp: a more conscious relationship with nature, with the resources we use, and with the way we inhabit the world.
So we continue, slowly, at nature’s own rhythm — watching transformation happen beneath our feet… and often within the people who spend time here as well.
Ready to slow down and live at the rhythm of the land? Choose between wild camping, the comfort of glamping, or our modern studios and apartments.