The Deeper Why Behind Camp Rentique

October is Circular Economy Month in Canada, and I couldn’t think of a better time to share the deeper “why” behind Camp Rentique.

Before starting this business, I worked in the supply chain world—the part of the economy most people never see, where every product is made, packaged, and shipped. And what I saw there shocked me.

So much perfectly good material was being wasted every single day.

That experience pushed me to pursue a Master’s in Environmental Applied Science & Management to learn how companies can design smarter systems—ones that reduce waste instead of creating mountains of it. I knew this level of waste is simply an inefficient use of valuable resources. So there had to be a better way that would benefit all the parties involved.

That’s when I discovered the concept of the circular economy—and instantly fell in love.

The circular economy is about designing waste out of our lives. It’s a system where materials and products are kept in use for as long as possible through better design, repairing, reusing, recycling, and sharing.

The sharing economy, which includes rentals, tool libraries, and co-ops, is one of its most practical and inspiring parts.

Image Source: York Region

When I looked at the camping world through that lens, it suddenly felt… off.

People were buying mountains of cheap and poorly made gear to “enjoy nature,” only to throw it away after one use.

I even heard stories of tents being burned at campsites on the last day because the cheap gear was already broken—or because there was no room to store it in a small Toronto condo.

It also didn’t make sense that most of us buy camping gear we use once or twice a year and then let it gather dust the rest of the time. That’s not efficient. It’s wasteful—of money, materials, and space.

That frustration—and my own disastrous first camping trip (you can read about it here)—sparked an idea:

What if camping could be part of the circular economy?

That’s how Camp Rentique was born.

To make it easier to experience the outdoors without owning a mountain of stuff.

To make nature trips simpler, less wasteful, and a lot more enjoyable.

You can read more about our philosophy here.

This Thanksgiving Monday, I simply want to say thank you for helping bring this vision to life.

Every rental, every recommendation, every photo you share helps move us toward a world where exploring nature doesn’t have to cost the Earth as much.

Warmly,
Polina Ratnichkina
Founder
Camp Rentique

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