When visiting my brother in law and family while they were camping last year, I noticed that any garbage they produced, like plastic plates, utensils and cups, went into the fire to be disposed of. These people do most things in a rather lazy way...using an electric fan to get the fire going and what not. My question is about the environmental implications of this practice. Burning these types of things, as I understand, release harmful compounds into the atmosphere. Although it one resource about camping I read, it was suggested to burn camp trash and take any left over residue with you after it cools.

What do others do? Burning all the trash would be simpler that carrying it all back home and having it taken to a landfill and buried, but I want to be as environmentally responsible as I can be. What's a good compromise?