When traveling, it can be hard sometimes to be as eco-friendly as we are at home. However, there are a few easy steps you can take to ensure that you have an eco-friendly trip. Below are seven of our favorite and simple steps to stay eco-friendly while traveling. Remember, a lot of eco-friendly practices can also help you save money.
Avoid spending money on water at the airport and on your trip by packing a water bottle. By doing so you’re helping the environment and your wallet. Win-win for everyone, right? Our favorite kind of water bottles are these collapsible bottles from HYDAWAY. When you’re done drinking they pack easily in a coat or shorts pocket.
Instead of buying smaller sizes of snacks while traveling, buy a larger version of your snacks and put them in reusable containers. You can bring most dry snacks on the plane with you and once you’re on vacation you can pack snacks to have on-the-go instead of spending money on them at touristy stops.
Bring a reusable bag to put all your purchases in while traveling abroad. You’ll help decrease the amount of paper and plastic in the environment. Additionally, these bags are usually more durable so you don't have to worry about losing your items while touring a new city. We like these from BeeGreen, and you get five for only $13.
Going on an adventure trip? Instead of bringing a ton of one-time use utensils, why not buy a nice wooden set you can use over and over? You’ll be helping the environment and also saving space by not having to pack a ton of plastic forks, knives, and spoons. We love these bamboo ones from To-GO Ware— they're durable and won’t absorb flavors or stains.
Take Public Transportation
You’re probably doing this already, but if you’re traveling to a large city like Seoul or NYC take public transportation as much as possible. It’s cheaper than cabs, taxis, and rideshares. However, if you’re not brave enough to take public transportation—try biking or walking when you can. You’ll still be conserving energy and helping the environment.
Take a Non-Stop Flight
Did you know that taking a non-stop flight versus a fight with connections can make a large impact on the number of carbon emissions emitted? Yeah it’s true, you might have to pay more, but honestly it’s easier and probably a faster trip.
Say No to Travel-Size Anything
Travel-size lotion, shampoo, and conditioner—do you really need to buy all of that? It’s probably already in your bathroom. Instead opt to use reusable toiletry sized containers and fill them up with the products you want to bring. Most of these containers, like these from IKEA, are the right size so you can get them through security pretty easily.
