Did you know tourism pollution is a huge factor in climate change? Many travelers are eating fast food, grabbing drinks from gas stations, and forgetting the impact they have on this new environment. When visiting a place you don’t want to pollute it or take part in ruining the natural beauty. That’s why practicing sustainability even while traveling is important.
There are so many simple ways to practice sustainable travel so let’s dive right into the good stuff!
Sustainable Dining on The Go
If you are a traveler, then you know some days eating in at a restaurant is just not going to happen. When the time strikes to go through a drive thru or grab something from the gas station, don’t throw sustainability to the side. It is still possible to reduce your waste even when you’re limited on time.
The best way is to tell the restaurant you don’t need utensils, napkins, or straws. These items create so much waste and aren’t the best to be used. Instead always pack a set of bamboo travel utensils, reusable cotton napkins, and glass or metal straws. You can use these items and reduce your impact on the environment even on the longest road trips or busiest travel days.
Another great option to reduce waste is by skipping the drive thru and ordering inside. Your vehicle doesn’t run so long, you can ask for no sack, and you can use your own reusable cup to fill up your drink. Just be sure to mention this at the counter so the workers know you aren’t stealing.
If you have children traveling with you, instead of stopping off at gas stations to buy snacks, pack your own. You can pack reusable snack bags to divide the goodies into smaller portions. This reduces the waste of snack packaging and the need to make extra stops.
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Get 10% off your first zero waste order and all the latest Tiny Yellow Bungalow news!Sustainable Shopping
Everyone wants to shop for friends, family, and themselves while traveling but it’s easy to get caught up and forget about sustainability. First, before buying something, take a little while to think about the purchase. Ask yourself if in a year you will still be using and enjoying this item. This will help you refrain from overbuying items you really won’t want, need, or use down the road.
Another way to shop sustainably is to bring your own bag. Each time you shop during travel bring along a reusable cotton bag. These bags fold up nicely to fit in any suitcase, vehicle, or purse. This will reduce your waste and your impact on the environment.
Sustainable Travel Toiletries
Instead of buying the mini shampoos, using plastic refillables, or using the free items at the hotel, opt for packing eco friendly options. For travel shampoo, opt for shampoo cubes. They are mini cubes that dissolve into shampoo without packaging! These cubes are tiny and the best part, you won’t have any bottles to pack to go home. Pack the same for conditioner, conditioning cubes.
For body wash, pack an all natural bar soap. This not only prevents spills in your suitcase but also saves space, waste, and is better for your skin. If you’re female and you’re traveling during your menstrual cycle, opt for a reusable menstraul cup. You won’t have to worry about packing all those pads and tampons and dealing with the trash. You’ll be free to swim, bike, hike, and explore without the hassle and the waste.
Shop and Dine Local
When it’s time to go out on the town, support small businesses. This helps keep your money in the area rather than helping the big companies that don’t care about the environment. Instead of a fast food place, try a local sandwich shop. Instead of Starbucks or Duncan Donuts, visit a local cafe. If you’re looking for shops, visit the small trinket shops instead of the big name stores in the area. This helps your money stay in the area and support locals.
You can also research the shops, cafes, bakeries, eateries, and more in the area to learn what they stand for. For example in Whitefish, Montana, a local french bakery downtown practices recycling, composting, plastic-less straws and reduces packaging as much as possible. They even open the front of the shop all the way up on nice days to reduce the amount of electricity needed.
Take Alternative Transportation
A fun sustainable travel method is taking alternative transportation instead of renting a car. Rent bikes, paddle boards, kayaks, skateboards, roller skates, scooters, or even hoover boards to explore a city or area. This is not only much more fun but allows you to really immerse yourself into the area. You save emissions from vehicles therefore reducing your carbon foot print while traveling. You can also take off on foot to explore as well.
If going on an adventure by paddleboard or roller skates doesn’t sound fun, opt for public transportation. This could be taking the city bus, train, subway, or ridesharing with others. Some cites have really unique transportation for the public that could give you adventure and comfort at the same time while practicing sustainability. San Francisco for example has trollies that transport people from destination to destination. They come in many colors and are always so much fun to see going up and down the hilly streets of the city.
Travel to Destinations That Value Sustainability
Traveling to destinations that value sustainability makes reducing waste easier! These destinations will most likely have recycling bins on the sidewalks, composting areas, sustainable alternatives to take out containers, and even more plant-based meals! Some destinations that value sustainability are Portland Oregon, Whitefish Montana, Phoenix Arizona, Silver Spring Maryland, San Francisco California. These are just a few, there are many more that are worth exploring! You can find out what destinations value sustainability by researching online.
Reducing your waste while traveling doesn’t have to be hard. There are so many resources to help and some things actually make travel easier. Leaving a destination the way you found it if not better, is so special. You don’t want to ruin the beauty for others. Happy traveling!
Written By:
Molly LaFontaine
(Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Co-Owner of Tyler + Molly)
