From plane meals to street food to bottled water, it can be pretty hard to get away from single-use plastics and waste when travelling. Luckily for us, there are many ways for us travellers to minimise the waste we help produce while jetsetting around the world. With the rise in awareness about climate change and the impact we are having on this planet, it’s the perfect time to think more consciously about the way we travel. So to help you get started, here are just a few things we can all do to reduce waste while travelling.
How To Reduce Waste While Travelling
1. Go solid
Solid shampoo bars are my new favourite travel accessories. They take up so little space in my backpack, last longer than a bottle of shampoo does, are way better value and generally smell better too. Shampoo, conditioner and soap bars are often handmade and local too, which makes them doubly environmentally friendly and one of the longer-lasting ways to reduce waste while travelling.
A lot of solid shampoo bars come in handy tins. Those tend to be a little more expensive, so I usually use a waterproof pouch for mine.
Here in Banff, the Rocky Mountain Soap Co. is dedicated to toxin-free, handmade and locally-sourced beauty products. I can personally attest that their soap bars smell AMAZING.
On the subject of toiletries, I also recommend switching to a safety razor if you shave. After the initial cost of buying the razor and blades, your shaving budget will plummet. I haven’t bought any shaving stuff in over a year! Getting used to a safety razor takes a little practice, but it’s worth it. Just remember not to pack it in your carry on!
2. Skip the straw…and the fork, the knife and the spoon
This is probably the most widely-known tip on this list due to the recent movement towards banning plastic straws in the hospitality industry.
Carrying a metal or bamboo straw and cutlery set with you means you won’t have to use plastic single use cutlery. Single use plastics account for over half of all plastic thrown away each year, but this is entirely preventable with just a little effort.
If you don’t want to fork out (pun absolutely intended) more money on a specialised set, all you need to do is find a cloth pouch or an old, clean pencil case and pop some cutlery from your own kitchen in there. It really won’t take up much space, and will make a big difference, especially now that so many places are starting to ban single use plastics.
Personally, I love whipping out my metal straw in bars and restaurants (I’m easily amused if you can’t tell).
3. Become a keep-cup nut
Reusable water bottles and coffee cups are the environment’s best friends. While plastic may never be ideal, metal and glass are both pretty heavy and it’s understandable if you don’t want to add that extra weight during long-term travel. But even a reusable plastic bottle saves so many others from heading to a landfill or washing up on beaches like I saw over and over again during my time in Cape Verde with Project Biodiversity. Get one with a loop or handle so you can attach it to the outside of your bag to save space.
It’s definitely not advisable to drink tap water everywhere you go (always, always double check before travelling to a new country), but with an abundance of filter straws and built-in filter bottles out there, you can save yourself from spending a lot of money on bottled water, especially in hot countries.
Also, it took me far too long to realise that as long as your bottle is empty, you can in fact take them on planes!
4. Get your thrift on
Thrift shopping has become one of my new favourite hobbies. I’m a sucker for cheap prices and slow fashion. I spend most of my time with only what I can carry on my back, so loading up on clothing doesn’t help either my shoulder muscles or my savings account. When I do stop in one place for a while, or move from warmer to colder locations, I usually need to stock up on a few things. Thrift shops are my lifesaver in these situations, and there’s no guilt involved as I know I’m not contributing to the fast fashion industry.
Being thrifty when shopping is definitely a hit or miss experience, as sometimes you just can’t find what you’re looking for, whereas other times you come across something you never knew you needed in your life until that moment!
5. Don’t be lazy (no offence)
Take public transport or walk instead of taxis. Obviously there are times when this is not possible, for example if you arrive in a strange city at night and don’t feel comfortable hopping on a bus, but for short trips during the day, local transport is definitely the better option. It’s also a great way to see more of the local culture, and to keep that budget down!
I’ve had some really fun (and some not-so-fun) experiences on buses and trains around the world. But even these less enjoyable are travel memories I don’t regret having.
6. Be a stylish shopper
Keep a cotton tote bag with you for shopping. Not only will this save countless plastic bags from making their way into landfills or the ocean (and into marine animals’ stomachs), but you’ll have a really useful travelling bag on hand at all times for going to the beach, carrying extra items that just won’t fit into your backpack or a lightweight carry on for those long flights. An easy win-win way to reduce waste while travelling.
And some are just so goddamn pretty.
7. Say ‘hell no’ to hotel products
Don’t use the small bath products in hotel rooms. These are always replaced before the next guest checks in. Speak to the staff about these products, or mention them on comment cards. If enough people mention this issue, the higher-ups will start to take note.
If you need these products, but haven’t used them all up by the time you leave, take them with you and use the rest at home. This at the very least means the products get fully used, as hotel staff will throw them away even if they’re not empty.
8. Become a master chef (or even just an okay one)
Every time you buy street food, or go to a restaurant, especially cheaper, backpacker-friendly places, that’s another paper plate or plastic cup that will probably end up in a landfill. The majority of hostels around the world have communal kitchens for guests to use, and taking advantage of these not only helps the planet, but your wallet too! If you’re staying somewhere for longer than a night or two, bulk cooking is a great way to have meals ready to go when you’re too tired from sightseeing to think about cooking.
I definitely need to work on this one, as I am too often tempted by the cheap fast food surrounding me when I travel.
9. Go paperless
All those pesky bills and newsletters you get, consider switching to paperless or unsubscribing before you leave for your trip. Not only will this help the environment, but it’s a lot less post to deal with when you return.
If you’re anything like me and love a good notebook or travel journal, going paperless may seem like a painful thing to do. But did you know you can now get wood-free paper? There are some amazing substitutes out there, but my personal favourite is stone paper, made from recycled concrete thrown away by construction sites! I’ve had a stone paper notebook for years and I love it.
Another easy way to go paperless and to reduce waste while travelling is to avoid printing out your boarding pass every time you fly. Most airlines have apps into which you can download your pass and scan the barcode from there. This may not be possible in some countries (always check to make sure), but if you can, it’s a good way to go! It also means you can never lose your boarding pass somewhere in the airport (which has definitely almost happened to me a few times).
10. And for the ladies…
It’s taken me a really long time to do this, but I finally took the plunge and bought reusable sanitary towels. A lot of female travellers I’ve met swear by the moon cup, and that is a really good option. But I haven’t felt comfortable trying it – I’m not a tampon girl either – so the washable pads seemed like a better choice for me. They come in colourful patterns with a little waterproof bag to carry them in, and I’m excited to try them out. Throwing away pads always made me feel a little guilty, so here’s to guilt-free periods from now on!
Do you have any other tips for how to reduce waste while travelling? I’m always open to new ideas, so let me know! I know that location, circumstances or budget may mean that some of my suggestions above are not suitable or possible for everyone. But if there’s even one switch that each person could do, it would make a huge difference.
Which one would you pick?
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