Eco-Friendly Travel Essentials For The Environmentally Conscious

Travelers If you consider yourself an eco-conscious person, you are probably aware that recycling every now and then isn’t everything you can do for Mother Nature. In fact, there is something you can do every day to make this world a better place, and greening your travel practices is definitely one of them. But how do you keep the environment in mind while traveling? Don’t worry, it is actually pretty easy. Follow these simple tips and your planet will thank you. 

Greener packing 

What do you do before every trip? You pack, of course. However, it probably hasn’t occurred to you that even by changing your packing routine you can minimize the environmental impact of your travel. Therefore, next time you are putting your clothes in your suitcase, keep the wellbeing of our planet on your mind and pack light. The more weight vehicles have to carry, the more fuel they use and more greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere. In addition, bring a reusable water bottle so that you can cut down on wasteful packaging during your travel. Before you leave your home make sure all the lights and electronics are turned off, as well as your thermostat. No one will be home so don’t let your appliances unnecessarily use up energy. Since you won’t be home you surely won’t be reading your newspaper every day, so suspend newspaper delivery until you get back. 

The best way to travel 

The greenest method of transportation depends on how far you plan to go. If you are taking a short trip, buses tend to be the best option. Although the bus rides are long and you never know who will sit next to you, the environmental benefits of using this type of transportation are impressive. However, this only counts if the bus is full. If your trip is more than 500 miles long, go by plane, not a car. On the other hand, if you need to rent a car, choose the smallest one possible and rent a hybrid if one’s available. 

Book a room in a green hotel

 There are so many eco-friendly hotels nowadays, so just do your research, visit a couple of sites and see where an eco-conscious person such as yourself should sleep. After your check-in, make sure you turn off the TV, lights, and air-conditioning every time you leave your room. You can also use the towels from the bathroom several nights in a row instead of having them washed and changed every day. Speaking of towels, keep your showers short and shut off the water while shampooing your hair or soaping your body. 

Make eco-friendly choices 

If you are drinking cocktails, smoothies or other cold beverages, make sure you use biodegradable straws instead of plastic ones. Pack snacks for the trip in recyclable paper bags and opt for reusable travel bottles for your liquid soap, gels, shampoo, and toothpaste. You can also pack organic cosmetics and natural deodorant, but if you are not sure whether natural deodorants are worth the hype read what professional runners think about natural deodorants. 

Use public transportation

 When visiting another city use public transportation, walk or rent a bike in order to get from point A to point B. This way you won’t create any additional carbon emissions from private transport. Also, using public transportation provides you with opportunities to interact with locals. If you must drive, then avoid fast starts and stops, keep the tires properly inflated, and stick to the speed limit. 

Shop from locals

 When you go shopping make sure you purchase groceries and other products from local vendors. In addition, bring your own reusable bag, instead of using the plastic one since it takes it 500 years to biodegrade. 

Follow the path 

Most eco-conscious people enjoy spending time in nature. However, next time you go hiking on your trip, make sure you stay on marked trails since otherwise you could easily trample on protected or endangered plants. So you see, being eco-conscious whilst traveling is not that hard, so next time you go someplace, go green.