Carrie Day from Intrepid Travel has given us her top tips on travelling sustainably. Thank you Carrie for your #traveltiptuesday, we know that travelling sustainably is very important to protect the environment.
Bring a Reusable Water Bottle
Think about every single plastic water bottle you have ever purchased… It’s still out there somewhere. You can avoid all this plastic by packing your own reusable water bottle (and bring a tote bag to avoid taking plastic bags when offered) Most hotels, cafes, restaurants, etc will be happy to refill your bottle for you and will be happy you are not contributing to their plastic problem. If you are in countries where drinking water isn’t safe, you can still bring Water Purifications tablets with you or purchase larger water bottles to refill your bottle from.
Pack a Bamboo Toothbrush
On average, we use around 300 toothbrushes in our lifetime which is a lot of plastic. How often have you thrown away your toothbrush after spending only one or two weeks using it on holiday? Bamboo toothbrushes are no longer only found in eco shops; you can pick one up in your local Boots or Penney’s so there are no excuses. Bamboo is super diverse, easily biodegradable and grows quickly so it has a smaller carbon footprint. If you really want to be more environmentally conscious, pick up shampoo & conditioner bars too or even toothpaste tablets that are in easily recyclable containers (unlike regular toothpaste).
Eat Local
Travelling sustainably isn’t all about protecting the environment, it’s about the impact we have on the local economy when we are travelling. I don’t need to tell you how much businesses have suffered all over the world during the pandemic so when you head off again, make sure you get out of the resort at least once and choose to eat in a local or family-run restaurant and support their small business.
Pro-Tip: Restaurants and street food vendors filled with locals are guaranteed to have the BEST local food! Avoid eateries filled with tourists – they’re just there for the free wifi and western food, which more often than not is what will make you sick!
Carbon Offset your flight
There’s no getting away from the fact that travel is one of the worst industries for the environment. But people are going to travel regardless, so why not consider offsetting your journey or offering this to your customers? Lots of airlines are now giving options to offset your flight, such as Ryanair, so it’s never been easier. Check out Carbon Footprint where you can calculate how much carbon your journey is creating and purchase credits to offset it, such as tree planting in the UK, funding community projects in developing countries or reforestation in Kenya. Alternatively, you can travel with companies who do this for you, such as Intrepid Travel who use the highest quality carbon credits 😉
Donate your unwanted clothes and toiletries
It’s probably something that you haven’t considered before, but the next time you are visiting a developing country, consider leaving behind old clothes and toiletries for the hotel staff. When flying out of Havana (Cuba) some airport cleaners approached me before I checked in for my flight, asking for shampoo, soap, socks, etc explaining that they cannot afford these basic items. It’s not something I had given much thought to before, but ever since I have purposely picked up extra new socks, tops, toothpaste, etc to leave behind.
Thank you Carrie for your #traveltiptuesday, we know that travelling sustainably is very important to protect the environment and you’ve given us some great tips we can use in the future.
