Simple Tips for Sustainable Travel

Traveling takes you out of your regular environment and routines, so it can be easy to let your usual sustainability practices slip. But with a little forethought, you can go into your summer travel feeling prepared to live nearly as sustainably as you do when you're at home. So get out your suitcase or beach bag, put on those sustainability goggles, and make sure protecting the environment is part of your summer travel plans!

Transportation

• Really consider the distance and form of travel you choose. Flying is incredibly resource intensive. Experiencing cultures and landscapes far from home is no doubt valuable—but when you choose to fly, do so thoughtfully.
• If you fly, see if you can find a nonstop flight. Not only are they more enjoyable, they're more efficient! 
• If you drive, consider renting a more fuel-efficient vehicle. This could be a great time to test out a hybrid or EV.
• If your schedule allows you to take the train, consider taking the train. Embrace the idea of "slow travel" and make the journey part of the experience. 
• Choose a travel location that will allow you to get around more sustainably while you're there. Walking, biking, and taking public transportation are all much easier in some locations than others. 
• Consider spending your vacation in just one or two places rather than traveling to a different city every day. You'll reduce the energy required to travel between locations, minimize waste from staying in multiple hotels, and have an easier time storing food from day to day (thus reducing food waste).

Food & Lodging

• Support local businesses and individuals rather than chains. AirBnb and Vrbo can be wonderful alternatives to hotels, which require massive amounts of resoures to build, operate, and maintain. Small, locally owned lodges support the local economy and may pay workers a better wage. And local restaurants are more likely to use locally sourced ingredients.
• When you're booking lodging or researching cruise lines, check for green travel certifications and positive environmental reviews. You're doing research anyway; take the extra effort to consider sustainability and find one you feel good about supporting.
• Pack a water bottle and a set of plates, cups, and silverware for everyone going on the trip as well as to-go containers so you can take restaurant food with you without relying on disposables. Make sure to take your eatingware and coffee mug with you to the hotel's continental breakfast. 
• Use your own soap and shampoo instead of the sample-size bottles and plastic-wrapped bars at the hotel. 
  
• Consider bringing your own towels so the hotel doesn't have to wash yours after just one or two uses.
• Bringing some of your own food can help you avoid packaging as well as food waste. Even just bringing your own small container of jelly could save you from using the small plastic containers at the hotel or restaurant. And if you do collect some sauce packets during your travels, remember to bring them home with you to TerraCycle for free at Full Circle!
• Refer to our blog post on Eco-Friendly Eating Out for general tips on eating more sustainably when you're away from home.

Trash & Recycling

• Whether you're camping in the middle of nowhere or staying in a fancy hotel in a big city, you may have a hard time finding a place to recycle. Take a bag for holding your recyclables until you come across a proper place to dispose of them.
• Take a container to pack out your food waste for composting if doing so makes sense for your type of trip. 
• Consider packing out all of your trash so that entire plastic trash can liners at the hotel are not used for very small amounts of waste.

Souvenirs & Sightseeing

• If you plan to do any shopping—for food, souvenirs, etc.—make sure to pack bags that can be used as shopping bags.
• If you shop for souvenirs, make sure to do so mindfully. Think carefully about how and whether the item will be used. (Do your friends really want a keychain from the place you went on vacation?) Also think about:
  • how it was produced (in a factory vs. by a local artisan)
  • where it was purchased (from a gas station vs. a mom-and-pop shop)
  • and what will happen to it in the long run (landfill vs. being fully consumed)
• Take a picture of things like hiking maps and travel brochures instead of taking them with you. Or if you do take them, return them to the hotel desk or visitor's center when you leave so they can be used again.
  
• Leave no trace. This applies no matter where you go. Show respect for the place and people you're visiting. Make sure you're not doing anything that makes the land or community worse for your having been there. 

I hope these ideas have been helpful to get you started planning and packing through a sustainbility lens. As you think about your specific trip, you'll likely come up with some more items to pack or issues to think through. And if you miss some opportunities to make your trip as sustainable as it can be, don't fret too much. Just use them as learning opportunities—and write down those lessons so you'll remember next time! 

Happy travels!

-Justine

Photo credit: Freepik