Joining an eco-friendly travel project is not the only way you can do to help protect the environment. You can also do many things to contribute to environment protection. Travelling is supposed to be a fun activity you do. However, it does not mean you can just do it your own way regardless of the impact to the environment. It is important to practice responsible travel so you can have fun while protecting the environment from more damage. One of the ways is to reduce your waste while travelling.
How to help reducing waste while travelling
You may have practiced how to reduce waste at home so you have better and healthier living space. It does not mean you should stop once you take a step outside of your home. Travelling is the opportunity for you to practice what you have learned to reduce waste. Here are some of them:
One of the many things that is damaging for the environment is single-use items especially those made from plastics such as straws, bottle, utensils, and many more. It takes centuries to break down plastic materials. Not to mention that int he process, it releases toxic chemicals that can endanger animals and other living species on earth. Hence, you can start by bringing reusable items such as reusable water bottle or container instead of buying bottled water from the store.
Get into bars when it comes to packing toiletries for your trip. You see, skincare products and such can put environment in danger through their micro particles or beads. Thus, it is recommended to bring products that are less dangerous for the environment. You can also bring products with natural ingredients so they won’t harm the environment.
Instead of renting a car to explore the place you travel to, you can opt for more eco-friendly alternatives such as walking, cycling, or taking public transportation. Carbon emission is not something to be taken lightly. It is getting worse day by day and you do not have to be the one to make it worse. You can contribute to reduce it instead by taking eco-friendly alternatives for your transport during your trip. Walking, cycling, or taking buses and subways won’t make your trip any less exciting. In fact, you may find more interesting things throughout your journey.
Find zero waste dining alternatives during your trip. You need to think local to do so. You can visit farmer’s market where you can get fresh produce. You can also to the local home-brewed beans to enjoy heart-warming, authentic coffee. If it is possible, you can also visit a farm-to-table restaurant to enjoy home-grown foods.
Use less paper for your trip. Some documents may not be replaced with digital data. However, you do not have to print everything. For example, you can just save your itinerary in your smartphone. You can also look up for maps from your phone instead of printing it into paper. Today, e-tickets are also quite common for many travel destinations.