This blog will cover 5 Sustainable Traveling Tips that will help you travel in a more sustainable manner. This helps benefit the environment and the places you are traveling to! Always remember to respect the places you visit, leave no trace, and support the local economy. Traveling in a sustainable way is important for the future of our planet and is important to learn about other cultures.
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First Sustainable Travel Tip:
Pack Light
This first sustainable travel tip is especially important when you are flying somewhere because packing light helps to reduce carbon emissions. The heavier the plane is, the more carbon emissions go into the atmosphere, so packing light will help with this.
Packing light is easier when you have a good carry-on size bag. This bag REI Co-op Big Haul Recycled Duffel bag [linked] helps make packing light easier. It is also a durable annd easy to carry bag that is perfect for any type of traveling!
Another trick for packing light is to use packing cubes [linked] or vacuum bags that help you pack your clothes down more. Packing cubes are also helpful because they keep you more organized while traveling. Vacuum bags are helpful when moving or when you need more clothes because they make clothes pack down smaller.
Additionally, by packing clothes that are versatile and can be worn for many different occasions can help you pack lighter. Check out this blog “How to Create a Sustainable Packing List in 4 Easy Steps” to learn more about how to plan what to pack. This will help you travel in a more sustainable way!
Lastly, to pack light, think about the toiletries you are packing and a good toiletry case can make a big difference. This one from REI, REI Co-op Shower Roll [linked] is a great option. This can help you organize your toiletries better and fit them better in your bag.
Another tip to pack lighter is to use containers for your toiletries so you don’t have to bring the entire bottle. This Container Set [linked] is a great way to pack toiletries and also helps to reduce plastic. Next time you are getting ready for a trip, think about these easy tips to pack lighter!
Second Sustainable Travel Tip: Bring a Reusable Water Bottle
This second sustainable travel tip is a super easy way to travel in a more sustainable way. Most airports now-a-days have water bottle refill station to make it easier for you to bring your own water bottle flying.
Using a reusable water bottle when traveling is a more sustainable option. This helps you cut down on plastic usage and reduces waste.
An issue that can arise is when you travel to a place without safe drinking water. A sustainable travel tip to deal with this is to buy the largest bottled water you can find and keep it where you are staying to refill your reusable water bottle. This will still help you reduce your plastic usage, and remember to just do your best!
Third Sustainable Travel Tip: Bring Sustainable Clothes
This third sustainable travel tip is important because the fashion industry is one of the leading causes of pollution and destroyers of our ecosystems and planet. Fast fashion leads to many detrimental impacts on our environment. Two big results of the production of clothing are giant landfills in the remote deserts of South America and artificially dyed rivers throughout Asia. There are also so many other environmental issues that arise from clothing production.
One way to make your trips more sustainable is by bringing sustainable clothes when traveling. It is common to want new clothes for your trips, but instead of buying new clothes, try to buy clothes that are more sustainable.
Thrifting clothes, swapping clothes, and finding new ways to wear the clothes in your closet can be a good alternative to buying new clothes. Additionally, there are a lot of sustainable clothing companies these days that make perfect clothes for traveling in. A great company for sustainable adventure and travel clothes is Alder Apparel [linked].
Another great place to find clothes for your trips is on second hand clothing apps such as Depop, Poshmark and Facebook Marketplace. This is a great way to reduce your footprint while still getting new outfits for traveling.
Fourth Sustainable Travel Tip: Support Locals
The fourth sustainable travel tip can make a huge difference. When supporting the local community of the place you travel to helps the local economy and community thrive. By shopping or eating at local places, this means that the products, food, and goods are usually sourced locally and aren’t being transported from far away.
Eating locally is also more sustainable because it will usually be food that is in season. This then helps to promote healthy soils and more sustainable farming techniques.
By staying at local hotels, you help to support the local economy and give local people jobs. Local people may work at chain hotels and restaurants, however, this also supports big corporations. Big corporations and chain hotels can cause harm to our environment, so it is better to support local. Smaller, local businesses are usually less detrimental to the environment and therefor a more sustainable option.
Fifth Sustainable Travel Tip:
Take Public Transportation
The fifth sustainable travel tip can help make traveling more sustainable. When you take public transportation it helps lower the amount of carbon emissions that are put off into the environment.
If you are able to travel by train, bus, tram, subway, or metro, it is a great alternative to using car services, taxis, or renting your own car.
A lot of places have great public transportation options that are safe, easy to figure out, and timely. Always research ahead of time what the place you are traveling to offers for public transportation.
Another sustainable travel tip, and an amazing way to explore a new city, town, or place is by walking or biking around it. This is one of the best ways to see a new place, explore new streets, and meet new people!
Bonus Sustainable Travel Tip:
Go Sustainably By Train or Bus
This bonus sustainable travel tip is another great alternative way to travel in order to make it more sustainable. If you can, traveling by bus or train can be a great alternative to flying. Traveling this way can also help you see more of a country or place! A lot of trains and buses are easy to travel by, clean, safe, and comfortable.
