Travel is paramount for self-development. It takes us out of our comfort zones and exposes us to new ways of living. It also causes us to appreciate the value of life and get outside of the material things. That does not mean it doesn’t come with unfortunate consequences, and that is why making zero waste swaps is vital as we consider eco-friendly travel.
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Zero Waste Swaps for Responsible Travel
Why is sustainable travel important?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, 14% or 4.8 million tons of waste results from tourism. That number is staggering, but thankfully sustainable travel trends are catching on as more people become informed. Responsible travel is something that each person should consider as they traverse the globe.
Are you wondering why zero waste is important?
Just like when you are at home, recycling is essential, as is omitting single-use plastic from our lives. Especially while on the go, people are using these toss away items en mass.
It’s necessary to think about having sustainable vacations and practicing green travel, and considering zero waste swaps can be a simple, first step in protecting our globe and reducing waste as you travel.
Consider the following items that are fabulous zero waste examples that you can take along and use over and over again.
Use zero plastic with a reusable water bottle
Whether or not you are a seasoned traveler, you probably know that a reusable water bottle is the first step in making zero waste swaps. What you probably didn’t know is that if you travel to a place that does not have safe water to drink, you will inevitably need to buy bottled water.
Water in plastic containers can get expensive and wasteful. The solution is rather simple. Just look for hotels and hostels that provide filtered water or a clean water canister, or invest in a water bottle with built-in filtration.
Invest in zero waste travel containers.
To a traveler, there is something exceptional about those little soap bottles you get at the hotel. Often they are luxury brands and smell irresistible. However, they usually end up in the trash after one or two uses.
Instruct the hotel staff not to replenish the disposable toiletries, and be sure to give them back and mention they are unopened. The best swap you can make while traveling and at home is to use bar toiletry products or refill your bottles at home.
Many countries don’t have the infrastructure to manage or recycle waste. Think about responsible travel and don’t waste plastic bottles. In third world countries, waste often ends up in the waterways, landfills, and even the streets, which can lead to unsanitary conditions.
Consider a zero-waste kit for cutlery.
A crucial part of sustainable tourism and responsible travel is not leaving anything behind. If your plan includes street food, then you will inevitably get disposable cutlery.
That is a lot of waste, so to make your journey more eco-friendly, invest in a reusable cutlery set. It’s a zero-waste swap that is easy to take along in a purse or backpack.
Ditch the plastic bags for a reusable tote.
The plastic baggie may as well be the biggest offender to our ecosystems – at home or on the journey. Purchasing a cute tote bag is convenient, too. Whether buying souvenirs or heading to a local market, you can reduce waste by taking along your bag. Every time you use it, you can feel good about saving the oceans and the landfills.
Another wasteful product is take-out food containers. Most of them are plastic, take up a lot of room, and get tossed after just one use. Fill collapsible food containers, and then fold them up when you finish.
You can make a difference with a few small changes!
With a few quick, affordable zero-waste swaps, you can make a tremendous difference. Do you have any eco-friendly travel trips? I’d love to hear why zero waste is important to you! Read more green travel advice here – you’ll be glad you did!
Comments
14 responses to “Zero Waste Swaps for Responsible Travel”
I was just wondering the other day about how it’s possible to travel zero waste (or at least as close as you can get to it)! I write articles about eco-conscious products and tips and this is exactly the kind of content I like to digest myself. I’m actually really excited to have found your article. Your commitment to the environment is so motivating. Thank you for sharing!
Hmmmm, reading your post made me more aware of the fact that yes, I still use plastic bags and this is not very ok. It is true that in supermarkets across Romania they started to use bio bags but those ones are pretty thin and not good to use when you have to carry a lot of weight. But now that I have read your post, I will pay more attention to this aspect.
One of our kids is hard over on sustainable life. So we have gotten better over the year at reducing our waste. We always travel with our own bottles. And if we use a single-use bottle, we use it over and over again. Love when hotels have water filling stations. Our travel kit includes a set of reusable cutlery. We originally got it for picnicking in hotels where we could not get cutlery. And we have a cupboard full of reusable totes. And use our backpack when we shop when travelling. All good options to help with waste!
Those are great options! So glad you are making changes. Little by little helps for sure!
So many great suggestions here. When I travel, I tend to bring my own water bottle, as well as my own toiletries as well – so it’s encouraging to know I’ve already made some progress in this lifestyle!
Love this blog post! Actually I love to use a fishnet market bag instead of a plastic bag! Plus I love the project of banning single-use plastic! Hopefully everyone will catch on really soon!
I always take two nalgenes with me when I travel. It is such an easy way to save waste and money too. Water bottles at airports are so expensive. I’m from the US and I find when I travel abroad most grocery stores don’t even offer plastic bags. I end up buying a reusable bag for the weeks or months I am staying in that particular place. I need to be better about always having one in my suitcase. Great tips on how to make a difference in reducing waste!
I totally agree with zero-waste. In fact, using plastic containers either for water or for food is very unhealthy. I only use glass, even when I travel. Unfortunately, plastic is cheaper and I don’t see those who produce it giving it up any soon now.
It is a significant article about responsible travel. I always try to minimize the amount of garbage during a trip. I use reusable bags. And I’m using a reusable water bottle, of course. The zero-waste idea should be the essence for travelers.
Really useful tips on how to travel sustainably with zero waste. I always use a reusable water bottle and a tote. Makes life so much simpler too. I don’t have to look for places to dispose of used plastics. And saves the earth so much pain.
I’m huge on zero footprint and zero waste when traveling! I use a Nalgene bottle that I’ve had since I first deployed in the military. If it could talk, I can only imagine the stories it would tell haha! I love the reusable cutlery you have shown here. Where can I get something like that?
If you click on the photo, you can head straight to where to find it! 🙂 It’s a good price point, I think – and so smart to have something reusable! 🙂
I too believe in zero waste travel products. It is good to carry reusable water bottles and toiletry containers to reduce plastic waste. Carrying a cotton or jute tote bag is a nice idea and also the wooden cutlery. Thanks for sharing all of these great products!
It is indeed the need of the hour to consider the zero-waste, sustainable, eco-friendly options when traveling. I do have a metal water bottle, cloth tote bags and I bought a refillable travel-sized toiletries bottles which I carry in all my trips. I hadn’t thought about reusable cutlery yet. I need to carry my own cutlery here on. Thanks for making me realize that. Another thing I do is using reusable menstrual hygiene products!