When traveling constitutes a significant part of your life, it is necessary to opt for the most eco-friendly way to travel and keep an eye on your carbon footprint.
Carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of our daily life and trips. For example, any car’s carbon footprint is not limited by CO2 emissions at the moment of fuel consumption, but also includes all the environment pollution during the vehicle’s operation. This is why it is important to not just replace one product with the other, but to learn to seize use of non-essential goods.
In this article, we will tell you about some excellent eco-friendly items for tourists and share eco-friendly travel tips that will help you cut the negative effect on the environment.
So how can we limit our carbon footprint?
If your travel style or trip duration do not require certain items, don’t buy them. A cut-down consumption of any goods can prevent pollution.
Eco-friendly travel products to help you cut down on plastic
This type of eco-friendly must-haves is here to help you avoid single-use non-recycable plastics.
1. A reusable water bottle is a great eco-friendly alternative to bottled water.
This is one of the best purchases for eco-travel. And even though not all countries enjoy drinking tap water, it is usually available in airports around the world.
2. Reusable tableware to avoid single-use plastic cutlery.
Everybody likes a good meal, but the amount of plastic stuff, from food containers to bags we find afterwards, is alarming. The best way to avoid it is to choose reusable cutlery made of bamboo or metal. Please remember that airlines do not allow knives onboard, so make sure you comply with their rules and keep it in registered luggage.
3. Reusable shopping bags.
Most of us already have such bags at home, having received them as a present from a brand or purchased at a supermarket. So grab one or two for an eco-friendly trip. Such bags are a good alternative to beach bags, shopping at local markets or storing laundry during a trip. They can definitely help reduce the amount of plastic in use.
4. Silicone food containers.
Storing food in these eco-friendly travel containers is really handy. They can be properly sealed to preserve your food for longer.
Eco-travel items for personal hygiene
5. Use soap and shampoo bars to replace their bottled equivalents.
These are likely the most efficient zero-waste and eco-friendly travel products: simply replace a bottle of liquid soap with a soap bar. First, often soap bars contain more beneficial ingredients and are way more economical in comparison to gels and shampoos. Moreover, soap bars do not come with plastic wrappings that you would have to dump. Finally, you will not have to carry the weight of a bottled product or worry about it leaking in your bag. A simple but awesome solution with a positive effect on the environment.
6. Swap your plastic toothbrush for bamboo for an eco-friendly trip.
According to a research conducted by Foreo, the USA alone throws away 1 billion toothbrushes every year, which accounts to 22 million kg of waste. That is a rather scary figure given the difference a simple transition to a biodegradable toothbrush can make. Bamboo is an excellent alternative to plastic as it is a natural and fully biodegradable material. In short, it is a sustainable and renewable source. What’s more, it is one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet, so there is no threat of the world running out of it. So, consider choosing bamboo toothbrushes in your everyday life.
7. Choose natural mosquito repellents.
Now we know that mosquito repellents are harmful to health and negatively affect the air quality. However, in some areas they are vital as mosquitos can “eat you alive”.
One efficient and eco-friendly way to repel mosquitos is to rub coconut oil on your skin. It works well as coconut oil creates a barrier that mosquitoes cannot bite through.
General advice
8. Extend the life-span of the things you own.
The better you care for your belongings, the longer they will serve you. It will save you time and money, and it is better for the environment. Fewer demand for new products cuts the production and ultimately results in lesser air pollution.
So do not refuse to fix or mend broken things. Fix everything that can be saved. Reuse everything that can be used again. Donate clothes you do not need anymore. When buying things, opt for used stuff when possible.
9. Use eco-friendly products for travel and at home.
There is no need to buy things for a specific occasion. The rational solution is to use the same things at home and in your eco-friendly trips.
10. Buy things you actually need.
Be reasonable with your shopping and try to abstain from unnecessary purchases. Moderate consumption means better health, safer personal finance and improved ecology.
