16 Tips for Sustainable Travel
A movement for a greener planet started a long time before the current Covid-19 crisis, and while we tend to forget about it in panic, it is more important than ever before.
In an effort to achieve this greener world overall, we must take care of our environment and that also includes the way we travel. People may say that travel and living an enviromentally-friendly lifestyle cannot be combined to begin with. But there are actually many tactics you can adopt to lessen the negative side effects. And one could even challenge that a fully nomadic lifestyle is the most sustainable lifestyle of them all!
Here are my top tips for how to travel more sustainably!
1. Be conscious.
It’s the most important rule there is, and it will make living sustainable incredible easy. If you walk the world with your eyes wide open, do your research, if you question things, overthink the way you move, eat, interact with people, you will soon find out that there are options for whatever we do and most of the time they lie right in front of us.
2. Travel slower.
When we’re thinking about sustainable travel, the best thing you can do is travel slower! Instead of zipping across the world for a weekend or visiting the same continent multiple times on separate trips - which uses many resources, try to do one or two longer trips per year, combine places that are close together and stay as long as your free time allows.
Once you take your long-haul flight, move around city to city by ground transportation. On top of it being better for the environment, you will get to travel like locals do, save money, and get to know your destination better as it passes out the window.
3. If you travel for longer, rent out your flat or quit it all together.
Minimalism is a huge part of sustainability. We humans tend to hoard things we don’t need - contributing to the trash problem. But when we don’t have the space to store it, we erase the temptation to buy in the first place. An empty flat or house also uses resources we could save by giving it to others as living space. Not to mention it saves money and/or provides you with extra income.
4. Choose your flights wisely.
We all know that this is the aspect of travel that has a negative environmental effect, but there are ways to reduce it. As mentioned above, try to avoid multiple flights a year by combining destinations in one trip and take direct flights whenever possible. It’s the take off and landing that is problematic. Try to not take national flights, instead use overnight trains or buses. For the flights you have to take, compensate the C02 by donating to a charity of your choice that plants trees - such as One Tree Planted.
5. Use public transport.
Many places have a public transport system that works really well, for both short distances and long. There is Interrail and Flixbus in Europe, overnight trains and buses in SEA or South America, which all work well and are even quite cheap too!
6. Share your ride.
If you have to rely on a car or similar, try car sharing options like BlaBla Car in Europe or Facebook groups to find people who are on the same route as you. Same goes with TukTuk, motorcycle taxis etc. Locals share, so why shouldn’t you? You will always find people with similar plans - especially if staying in a hostel - and sharing makes one less vehicle on the road - resulting in less emissions. Plus you’ll get company this way as well!
7. Pack lightly.
Flying with hand luggage only or one check-in item, has a bigger influence on the use of fuel than you think. When you carry less with you, you pay less in baggage fees and help make the planet greener. So next time you’re debating taking an extra pair of shoes, think twice and take a reusable shopping bag instead!
8. Use reusable and package free items.
There is a plastic-free version of everything nowadays, you just have to take the time to look. I also recommend bringing your toiletries in reusable containers - which means you won’t contribute to the waste problem and only carry what you need. Many companies now make eco-oriented toiletries such as shampoo, deodorant, and body lotion, so you don’t have to worry what goes down the drain in places where they don’t have a great water filtering system.
9. Use reef safe sunscreen.
Our reefs are dying and usual sunscreen is pure poison for their ecosystem. The good news is there are many alternatives available that are reef safe. Many of us come from areas far away from any ocean so it wouldn’t even cross our mind, but it is an important step to save our oceans.
10. Bring your own cutlery, container and shopping bag.
Street food is one of the many amazing ways to experience local culture. But have you ever paid attention in how much single use plastic they give away? If you’re able to, it’s a good idea to take your own plate and cutlery. You may get a few weird looks at first….but it’s worth it to protect the planet - especially in destinations where recycling isn’t the standard.
I also recommend you carry your own reusable shopping bag with you. Asian countries (in particular) give you a plastic shopping bag for every little thing you purchase. But it’s better for the environment (and will look cuter too) to bring your own! Let’s try to make this the standard!
11. Bring a reusable bottle and a water filter.
Most of us already have our own water bottle but tend to leave them at home when we travel. After all, is the water even safe to drink?! I also recommend asking the guesthouse/hotel/hostel if they have a water filter, you will be surprised in how many actually do!
If you have a water heater, you can also use it to boil tap water - making it drinkable. For remote areas or hikes, a portable water filter is essential. It saves you from having to use plastic bottles, is light, and pretty reasonably priced these days. The days of needing to carry a complicated system with you are long gone, you can get a Lifestraw bottle with a built in filter or a SteriPen at all major outdoor stores these days!
12. Support small guesthouses.
Big chains and resorts are usually bound to rich investors, and these are most often connected to the oil industry - who often exploit local communities with low wages, rather than support them. So it is ALWAYS ideal try to find smaller, locally run accommodations. You want to do your research properly - these days there are options at every budget level that practice eco-friendly habits.
13. If Animals are involved, TREAD CAREFULLY.
With activities involving animals, you always want to be careful as there is rampant animal cruelty that often goes on behind the scenes. Zoos, especially in poorer are countries, are the nightmare of everyone who truly loves animals. Shows and circuses should be avoided, as should elephant riding.
I will admit that I rode an elephant years ago in Thailand — it was bareback, which I was told was better for the elephant than the carriages (but I still wish I had skipped it). There are a lot of places in Asia that masquerade as “sanctuaries” but are actually zoos, where animals are exploited in the name of tourism.
So always think twice and do your research before you sign up for activities involving animals.
14. Research volunteering projects.
This may sounds surprising, but loads of volunteering projects do more harm than good. For example, there are a lot of organizations that involve orphaned children - but studies have shown that introducing children to ever-revolving groups of volunteers actually causes trauma in the long run. Especially for smaller kids, who may form bonds with the volunteers, only to have them leave again & again. These volunteers typically don’t have any professional training and aren’t in the best position to truly help them.
This shouldn’t discourage you from volunteering at all. There are some amazing opportunities out there, but you just need to do proper homework and ideally if you do decide to volunteer, do it for 6-12 months.
16. Eat local food.
Instead of visiting chain restaurants, try the amazing local produce, eat street food, or visit a supermarket and cook yourself. There are many unique foods to try that not only benefit the local community & support small businesses, but are also budget friendly and help you fully immerse yourself in the culture.
It may seem a lot to think of, but sustainability is a journey. Don’t get down on yourself if you forget to bring your metal straw or reusable bag….just make a note to remember the next time. Our baby steps today, will become instinctual tomorrow. And in the long run, these combined efforts will help us build a greener planet for all. Let’s buckle down and make it happen. Because if we want to keep traveling, it’s the only way to ensure our planet’s health.
If you have any other tips on how to travel sustainably, please share them in the comments!! xo