5 Tips to travel Sustainably
Now I know not everyone is able to travel by road, rail or sea on vacation all the time. It is okay to fly during your holidays if you can’t avoid it. Everyone deserves a rest in the stressful existence we call modern life! Here are some tips to help you make your holidays more sustainable.
1. Plan your outfits:
Planning your clothing for the days you’re there will help make your suitcase packing much easier. If you know you’re going to have an evening outfit and a daytime outfit, think about what you’ll wear and pack them together. If you can re-use trousers etc in several days then well done you.
This becomes more sustainable as you’ll be carrying much less with you, therefore reducing the mass of your suitcase and therefore the fuel consumption of the aircraft (if you’re flying). Not only this; it also makes carrying it around that bit easier!
2. Public Transport:
Do your research on where you are, or check in with the reception or air bnb hosts. They’ll be able to give you some great advice on public transport. If you’re planning to only go to one town and spend the day there then a bus is usually your best bet. If you’re planning to explore an area, then it may make more sense to rent a car. If this is the option, then try and see if any other people you’re with are interested in joining - not only will it save you money but you’ll also share the footprint.
Public transport in major cities is normally wonderful, except for some cities in the States. My overall experience with local transport in Europe and Asia has been great.
3. Find local organisations giving tips:
Wherever you travel, do a bit of research to see if there are any organisations pioneering sustainable ideas! Taking part in beach cleans and litter picks, or giving any tips on places to visit/shop is ethical and sustainable.
In Tenerife I used this company called Canary Green for information about sustainable things to do in Tenerife. We had the best intentions to visit this really cool vegan clothing store, only to find it was closed for the Christmas period! We saw just enough through the window to know it was a hidden gem! We had such a good day exploring the island anyway - visiting the local market, stumbling across little independents and refuelling with smoothies and tortillas. That’s a good combo right?
4. Don't overfill your plate:
This one I am foul of at times! You need to be very present and mindful at dinner. If you’re eating at a hotel buffet, and want to try many things, then you should tell yourself it will likely be here again in the week, or you get whoever else is in your party to get some of the things and you all share.
This is important to do, so that less food goes to waste. It is one of the things I hate seeing when I am at buffets, all the leftover food being thrown out.
5. Mindful Souvenir Shopping
Souvenirs are a critical part of the travel and tourism sector. In a country where tourism is a major segment of the economy, souvenirs are indeed a major source of income. Given the past two years, the travel and tourism sectors have been heavily hit by covid-19, and as we are able to travel we are able to stimulate this sector.
Many souvenirs are single use, get thrown in the landfill (don’t biodegrade/compost) and the product of these carry a carbon footprint if they’re mass produced in a different country from which you’re travelling. This is one of the downsides of the industry, and is a systemic problem and not the fault of the individuals trying to make a living from the products they sell. Therefore it is an area of opportunity for wonderful people and companies to get creative and tackle the problems with locally sourced, conscious products.
If this is not possible, then be mindful with your purchases, be thankful for your time at a place and try not to impulse purchase your third I ❤️ “insert location here” fridge magnet. There is nothing nicer than being home and looking at something you’ve bought on your travels and being instantly transported to that location; the smells, food, people etc that come with the memories. Let’s make all our choices give us these moments!
I have a friend who collects pins from where he has visited, which I think is a great idea, you can make a collage of these over time and they all have pride of place rather than being in a drawer.
Do you have any travel tips? Please share them with me on my socials or email me on tallmantravelling@gmail.com
