If you're trying to make eco-friendly choices in 2024, you've come to the right place! From planning your vacation to choosing restaurants, these eco-friendly tips will help you enjoy a more sustainable travel experience.
What is Eco-Friendly Travel?
Also known as sustainable travel or responsible travel, eco-friendly travel minimizes your environmental and socio-cultural impact while traveling. When you travel sustainably, you make conscious choices to reduce your carbon footprint, save natural resources, support local communities, and preserve cultural heritage.
You can minimize your trip's negative impacts on the environment, local communities, and culture by making just a few easy tweaks to your travel plans and habits. Small choices can make a big difference!
Eco-Friendly Travel Tips
Before Your Trip:
1. Pack as light as possible.
One of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint while traveling is to pack as light as you can. If fewer goods are in transit, less energy will be used for car rides or air transportation.
You can pack lighter by bringing versatile clothing you can wash during your trip. For example, if you only pack a few shirts and a few pairs of pants, you can easily mix and match them into several different outfits.
You can also bring multipurpose toiletries – castile soap can be used as shampoo, body wash, and laundry detergent. You could even bring bar soap, which works as shaving cream and body soap.
A BPA-free reusable water bottle is another must for sustainable travel. You'll minimize the number of plastic bottles you're using on your trip while also staying more hydrated!
2. Check for carbon offset programs.
Before you book your flight, check to see if any airlines offer carbon offset programs. You should also aim to book a non-stop flight since planes produce more carbon emissions during takeoff and landing than in the air.
Accommodations:
1. Book eco-friendly hotels.
Look for labels and certifications on hotels like EarthCheck, Rainforest Alliance, Green Tourism Business Scheme, or LEED Certified. Hotels with these certifications implement eco-friendly practices, like low-flow toilets, energy-efficient lighting, and organic bath products.
2. Hang the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.
Housekeeping services carry an environmental load, like using water to wash towels and spraying harsh chemicals all over your room. Simply reuse your towels and sheets during your stay to reduce the impact of housekeeping – then hang "Do Not Disturb" outside your door.
3. Take hotel toiletries with you.
Hotels often throw away unused toiletries after guests leave. Even if you don't like the hotel's soap or shampoo, you can still take these small bottles with you and reuse them – they are the perfect travel size!
During Travel:
1. Utilize local businesses.
When choosing restaurants or going shopping, support small and local businesses. Small restaurants often use locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, which are better for the planet since they produce less carbon emissions.
2. Purchase locally-made souvenirs.
Not only are handmade items better quality, but they are more sustainable since they are not imported. Plus, supporting local artists is a great way to promote sustainable business practices and the local economy.
Final thoughts
Whether you're buying souvenirs or booking your flight, save these eco-friendly travel tips to create a more sustainable itinerary. Small changes lead to big results!
