Eco-friendly – Organised Mess

If your anything like me, all you can think of while looking at the snow is when can I travel next (in a post-covid world). But one thing that I believe slips the minds of many is how you can be the most eco-friendly while traveling. Here are ten tips that are not only eco-friendly for the environment, will save you money while doing it!

Bring your own water bottle and filters

When you bring your own water bottle, you save money from purchasing overpriced bottles that are sold to tourists. It also helps reduce the plastic waste that cumulates when you need to repurchase water for all the hot summer vacation days. But when in places that don’t have access to clean water as readily, use bio-grade filters for your water bottle.

2. Cook in your Airbnb, Hostel, or Hotel

Pick up some groceries from a local market or corner store and try to cook your own meals for dinner, or prep food for when you’re out visiting attractions around the city. Not only will this save you money, but this also helps reduce the food waste during prep and from what is not eaten at restaurants.

3. Walk or Bike

I believe that walking or biking around the city, or wherever you are, is the best way to see the beauty of the area. Walking or biking helps you find the hidden gems that you would not normally see if you were in a car or on a tourist bus.

In most European cities and some North American cities, there are free, or very cheap, bike rentals that you can use for the day. But if they are not available, make sure you’re wearing comfortable walking shoes.

4. Pack light

Pack the items that you know you will wear when you’re traveling. Leave out the “potential cute/istagramable fits” at home if you know you won’t be wearing them. By packing lightly, you are reducing your luggage’s weight on the flight – the heavier the items, the more fuel needed for the plane to run and more emissions in the air. So, when you’re thinking of packing for your next trip, bring only the essentials and not the “just in case” items.

5. Use biodegradable washing detergent

To piggy-back off the last point, when wanting to wash your clothing, bring biodegradable detergent. Since most zero-waste laundry detergents are powders, you won’t need to worry about liquid travel restrictions. You won’t need to worry about having laundry rooms accessible. Having your own detergents enables you to do your laundry at any time on your travels. And for drying, you can bring a string for a DIY-hanging rod.

6. Wear eco-friendly sunscreen

When you’re going to the beach or lake, it is essential to wear sunscreen that is safe for your skin and safe for the ocean and the water living animals. Most sunscreens are toxic for the ocean waters and creatures that live in them. So, when you’re shopping for sunscreen for your next trip to the sea, check to make sure it is reef safe or that it does not have oxybenzone in its ingredients. Choose one that is mineral-based with ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide

7. Try to use low-emission transportation – Trains

It is easier and, in some cases, faster to travel by plane between destinations. However, it costs the most for the environment with high-emission from the gas used. A great alternative is traveling by train! Trains are also a great way to see the villages or country-side farms when going between locations and are more cost-efficient.

8. Bring your own eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner

There are many bar shampoo and conditioner options to purchase from brands such as Lush, or you can go to your local zero-waste store or even make your own. By bringing your own shampoo and conditioner, you don’t need to use hotels’ wasteful ones. It also helps you from limited travel liquids allowed by airlines.

9. Bring your own utensils

When you are purchasing from restaurants or making your own food, try to bring your own eco-friendly utensils. Bamboo utensils are very popular, being biodegradable, however, during my travels, they are not as durable and can break. If you can, bring metal cutlery from your kitchen, they are durable, but bamboo is the next best thing if you can’t.

10. Shop local

Shopping for souvenirs to take home for yourself and your loved ones is always one thing we find ourselves doing towards the end of a trip. However, the shops you see on every corner selling cent worthy items as overpriced tokens are what most people believe to be the only option. This is not the case. There are always locally owned shops that, in most cases, hand-make many of the items they sell. Purchasing from local shops benefits the small business and, you are buying an item that is different from other souvenirs.

For the next adventure you have, think of these tips for an eco-friendly approach.

It goes without saying, we are in a climate crisis, and our earth is dying. These words make me feel helpless and sad, but there are things we can do to help, however small or large. By minimizing single-use plastics and recycling and composting materials, we will keep ourselves accountable for the wasteful materials we dispose of on our planet and into our oceans.

I am not educated enough on climate change. Still, I find it useful to take the initiative in researching and reading scientific articles and journals that can help give insight into the challenges we face as a species. A book called The Climate Crisis, edited by Vishwas Satgar writes on the climate crisis we face and the possible systemic alternatives.

After more than twenty years of multilateral negotiations, we have not developed the solutions to solve the climate crisis decisively. Instead, we have continued emitting pollutants and intensively using fossil fuels and, as a result, have been recording the hottest years on the planet
Vishwas Satgar, The Climate crisis and Systemic alternatives

I realize what I am writing is scary or may be hard to believe for some, but there are ways that each person can do their part and try to help.

There are many ways an individual can make change, and it can begin with your lifestyle.

Decreasing meat consumption may help biodiversity loss, which attributes to 70 % of the world’s deforestation used for animal feed (Stoll-Kleeman & Schmidt, 2017). Also, 14.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) result from industrial livestock farming (Stoll-Kleeman & Schmidt, 2017). I’ve been following a pescetarian diet for over seven years and have become more educated on how diet can impact our environment.

Another way to help is by changing out single-use plastics for reusable or eco-friendly alternatives. There are many eco-friendly alternatives for items in your household – toothbrushes, toothpicks, plastic bags, plastic sandwich bags, cling-wrap, drier sheets – that are also more cost-efficient and better for the environment.

An alternative for a regular plastic toothbrush could be a bamboo toothbrush. Affordable bamboo toothbrushes can be found on online sites, such as Brush with Bamboo or Etsy.

If you are looking for an alternative to single-use plastic bags for groceries, there are so many available options that will last and can be reused for years. To replace single-use zip-lock bags, invest in Stasher bags. These are silicon zip-lock bags that can be purchased in multiple sizes to fit whatever you need. Another alternative to single-use plastics is cotton produce bags for any vegetables you pick up from the grocery store. And to replace cling-wrap, try Beeswrap for your wrapping needs.

Suppose you are looking for alternatives for more eco-friendly dish soap or all-purpose cleaners. In this case, there are many stores you can find online or search for zero waste stores near you. A source online called Sustain Eco-Store holds all the necessary kitchen and household items that fit your needs to be more eco-conscious.

Understandably, trying to switch to eco-friendly household materials is usually more expensive to purchase upfront. However, there are other ways which you can do, that are entirely free. By signing petitions and sending emails to people in large corporations or parliament, you can voice your opinions on the climate crisis. On the right are some URLs where you can sign petitions and get more information on other ways to make a change.

Resources for purchasing your own zero-waste and eco-friendly alternatives:

Bamboo Toothbrushes
Stasher Bag
Cotton Produce Bags
Beewac wraps
Eco-friendly cleaning

References:

Satgar, Vishwas. (2018). The Climate Crisis: South African and global democratic eco-socialist alternatives. Johannesburg. Wits University Press. https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/29462/9781776143306.pdf?sequence=1#page=13

Stoll-Kleemann, S., & Schmidt, U. J.. (2017). Reducing meat consumption in developed and transition countries to counter climate change and biodiversity loss: a review of influence factors. Regional Environmental Change, 17(5), 1261–1277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-016-1057-5

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