Conscientious travel is tough. Getting from A to B in the most carbon efficient way within a timeframe is nigh on impossible. Using plastic is unavoidable. Off-set and stick to your green guns while in a country where climate change isn't on the agenda without coming across like a Western privilege dick.
1. Use public transport as much as possible - this is easier said than done, especially when the taxis are a cheap as chips and you take all the hassle out of long, arduous journeys. By taking a taxi, you're helping the driver earn a crust, but it's not great for the environment. Especially if you're on your own. However, don't compromise your safety or mental health, if taxis make you feel better/safer, take them.
2. Don't go crazy in the hotel room - if you don't need the little bottles of toiletries, don't use them or take them. It's adding to the manufacture of these products and they only end up taking up space in your bathroom cabinet. Only use one bin to reduce on the plastic bin liner. The free tea and coffee is a godsend, but it's a lot of plastic packaging - either go without or fill up a flask at breakfast. Ask them not to change your sheets, not many people change their sheets weekly, so you don't need to on holiday. And don't use all the towels, you can't be that dirty or wet (unless it's that sort of trip 😜).
3. I drink around 2 litres of water a day, so when I'm in a country without potable water buying bottled water is the only option. I buy big bottles, 3 to 5 litres, keep it in the room and fill my water bottle with it. This is reducing the amount of plastic I use by not buying four 500ml bottles per day.
4. I saw a tweet about someone taking an extension lead on holiday, instead of loads of adapters. This is a great idea if there's more than one of you travelling. If you're solo, reduce the amount of tech you take with you. Leave the work phone at home, unless you're blogging with video, audio and graphics or using the time to pen your magnum opus, leave the tablet/laptop at home too. And swap a games console for a good ole fashioned book.
5. Just because you're away, doesn't mean you can let standards slip. Take your bag for life with you for those inevitable shopping trips, buy locally, pack your water bottle and reusable coffee cup, recycle where possible (ask if it's not obvious) and take your travel cutlery (airport security won't stop you for carrying a table knife in your hand luggage).
7. I know the little travel sized toiletries are great space savers and if you've only got carry-on, it's the only way to have toiletries without airport security taking it all from you because a week's worth of shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, makeup, hairspray, moisturiser, sun cream, insect repellant, anti-bac doesn't all fit in one tiny zip-lock bag. However, either invest in reusable travel bottles so you can fill them from your regular sized shampoo bottle or, if you're checking in luggage, just take the toiletries you're using with you.
7a. Know the airport security rules, don't take plastic bottles, coffee cups, anything over 100ml or more than the zip-lock bag can fit. You won't get away with it and it'll end up in landfill.
8. Agribusiness is the biggest offender when it comes to climate change. Finding vegetarian options is hard and vegan options more so, but Google is your friend to find restaurants and cafes. It's getting pretty prevalent and more demand you create for these types of eateries, the better. Even if it means going out of your way to get to them.
9. Make sure your tours are as green and ethical as possible. Some exploit communities while they take privileged white people on poverty porn tours. Opt for large groups to limit the amount of vehicles toing and froing. Be prepared so you're not buying plastic ponchos, drinks bottles or pre-packaged food. More importantly, DON'T GO ON POVERTY PORN TOURS, YOU WEIRDO!
10. Think about the street food you're buying. In Vietnam, street vendors pour a can of coke into a plastic bag with a straw and hand it to you. Stop them from doing this, take your own sustainable straw and tell them to leave it in the can. In Peru, they sell jelly in plastic cups wrapped in plastic food bags, don't buy from them. In Thailand, they serve you food in polystyrene boxes, don't buy them. In China, they wrap everything in so much plastic, a steamed bun could wipe out an entire pod of whales, stop them from doing this. Street food abroad is such a huge industry, there's always a choice for you to buy an authentic, homemade pad thai without harming the planet.
12. A big one, don't do or buy anything that boosts logging, destruction of natural habitats or pumps poison into the atmosphere. Make sure any ornaments, furniture, clothes or jewellery are from sustainable sources.
13. Pick up litter, even if it's not your mess. I picked up so much plastic from the ocean and beach, I'm sure holidaymakers thought I worked for an NGO (I'd love that job, btw). The number of bottles, lighters, toys and food packaging just left on the beach is disgusting. PICK IT UP AND RECYCLE IT! And if some selfish numpties leave it behind, I'm looking at you Russian and Chinese tourists, pick it up for them. Don't ignore it because it's not your mess. Ignoring it means it'll end up either in the stomach of poor creature or trapping them.
14. This bit is a knobby, but don't be afraid to mention your eco-traveller tendencies. Cultures weren't changed by staying silent. The things we take for granted are because of a culture of convenience that consumerism has fanned. Economics is basic demand and supply. If you stop demanding plastic straws, an abundance of towels and food that isn't locally sourced, they'll stop selling it.
Most of us only have a few precious days annual leave days and some of us want to use that to explore cultures and countries, not like our own. Flying is enough of a carbon footprint without you leaving other green sensibilities at home. Also, transport isn't the worst thing when it comes to climate change.
Animal agriculture is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined exhaust from all transportation.
Source: https://t.co/dwq5GFoqe5 pic.twitter.com/DggGsIl4hd
— Cowspiracy (@Cowspiracy) May 10, 2018
First published on 05/06/2019 17:47
