Travel isn’t good for the environment. A trans-Atlantic flight can emit up to a ton of carbon into the atmosphere per passenger. I’ve always struggled with this since I try to make small changes in my life to be more sustainable. However, I’m not willing to give up beef or flying yet so here are a few things I do to make my travel a little less destructive for the planet.
Buy Offsets
Carbon offsets are a little complicated and not quite regulated but the simplest way to think about them is as support for projects that are carbon negative or remove carbon from the atmosphere. So you would purchase offsets, that money goes to support planting a forest, wind energy, the purchase of land to prevent development and forest destruction, etc.
Usually, offsets are measured in tons and you can purchase the equivalent of common activities in your life like commuting to work in a car for a year.
You can purchase offsets for your entire life, and I usually do purchase offsets throughout the year to account for my daily life, but you can also purchase carbon offsets to support your vacation.
For example, you can account for your flight, your ground transportation, and plastics and food waste, and not eco-friendly purchases, etc.
Three great places to research and buy offsets are TerraPass.com, CoolEffect.org, and Native.eco.
Refuse Unnecessary Items
If you don’t need a straw, don’t let the server hand it to you. Don’t need the bag, say no thanks. It’s really easy to be green when you generally use less.
Recycle
It’s not always easy to find recycling containers when you’re out and about a city, and especially during a remote hike. Make a plan to hold on to what you use until you do find a proper place to dispose of your single-use containers.
Bring Reusables
In order to prevent the need to refuse an item, or carry it around until you can recycle it, bring your own. It means you’ll pack a few additional items, but it’ll be worth it. You can bring a water bottle (just remember to empty it going through TSA), straws if you need them, flatware, shopping bag, ice packs, a hand towel, menstrual cup or period underwear, beeswax wraps for that leftover cheese and baguette. Bring your own headphones so you don’t have to accept the ones from the flight attendant.
Pack Light
The fewer items you pack the less you have to lug around, but also the less weight on the plane and in the car. Believe it or not, you will survive if you take just two pairs of shoes and one swimsuit. You can also avoid buying special vacation clothes just for your trip. And bring mineral or coral reef-safe sunscreen. The chemical sunscreen is harmful to reef life and is even banned in some beach locales.
Stay Close
Sometimes an awesome trip doesn’t mean you are getting on a plane. There are likely awesome locales to explore right in your state or community. Pack a group in your personal vehicle and drive somewhere within a couple hours of home.
Eat Local
Avoid chains when possible since not only is that money not necessarily going back into that local economy, they likely have ingredients shipped from far away to ensure consistency with their other restaurants. Research where you can dine locally, and where they might get ingredients from local farms. Additionally, be sure to only order what you eat. The likelihood of your taking a doggie bag, having a fridge to store it, a microwave to reheat it and then actually eating it instead of something new, is slim. I try to split a meal with my partner when I know we won’t be able to finish the whole entree. A shared appetizer, entree and dessert are usually enough. Plus if you’re still hungry, get another bite somewhere else!
Shop Local
Stop buying from corporate souvenir shops. Try to find something that was made locally or at least buy a small business. Shipping tchotchkes around the globe from China is no bueno.
Any other ideas for making travel more green?