Zero Waste Travel – 5 Best Tips For Traveling Green
Do you understand what zero-waste travel entails? Do you believe you have what it takes to travel with zero waste? Is zero-waste travel difficult?
I know we haven’t done much traveling recently, but if you look back to when we were all able to travel, the travel world goes through an inordinate amount of disposable things. Consider how many single-serving containers are used daily to keep passengers content on their journey. It’s difficult to keep green while traveling because everything is grab-and-go in today’s fast-paced society.
However, if you want to make a difference on the planet by striving to have a zero-waste vacation, there are some basic zero-waste ideas and practices that every traveler may do to stay green while on vacation. Traveling with zero waste is simple if you keep an open mind about the choices you make.
Here are some really simple suggestions and tricks to get you started on your journey to turning green and having a zero-waste vacation.
Zero Waste Travel - 5 Best Tips For Traveling Green
Peekatthis.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
Zero Waste Packing - Toiletries
When packing for a trip, the first place to start thinking about zero waste travel is at home. Consider how much packaging you can control right away simply by planning ahead of time. There are many eco-friendly items and ideas that might help you get started on the road to zero waste travel.
Zero waste travel toiletries are the first environmentally friendly travel item. Consider using solid beauty items such as zero waste toothpaste tabs/powders, zero waste shampoo/conditioner bars, and deodorant bars to reduce waste.
The beautiful thing about these items is that they are both eco-friendly and easier to get through airport security than liquids because they use less plastic packaging.
Related Article: 10 Must-Have Items For A ‘Travel Go Bag’ – Always Be Prepared
It’s all about zero waste minimalism travel packing and thinking outside the box for multiple purpose products when it comes to zero waste travel basics. DIY personal care products can be made using household ingredients that you already have in your baking or laundry cupboard.
Baking soda and Castile soap can be used as a face cleanser (see this link for a DIY Coffee Scrub), shampoo, toothpaste (see this link for a DIY toothpaste), deodorant, laundry soap, and many other things.
You must adapt to a life without plastic if you wish to practise zero waste travel. While some things, such as beauty care products, can be created at home, travel products, such as toothbrushes and hairbrushes, must be purchased unless you have a secret MacGyver ability.
If you need to acquire some travel basics for your vacation, consider bamboo-made products, which are environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and non-toxic.
Using cotton pads, q-tips, and disposable goods on your vacation is also part of the zero waste travel lifestyle, so try to avoid them.
In terms of Zero Waste Shaving, I’m currently working on a solution for myself, but I’ve started carrying a Double Edge Safety Razor, which outperforms disposable razors in terms of environmental friendliness.
Or, if you’re on vacation, don’t shave for a week!
Related Article: Nomatic Travel Bag 40L Review – The Perfect Travel Backpack
Zero Waste Packing - Clothing
Travel hacks that reduce waste Making a wardrobe capsule for your vacation is a great suggestion for packing clothes for your trip. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a wardrobe capsule is a collection of clothing pieces that may be combined and matched for multiple wears throughout your trip.
When putting together a capsule wardrobe, strive to limit yourself to only the necessities. Also, when packing for your zero-waste vacation, choose clothing that can be washed and dried quickly in your lodging’s bathroom.
Simply by doing so, you may save money on laundry while traveling while also remaining environmentally conscious; here is how to travel with zero waste!
If you need to add clothing to your luggage during your vacation, consider buying it secondhand and donating clothing you won’t need for the rest of your journey.
Related article: 10 Best Restaurants In Seattle For First-Timers – My Favs
Zero Waste Packing - On The Move
Zero-waste travel bag – It’s always better to travel as light as possible, whether by airline, train, or automobile. That’s why I always travel with a carry-on suitcase or a travel backpack. This is because you just pack for what you need, leaving less room for what you don’t.
Furthermore, when you need to check a suitcase, it is not zero-waste friendly because it costs you more money to check the luggage, it uses more fuel to carry it, and it comes with an extra luggage tag that you don’t need.
When you’re getting ready to travel, be sure that all of the paperwork you’ll need are paperless. The majority of major airlines, hotels, and train companies have smartphone apps that can save all of your vital trip information.
As a result, you won’t need to make paper copies of your boarding pass, hotel reservation, or other transportation confirmation numbers with you.
Plus, if you want to reduce paper waste even more, don’t ask for a receipt on many of the items you make while traveling.
Related Article: The Best Carry-On Luggage For Any Type Of Traveler
Zero Waste Eating / Entertainment
If you’re traveling by airline, train, or car and want to pass the time, consider bringing an e-reader or tablet with you. You can buy a lot of digital publications, books, music, and movies with an e-reader or tablet without using any extra paper or plastic products.
If you’re traveling by airline, invest in a good pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones, or keep the wired headphones that came with your e-reader or tablet for any inflight entrainment. This way you eliminate plastic waste from purchasing the disposable headphones onboard a plane.
Packing snacks or meals in Collapsible Tupperware or other Zero Waste Travel Containers from home is another method to enjoy a Zero Waste flight.
Zero Waste Packing - Eating Out
When it comes to trying to maintain a zero-waste lifestyle, eating out is where things can quickly spiral out of control. When we travel, the majority of our meals are prepared for us, and the way we choose to eat them influences the environment.
That’s why, when choosing a restaurant, try to stick to sit-down establishments that serve meals on glass plates and provide actual silverware.
Side note: When traveling, avoid chain restaurants and instead immerse yourself in the culture by dining at local establishments. One of these restaurants may serve some of the best food you’ve ever had.
If you’re hungry but don’t have time for a sit-down dinner, look for to-go eateries that provide meals in environmentally friendly and recyclable containers and utensils.
Limit the number of napkins you use while ordering takeout and avoid the straw for your drink! Carry Reusable Biodegradable Paper Towel Replacement Washcloths with you if you want to live a zero-waste travel lifestyle when eating. They can be used as a napkin or to wrap leftover food for later. You can also avoid plastic waste by carrying a bamboo utensil set with you.
Additionally, to ensure a plastic-free holiday, bring a reusable water bottle to use on the plane and while on the road. I witnessed 50 tourists enjoying a water break on a recent trip to Los Angeles, and they were all drinking from plastic bottles. That drove me nuts since I knew it wasn’t the first or last plastic bottle I’d seen that day.
Oh, and when you’re eating out, try to recycle as much as you can, and find a compost container for any leftover food you don’t want to eat. If in doubt, ask a local where the nearest bins are located; they should be able to tell you.
Zero Waste Packing - At Your Destination
What methods do you use to achieve zero waste travel when on vacation? Consider taking as many walks as you can while taking in the scenery. Furthermore, walking offers numerous health benefits, not just for yourself but also for the environment, as it produces no emissions.
I recall a recent vacation to San Francisco where I strolled from my hotel and simply wandered around the city. I was able to visit neighborhoods that I would not have seen if I had driven myself, and I was able to capture incredible shots since I had the time to sit back, relax, and take in the scenery.
If you need to go around a city while on vacation, consider using public transportation or renting a bike for the day. I’ve lately stayed in a number of places where I was able to hire bikes from the hotel and tour the city.
In terms of zero waste lodging, I recommend either staying at an eco-friendly hotel chain that attempts to reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint and have a lower environmental impact or renting a car.
I would suggest Fairmont Hotels or Hilton Hotels for setting the standard in eco-friendly hotels around the world.
Alternatively, consider staying at an Airbnb or Vbro where you can make your own meals. By eating using glass plates, glasses, cups, and cutlery, you can control your food waste through composting and managing recycling.
For a zero-waste stay, make sure you hand-wash your plates and utensils rather than using the dishwasher. Keep in mind that if you stay in an eco-friendly hotel or Airbnb, you should always be aware of how much energy you use during your stay. Try to use less water in your showers, switch off the lights before leaving your room, and keep an eye on the heat and air conditioning while you’re there.
As for souvenirs, it’s entirely up to you what you want to take home as a memento. Just keep in mind that while a stuffed animal from a theme park is a nice keepsake, it may not carry the same value years later as it did when you bought it.
When in doubt, take photographs because they are the finest way to save your memories.
Zero Waste Travel Kit
If you are curious about creating a zero waste travel kit for yourself that you can use for future travel and maintain an eco-friendly vacation, here is a list of travel items that I have in my zero waste travel kit that I pack with me every time I travel:
- Reusable Water Bottle – Great for filling up on the go at airports, train stations, or anywhere you can fill up.
- Water Purification Tablets – Just in case you are worried about the water from the taps you are drinking from. Clean your water fast and safely.
- A Steripen – SteriPEN uses a short wave germicidal UV light to purify water. If tablets are not your thing.
- Reusable Straws – reusable straws including metal, glass, bamboo, collapsible, and silicone reusable straw to replace single-use plastic straws.
- Insulated To Go Cup – For when you want a hot beverage while you travel.
- Tea Towel – Great for using as a napkin, keeping leftovers for later, and so much more.
- Collapsible Tupperware or Other Zero Waste Travel Containers – Perfect for when you are heading out for a day of travel, and want to bring with you snacks for the day.
- Produce Bags – Fantastic for shopping for all your produce and eliminating plastic along the way.
- Utensils – A bamboo travel utensil kit is great for a zero-waste travel kit.
- A Reusable Zero Waste Travel Bag or Two – Cloth bags that can be carried around with you in a pocket for any shopping needs.
- Bamboo Toothbrush – Great zero waste alternative to plastic toothbrushes.
- Bar Soap and/or Shampoo Bar – Eco-friendly way to keep your body clean.
- StasherBags – These bags are endlessly reusable and contain no petroleum, no PVC, and no latex to carry food around with you.
- Abeego Wraps – Another alternative for keeping your food fresh longer instead of saran wrap.
- Minimal Bento Box – comes with utensils! Perfect for packing a meal when traveling by plane. The perfect Zero waste lunch kit!
- ToGo Cutlery set – Another alternative to Bamboo Cutlery if you are eating food that may break eco-friendly utensils.
All of the links above are direct links to Amazon on the products I recommend for a zero waste travel kit.
Conclusion
What are the greatest zero-waste travel options? I hope I was able to address any questions you had about living a zero-waste travel lifestyle. As you can see, there are a plethora of simple things you can do in your daily life today to assist you to achieve your Zero Waste goals.
And, if you’re worried that you won’t be able to live a zero-waste lifestyle while traveling, you can, as long as you’re conscious of your choices. The planet will reward us if we all start making wise decisions while traveling.
P.S. – If you’ve found this article helpful and like the products in the post, please consider purchasing the goods via the links in the post as it helps keep the website running.
All the companies are ones I use myself in my own life. If you have any questions, email me!
📌 Don’t forget to save the blog for later, pin the image below!
Check out HotelTonight, an app that allows you to book incredible hotel deals for tonight and beyond. You can save CAD 30 on your first booking if you use my PROMO CODE (TRPEEK1).
Download the app here
*Bookings must be done via the app and include a minimum room charge of CAD 180 CAD (excluding taxes and fees).
