Do you keep nature in your mind when you’re traveling around the globe? Well if your answer is yes you should know two-thirds of travelers around the world agree with you. We’ve already talked about how properties can become sustainable on our last blog post. On this blog post we’re going through ways and general tips on how to become eco-friendly as a traveler and how to travel more responsibly.
It’s worth mentioning sustainability in the travel industry stands for traveling without hurting the natural environment. “Leave it prettier than you found it”. Maintaining natural and cultural landmarks and environments during your trips is not an easy task but it can be done.
Here we’ve gathered tips & ways for traveling more responsibly we think every travel should know.
Use Reusable Equipment
Using reusable equipment are not only more eco-friendly than disposable equipment; they’re also proven to be more healthy. Plastic bottles for instance contain microplastics that are extremely harmful and poisonous.
On a side-note: bring your own bags! plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes. And they take 500 years to be decomposed. You can replace plastic bags with cloth bags. Cloth bags are more environmentally friendly and cheaper.
Maintain an Eco-friendly Mindset
There are things you need to keep in mind. All your actions, even the simplest things you do on your trips can (and will) affect the environment. The fresh linen you feel on your face at the place you’re staying at uses a great amount of water each time it’s prepared for use. The local honey you buy off of local farmers reinforces their career and supports them.
When you’re going on trips make sure you realize you’re the guest in another country/city soil. Each penny you pay the locals could really affect the local economy. Which is what we really want to do. As a traveler what we’re looking for is to conserve the cultural environment as well as the nature.
By the same token, before you start planning for your trip you should definitely ask experts and look for forums on the internet for “Green Destinations”. Green destinations are landmarks that are looked after by local communities.
Manage Your Waste
Leave your destination prettier than when you found it! Most of us do our best to separate our rubbish at home. We manage our waste at home. Why not do the same when we’re far from home on trips?
We can never expect everyone to clean other people’s trash however we can at least clean after ourselves and pick up our own trash. Keep in mind nature is not a landfill.
Consider Using Travel Gadgets
There are countless gadgets out there that are designed around one single idea: becoming eco-friendly and sustainable. Water filters, power banks, portable solar panels and water/air turbines are good examples of these travel gadgets.
Bottled water is a big waste of plastic. Water filter straws and bottles are brilliant gadgets that not only help with cutting plastic waste, they also come in handy in situations where you might experience water shortage. Especially if you’re going camping these filters can be of use.
Pack Light & Use Public Transportation
Carry fewer bags. Seriously. You’ll make your own life easier, you can move around the city easier and simultaneously you can help fuel consumption by carrying less. The weight of your bags adds on the total weight that’s being carried by the vehicle. Whether you’re traveling by a plane or by your own car, the weight of your luggage drastically increases fuel consumption.
Also, using public transportation is more sustainable than taxis, using your own car or hiring a driver. Because public transportation is used by masses. Public transportation is also usually much cheaper than all the other means of transportation.
Interact With Locals
Although interacting with locals can be naturally harder than with other travelers due to language barriers, cultural differences and more; there’s much more to interacting with locals than you might think. Putting aside cultural differences, letting the locals open up to you not only improves your experience it also reinforces the local culture believe it or not.
Also, there’s certain codes and unwritten laws in different countries and even cities. For example if you’re traveling to a place with a stronger religious background you might want to adapt to their lifestyle and their dressing codes. Beside I’ve personally heard from many tourists that locals take more kindly to people who understand their culture better.
Take a brochure, read a magazine or search online for information for your destination. Make sure you come to an understanding before you travel. Also please take note, some of the basics that applies to your community also applies to other communities. Just like giving money to beggars is not okay in your country it also is not okay in other communities.
