In our day and age, climate change is a real and threatening issue that constantly affects our beautiful globe. Because we are constantly on the move to explore its beauty, we must also take care of the consequences our actions might leave on the environment and we must also seriously take environmentally friendly steps towards a cleaner and greener Earth.
For starters, packing the essentials and keeping your bag light is the first step in traveling in an eco-friendly manner. Light baggage on a plane reduces its carbon emission and the best thing: you don’t have to wait so long for your bags once the plane lands!
Once there, of buying local drinks in plastic cups, always have a reusable bottle on hand. Not only are you reducing your plastic usage, but you’re also certain of its cleanliness and quality. Moreover, if your bottle happens to be insulated, you will get to enjoy your cold or hot drinks for a longer period of time as you wander through the city.
And while we’re here, you might as well have metal, paper or bamboo straws handy to enjoy your drinks in a biodegradable and sustainable way. It is essential in general to reduce your plastic usage as much as possible throughout your trip.
When it comes to food, try to dine in instead of takeaway to reduce the packaging your food might arrive in. Instead of ordering service to your hotel room, try going out and eating in new places. This makes your experience more authentic and less harmful to nature.
Even as you walk or ride around your destination, make sure you don’t leave traces behind. If you find recycling bins, then that’s perfect. If not, try to keep your plastic or paper packaging until you find one. Recycling is key to keep our resources alive. Transportation can also be one way of preserving the Earth. Walking or taking public transportation adds to your experience and lowers your carbon footprint.
Another way to travel environmentally friendly is to pack your bag with your sustainable necessities like toiletries instead of using ones from the hotel or buying entirely new ones. In this way, you stick with your sustainable products just in case finding alternatives in your destination is hard or impossible.
No matter how small or insignificant you might view those simple acts of kindness, every little step in the right direction results in a massive positive change if done by all of us together. Next time you fall in love with a destination, make sure to really care about it and act accordingly.