If you love to travel but also love the environment, these eco-friendly travel tips are perfect for you. They are easy to follow, economical and practical, and they’ll make sure you do your bit for Mother Earth as you traverse the globe.
Pack Light
If you’re flying, pack light. Every kilo adds to your carbon footprint, so the lighter you pack the smaller your footprint. As flying isn’t always avoidable, there are ways to mitigate the environmental impact it will have.
Bin that Bag
Plastic bags can take as many as 500 years to decompose so when you hit the markets, make sure you take a reusable bag instead. Reusable bags are also a traveller’s friend as they can be used for just about everything.
Go Overland
Short inter-connecting flights should be avoided at all costs. The greener option is to take the bus and go overland. This is not only more environmentally friendly, it also means you’ll see more of a country and perhaps even get to connect with locals.
Share the Load
Wherever possible, take public transport when travelling. The bus or train will be running anyway, so you may as well use it rather than adding to the cars and carbon emissions on the road.
Make The Hotel Home
If you practice good green habits at home, you can do the same in a hotel. You do not need clean towels every day and you can still have short showers and turn off lights and air conditioners when you’re not using them.
Drink Local
We may be creatures of habit, but when we are away from home we need to go local. This means eating and Drinking locally made produce, rather than reverting to type and enjoying the food we always eat at home, which has now travelled a long way to get to us. Let your taste buds travel to, it’s the eco friendly way to go!
Ditch Bottled Water
Unless it’s a health requirement and you cannot drink the water out the tap, stop buying bottled water. Invest in good quality travel bottle that you can refill from the tap and you’ll not only cut costs, you’ll also help the environment recover a bit. You can then sip your water while you move from place to place or even while playing the Bingo Australia has to offer, safe in the knowledge that you are not adding to a pollution problem.
Don’t Veer Off Track
If you are hiking or walking always stick to the marked trails and don’t wander off them. These trails have been marked out for good reason, and if you go tramping around off them you may damage sensitive or endangered plants, or even step on little creatures that are battling for survival.
Choose Your Accommodation Carefully
There are plenty of ecologically friendly resorts and hotels that you can stay in, and if you do your research you’ll find the greener accommodation options with ease. Try and find a place that recycles and specifically targets eco-travellers, as this way you’ll be supporting those who are also trying to do their bit.