Travelling in itself is a great source of pollution, so being an eco-friendly nomad is a bit of a paradox. Lucky for all 7.7 billion of us, there’s travel, and then there’s sustainable travel. While not always easy or feasible, we should aim to minimize our impact as much as possible. After all, beating someone up really bad is still better than straight-up murdering them, no? No… ?!
It’s a small world after all.
I mean, it’s really really tiny compared to the other “worlds” we know of.
In any case, where to? For now, the where is infinite (and beyond). At a closer look, however, there won’t be many wheres left. Not if we continue to treat Earth the way we do and continue to travel in a way that’s not sustainable. It takes a village to raise a child, so we need to take care of the little guy. It’s a small world after all.
How to only beat up Earth really bad (but not murder it)
Everything burns (gas). Getting to your where will cost the environment, but you can do your part to pay it back. While there is an UN agreement to cut down on the airline emissions by 2021 (CORSIA), you can opt to pay the optional carbon offset fee that some airlines offer until then. Try to pack light as the heavier an aircraft is the more it consumes. Your arms will thank you as well (unless you’re worried about missing a work-out, in which case… pack away. BUT PAY FOR THE CARBON).
And once you get there, always choose the public transport instead of private cars or taxis. Visiting’s always best on foot, anyway…
The Extra Step: Watch your carbon footprint when you get back home too. By calculating how big of a mark you leave behind, you can then choose to offset it to help in the battle against climate change and lead a sustainable lifestyle.
We live in the millennium of technology, so let’s act like the millennials we are. You have a smartphone, your mom has a smartphone, your cat probably has one. There is not a single argument for printing anything when travelling. Download apps, ensure that all tickets are easily accessible, keep your phone charged. Easy peasy.
The Extra Step: No extra step here. Everyone can and should do this. It’s not even about being sustainable, it’s common sense.
While this contradicts the suggestion above about packing light, it’s better to bring your own toiletries. The small disposable bottles are, well, disposable. The shower gel you didn’t finish? Thrown away. The tiny bar of soap you opened? Away. Those ugly, flimsy slippers? Trash. Plus, why put extra pressure on your skin and hair by changing up your products?
When it comes to cleaning, most hotels follow the “if it’s hanging it’s clean, if it’s on the floor, it needs washing” rule, so hang (the DJ) your towels. You can also avoid the unnecessary daily maid service by hanging the Do Not Disturb sign. Let’s be honest, you don’t do any of this on a daily basis at home, so just because you’re on holiday doesn’t suddenly mean you’re royalty.
The Extra Step: If you have a bit of time on your hands, you can research your accommodation beforehand and ensure they are enviromentally-friendly. Things to look out for are whether they are a part of a local environmental group or have green certifications, if their resources are local, what their stance on being sustainable is (recycling, energy-efficiency, etc).
Now, this one is a tricky one. It would be easy to preach saying no to plastic cutlery, recipients and such. However, if you don’t want to waste time by sitting down for lunch, or you simply want to go all-in for dinner and just need a quick refuel, you’re going to opt for street food. And street food comes with plastic. The trick here is to be mindful to how much you waste. If you have a choice, opt for something you can eat with your hand, and choose paper over plastic. And always dispose of the trash properly (most cities have selective recycling bins around).
There are, however, some things you can completely do without: straws and plastic bags. Just ask for no straws when going out drinking (preferably in the local language as the servers will have a hard time processing this “odd” request as it is, unless you are in Venice and they are offended you even assumed Aperol Spritz can be drunk through a straw. Just trust me on this one). Same with plastic bags. Learn to say “no, thank you.” You’re already travelling with a day bag, so you really don’t need to pack whatever it is you’re buying in a separate (plastic) one.
The Extra Step: Of course, you can carry reusables with you, such as stainless steel straws, bamboo cutlery, shopping bags. From here on, you can only hope the vendors understand your “no straw / fork / bag” request.
This one really depends on where you are travelling. If you’re in an European city, chances are tap water is safe (unless they decide to “clean” it with infinite amounts of chlorine. Hi, Bucharest!) While out and about, search for public fountains. In restaurants, you can ask for tap water, which they are required to provide. All of these are great sources you can use to refill your reusable recipient.
If you are travelling in other areas, do make sure to stay safe, first and foremost. Here is a comprehensive guide to safe and unsafe tap water. In short, if it’s not safe, stick to bottled water. If you’re travelling with others, opt for bigger bottles (slightly less plastic) that you can split between yourselves.
The Extra Step: If you want to be safe AND environmentally-friendly, you can always boil the water if possible. There are also filters and sterilising tables you can use.
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Be respectful to your surroundings
Lastly, remember that you are visiting someone else’s home. You don’t make a mess when somebody invites you over, so you should be mindful of their environment when travelling at all times, but even more so if it’s already fragile.
Pay attention to the way you interact with the animals as well. Petting zoos, elephant riding, snake charmers and the like are all horrible places. Opt for seeing them in the wild, which is a more authentic experience anyway, or visiting sanctuaries (though ensure they’re actually saving the animals in a sustainable way).
Lastly, respect the locals. Ask before taking pictures and support the local business. Get something meaningful as a souvenir instead of a magnet, even if it means spending a little bit extra.
The Extra Step: Find a cause you’re passionate about and donate.
Well done if you’ve reached this part. It means I only beat you really bad, but not murdered you (DM me your hospital bills). It is a learning curve and we’ll just figure things out as we go. There isn’t a magic recipe and sometimes the eco-friendly solution is not the easiest or most feasible one, but as long as our decisions take the environment into account, we should be on a good path.
And don’t litter!
Resources:
https://www.wired.com/story/airline-emissions-carbon-offsets-travel/
https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Pages/default.aspx
https://www.carbonfootprint.com/
So now that you know how to travel sustainably, why not have some fun? Dining in the Dark should be next on your list.