We may be making great strides towards recycling and being environmentally friendly while at home, but what about while we’re on vacation? Do all your earth-friendly habits go down the drain? (Along with all that water from your hot 20-minute shower.) Keep reading to learn how to be eco-friendly on vacation, all while having a great time!
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Leaving On A Jet Plane
If you’re going on vacation, you might be flying to get there. This is where your vacation can quickly become environmentally hostile. According to IATA, a study done at London’s Heathrow Airport approximated that a typical passenger generated 3.1 pounds of cabin waste.
Among restrictive regulations, costs, lack of awareness, and many other issues, there’s no real end game to this problem. The one thing we can change immediately to stay eco-friendly on vacation? Our habits.
A huge portion of airline cabin waste is food and drink, plastic bottles, and other paper waste.
My family and I drink a lot of water, but I didn’t want to contribute to the plastic problem on the airplane. I needed to find a reusable container that I could fill up from virtually anywhere and still be able to drink clean water. This is when I found Larq. This self-cleaning water bottle uses UV-C technology to purify the water in the bottle, and the bottle itself!
Bring your charged, empty Larq to the airport. Once you get through security, fill it up with water, press the button on the cap, wait 20 seconds and you’ve got clean water! These bottles are a game-changer for my family, and basically anyone who needs purified water. It’s an initial upfront cost, but after you do the math and see how much you save over time, you’ll be sold.
Carry In, Carry Out
Now that you’re on the plane, what are some of your typical habits? Ask for a plastic-covered blanket or pillow? Anxiously await a drink in a plastic cup and taking individually wrapped snacks you’re only eating because they were free?
We’ve already solved the drink dilemma with your Larq bottle. So, bring all those great snacks from home with you in a reusable container. Wash it out when you get to your destination and use them again.
Can’t make it a few hours without a pillow? Check out this awesome hack to transform your hoodie into a travel pillow.
And if you think the airline or the cleaners are recycling the newspaper you left behind on your seat, think again. Almost all the leftover trash gets bundled into the same trash bag. So your perfectly recyclable magazine is now covered in leftover food bits and can’t be recycled anymore.
Instead, carry it with you to your next destination. Ask your lodging to recycle it for you, or pass it along if you’re visiting friends or family.
At The Hotel
Once you reach your destination, the Larq self-cleaning bottle is still saving you money, and the environment.
Say your family of 4 is drinking three bottled waters a day for a five-day vacation. That’s 60 bottled waters.
Having a self-cleaning reusable bottle is also great if you’re visiting somewhere you don’t exactly trust the tap water quality.
Eco-Friendly Dining Out
You’re probably going to be eating out a lot (most resorts find ways to entice you to eat, sleep, and play there). A few tips to help you stay eco-friendly on vacation while dining:
- Let your server know you don’t need straws while you’re ordering your drinks. Otherwise, they’ll probably bring them to your table. Even if you don’t use them, they might still get thrown away.
- Ask about portion sizes while ordering. Share a meal if it’s too large to cut down on leftovers.
- If you do have leftover food, be super honest with yourself if it’s going to get eaten. The less takeout containers used, the fewer that end up in a landfill.
- Ask about what comes with your meal. If there’s a side of something you don’t want, say something! Make sure it doesn’t end up on your plate in the first place.
- If you do takeout, ask that they do not include plastic utensils and use these reusable utensils instead. Color code them for each family member! If you’d rather try compostable cutlery, try these.
Eco-Friendly Drinking Out
- If you’re staying at a resort or hotel and will be drinking there (cocktails or mocktails), it’s worth asking if they’ll make your drink in a reusable cup. Be honest and let them know you’re trying to cut down on plastic waste! Plus, it’ll keep your drink nice and chilled while you’re chilling at the pool. If all else fails, make your own drink in your room!
- Be the envy of other vacationers with a Brumate insulated wine or champagne tumbler, beer cooler, or stash a whole bottle of wine (or juice) in a winesulator to enjoy anywhere you don’t want glass or plastic. Click this Brumate link for 15% off your first order!
- Making a cup of coffee or tea with the in-room coffee maker? Instead of using the styrofoam cups provided, try a Brumate coffee cup.
- Worried about the space in your luggage your reusable cups might take up? Stash smaller items you’re packing (jewelry, meds, bathroom items) in the cups until you need them.
Eco-Friendly Clean-Up
- Bring your own favorite shampoo, conditioner, face wash, and more in travel-size squeeze bottles that you can reuse over and over again.
- Bring your own plant-based makeup wipes or makeup remover and cleanser cream in one (I use and love this one) instead of turning the hotel towels a nice shade of beige.
- A lot of hotels have a small recycling bin in each room next to the trash can. Don’t forget to rinse out recyclable food or drink containers, and teach your kids (and S.O.) to do it too!
Out And About
There are so many ways to be eco-friendly on vacation outside of the hotel. There’s a whole world to explore. Let’s keep it looking great!
- Going shopping? Bring a reusable bag that’s easily foldable, stashable, and weighs nothing. Try this chic large nylon bag or a just as pretty smaller reusable nylon bag. Use these bags to wrap up potentially leaky or fragile items in your suitcase too!
- Make any water excursion extra fun with this solar powered dry bag with built-in lights and Bluetooth speaker. The generous size makes it easy to carry out any trash you create. Don’t need a speaker? Try this dry bag with a transparent window to remember what you packed.
Final Thoughts
I hope you picked up some ideas on how to be eco-friendly on vacation, and that you use some of these tips on an average day too!
A huge part of taking care of the planet and minimizing waste is taking stock of all your habits, and then changing them. Do you or your family take any of these actions, or is there something you do differently? I’d love to hear about it!