When you’re travelling away from home, it can be tricky to keep up good environmental habits such as recycling or avoiding plastic. However, travelling doesn’t have to mean you ditch your eco-friendly behaviour completely.

What can you do to keep up your green goodness next time you travel?

1) Take your own

There is so much you can take with you when you travel, and when you have a hire car, it’s no effort to carry it. Pack your own cutlery, plates and dishes, mugs and cups, so you don’t have to use disposable items on the road. They’re really good for when you buy ready-made food from local food vans or courts where they usually provide plastic disposable items. 

Carrying your own water bottle is another good way to reduce waste. You can ask cafes to top up bottle rather than using their disposable options, and even ask air hostesses to fill your bottle rather than use the plastic cups they usually offer. If you need your morning tea or coffee, carry a reuseable cup with you wherever you go. 

Other ways to minimise your consumption of plastics is by carrying your own blanket for use on the plane and other journeys. Get one that doubles up as a sarong or towel too to travel light. Use your own toiletries rather than those provided by the hotel, and opt not to get your sheets and towels laundered when they don’t really need it. When it comes to toiletries, try shampoo and soap in bar form to minimise disposable packaging and how much space they take up in your luggage. 

 

2) Pick eco-friendly accommodations

There are now plenty of accommodation providers who work hard to provide eco-friendly options. These range from budget-conscious options to luxury abodes. Some use solar power for hot water or another form of green power, collect rainwater or employ water conservation methods.

Lots of accommodation providers have upped their game when it comes to recycling, composting and minimising their use of chemical cleaners.

Use one of the dedicate green accommodation sites, such as Green Getaways, if you want to be sure your choice will hit the mark.

3) Use the technology at your fingertips

Now that we have Google within reach almost all the time, use it to keep your travel as eco-friendly as possible. Search for local farmers markets when reaching a new destination, so that you can source locally grown produce with a minimal carbon footprint. With your hire car, you can store a decent selection of goodies, so buy in bulk if you don’t think you’ll have another opportunity in the near future.

What you do end up buying from stores, see what you can pack into your own containers. Nuts, seeds and deli counter items are good examples of items served loose and therefore often able to be packaged in your own containers. Before disposing of all your rubbish in the nearest bin, see if there is a recycling centre nearby, if the local council don’t already provide different options. 

Finally do your bit to save the trees by avoiding printing where possible, showing boarding passes or other tickets on your mobile phone. As well as your favourite books, you can get your magazines and newspapers on your Kindle to keep you entertained through even the longest journeys.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Bea Johnson (@zerowastehome) on

Aug 9, 2018 at 2:00pm PDT

4) Leave your home unplugged

By preparing before you leave home, you can minimise your environmental impact without even doing anything on the road. Make an effort to check for anything charging or on standby, and unplug it before you leave. If your climate allows it without risking burst pipes, make sure the heating is completely off too.

Now you know how to make your trip eco-friendly, get your car hire booked today, with one of our low fuel consumption vehicles.