By Recycla
With summer here, people are traveling more. Vacations are wonderful for relaxing and recharging, as well as seeing new places near and far, but they are also a time when some people lose their heads environmentally. Luckily, the Eco Women have some EASY tips for you to keep your Eco Warrior status while you travel:
When you pack…
- Don’t buy small travel sizes of your toiletries. Instead, buy reusable travel bottles and fill them with your shampoo, lotion, and whatnot. Recycla has been using the same travel bottles for 15 years and they’ll probably last forever.
- Instead of eating junk food while you’re on the road (or in the sky), plan ahead and pack good stuff. If you’re going by car, fill some reusable grocery bags and your cooler with fruit, cut veggies, nuts, sandwiches, cheese and crackers, etc. If you’re flying to your destination, you can still put some snacks on your carry-on bag. And don’t buy food in single-serving packaging! Instead, buy the larger packaging and put your snacks in reusable containers — they’ll come in handy for the rest of your vacation.
- And it goes without saying, don’t pack or buy disposable water bottles. Tote your reusable one and refill it as necessary. If you’re going through airport security, leave your bottle empty and then fill it at the food court or water fountain afterward.
Before you leave home…
- Unplug most of your electronics so that you won’t use electricity you don’t need during your absence.
- Turn off your hot water heater, because you won’t need it either.
- If you have air conditioning, bump up the temperature a few degrees because there’s no reason to cool an empty house.
Once you arrive at your destination…
- Depending on where you are going, you might not need to rent a car. If you’re traveling to a large city, use public transportation or even your own two feet to get around. If you do rent a car, don’t get the gas hog — go for the smaller more fuel-efficient vehicle.
- Are you staying in a hotel? If so, now is not the time to be wasteful. Don’t use the little soaps and shampoos just because they are there. Many hotels now give guests the option of not having their linens and towels replaced daily — do it!
- You’ll need to eat while you’re on vacation. Stay away from fast food restaurants and other places that sell McCrap. Instead, find good local restaurants — bonus points if they serve only local foods. For lunches and snacks, visit the market and stock up on your day’s supplies — fresh fruits, flavorful local cheeses, melt-in-your mouth breads. Fill your water bottle and you’ll be set.
So those are the easy things you can do. If you want to be a truly committed Eco Warrior, buy carbon offsets from a place like TerraPass.
Tell the Eco Women: Where are you going this summer and what kind of Eco Warrior will you be when you travel?
Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win the Eco Women’s latest giveaway!
Sooooo green….we’re having a staycation!
Just ordering the toiletries for our green B and B today – so the toiletries comment is very relevant.
We are sourcing ours through REN…
The shampoo and body wash will be in large refillable bottles in a metal rack in the shower / bath…any bottles are recycled directly by them and no nasties like petrochemicals, sulfates, parabens and the like.
I spot now 6 eco women….and I’m not one of them…sniff,sniff! Can I be ‘Bag Woman’
H
x
PS no Hummer!?!
How perfect that you used a picture of the Grand Canyon!
A tip from someone working in the tourism industry (specifically within National Parks): check websites. Many lodging establishments and restaurants now tout their environmental programs on their websites. Look for those who have a full Environmental Management System (preferably ISO 14001 certified if you can find it) or some other form of reputable certification.
Seventeen states now have green lodging programs (see here: http://www.greenlodgingnews.com/Content.aspx?ID=1199) Many more are in the works. Use these as jumping off points. And you can always pick up the phone. Call and ask what they offer for environmental options. Do they have green rooms (supplied with organic sheets, sustainable furniture, low voc coverings)? Do they use green cleaners? Etc etc.
Travel should be fun – but it can still be green too! As they say, “vote with your money”. Reward those going the extra mile to green up their operations.
And don’t forget your souvenirs! Avoid the cheap made in China stuff. Look for more meaningful mementos like something made locally. (Please, allow me to brag for a moment.) My company is creating one of the first green gift stores. It will provide a great deal of educational materials along with environmental scorecards allowing guests to compare typical souvenir purchases to greener options. The press release is here: http://www.hotelsmag.com/article/CA6657250.html
I shall now step off my soap box. : )
It makes sense not to buy travel size toiletries. I never thought of that. Good to know for my next vaca.
I never thought about a lot of these things, although I do always unplug my things when I leave (I’m also afraid of electrical fires when I’m gone). These are such great tips, I need to stop being so lazy by buying the travel sizes.
Thanks for all of the great tips!
I am looking forward to our vacation trip to Seattle in a few weeks. It has a reputation as such a Green city, and I can’t wait to visit Pike Place Market!
We’re traveling by train, by the way. I’m still hoping for stimulus money to extend rail service to our fair but small city.
yummmmmm healthy snacks! so true.