There are plenty of ways to reduce your waste when traveling and I will write a more detailed post on that later. Today, I am going to be focusing on multi-use items that you can pack to reduce the amount of single-use items you use while traveling.
In my carry-on you will always find:
- a reusable bag in case we ever go shopping
- an eye mask and earbuds since some airlines give out disposable ones
- bamboo cutlery set (I just got my set off Amazon)
- reusable, collapsible straw (in the little green container)
- water bottle. And I am going to be quite honest...the tap water in Thailand was unsafe to drink. We were not going to risk our lives to use less plastic. Instead, we opted for the safer option even though it was bottled in plastic sometimes.
I also try to reduce my waste when it comes to toiletries. We stayed at one hotel that used large sized toiletries that could be refilled. If we had to open a bar of soap, I tried to remember to take it home so we could continue it's use instead of it being thrown away
In my toiletry bag you will always find:
- my "medicine cabinet." This is the up-cycled razor cases to the right that hold my daily vitamins and other medicine just in case
- moisturizer. And since you can't take the full size, I put it in that little up-cycled orange container
- flossers. While this can be considered single use, I clean them and use them multiple times
- my own razor. I have not yet made the switch to a more sustainable option yet (why would I throw away brand new razors without using them?), this option is still better than getting one at each hotel you go to
- the travel sized toothpaste tube has been with me for a long time. I just refill it from our larger tube at home and use it for each of our trips
(BONUS: the re-purposed straw is used to keep my necklace from tangling)
And lastly, we bring our camera gear. You're probably wondering how this is considered eco-friendly, allow me to explain.
In our camera bag you will always find:
- the wrist strap was handmade by my husband instead of buying new
- the 77D and the wide angle and the 70-200mm lenses were bought second hand so we didn't contribute as much to the waste cycle
- all of our devices do not require single use batteries but instead are rechargeable
While there are many ways to make your travels more sustainable, I think it is a great idea to start small. Don't overwhelm yourself right away by trying to do it perfectly. No one does "sustainable travel" perfectly as it does not truly exist. But, making small changes here and there to your travel routine can have less of an impact on the Earth while still enjoying her beauty.
I hope this inspired you to change your travel habits a bit more. If there are any other ways you reduce your waste while traveling, let us know!
"The smallest changes make the biggest impact when multiplied"
-Emma Dendler
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