ecofriendly travel

Tips for Truly Impactful Eco-Friendly Travel

24 September 2019

Here's how to actually make a difference while on the road.

You've probably heard the typical suggestions about how to travel in a more eco-friendly manner. Pack reusable water bottles, use only one towel, don't leave any trash behind. Yes, those things are important, as every little drop in the ocean makes a difference.

There are also larger, more comprehensive steps you can take to ensure that your next vacation isn't contributing to the destruction of the Earth. Many of us love to travel because we love the planet, especially its extraordinary natural places, so it can feel hypocritical to go jet-setting across continents while knowing that our oceans are choked with plastic and our global climate is warming rapidly.

But done right, tourism can provide valuable resources and support for local communities and preserved areas, and you can always choose to be conscious about where you stay and with whom you choose to travel. Just by putting in a little extra research, you can help to ensure that our beautiful planet will still be around for future generations.

Out of everything you can do to help the planet while you're traveling, avoiding flying is the most significant—and it saves you money! To give you an idea of just how much flying adds to your carbon footprint: one plane flight can contribute as much CO2 to the atmosphere as many people emit each year.
Of course, there's no reason to feel crippled with guilt if you fly once every few years for a big vacation. People who fly constantly for work or pleasure are the ones who should reexamine their choices.
Fortunately, if you absolutely have to fly, you can try to choose an eco-friendly airline and pay a carbon offset tax.
▲

Bhutan, an eco-friendly destination

Some places deserve your hard-earned dollars more than others. Tourism provides a valuable source of income for many places and people, and it's best to utilize tour companies and hotels that are run by local people or have direct relationships with the local community.
If you're trying to decide on a place to visit, just look up something like "most sustainable tourism destinations" and do your best to prioritize visiting cities that have been recognized for their ecological consciousness. Among the best destinations: Tibet, Iceland (and most of the Nordic countries), New Zealand, the Galapagos Islands, and Bhutan (pictured above).
▲

Many hotels will tout their eco-friendliness as a selling point, but these proclamations are often fabricated. Try to make a point of finding hotels that hold a LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, which "judges hotels on sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection, indoor environmental quality and innovation in design," or look for another official stamp of environmental consciousness.
You can also use a green search engine, such as TripAdvisor's Green Leaders Program or environmentallyfriendlyhotels.org, to make sure your hotel of choice is doing its part to conserve resources. Pro tip: Avoid all-inclusive places, as they tend to produce huge amounts of food and water waste (along with a host of other issues).
▲

While traveling, you might be tempted to jet-ski, or take a helicopter flight or a small plane or car rental, but try opting for a bicycle or train ride or bus (or a walk, if you can) instead. Avoid cruise ships, too, as they release a truly exorbitant amount of gasoline and can damage fragile ocean ecosystems.
▲

While abroad, try avoiding the Starbucks in the hotel lobby and opt for local products that use locally sourced ingredients. That way, you can support locals and reduce the amount of food that needs to be shipped in from far away. In general, avoid aiding gentrification and foreign-owned corporations while you're abroad.
▲

Small changes can help reduce your carbon footprint, at least incrementally. Try bringing a reusable water bottle and reusable bags wherever you go. At hotels, try to use only one towel and leave your "do not disturb" sign up to avoid the waste of a daily room cleaning. Don't litter or leave behind waste and trash, and compost and recycle whenever possible. Don't exploit wildlife or do any exotic wildlife tourism; and in general, avoid disrupting any of the land you're passing through. Tread lightly, for you're a guest, both at your destination and on this planet.
If you want to go the extra mile, you could even try to go zero-waste on your next vacation.
▲

There are a growing number of organizations, from WWOOFing to Workaway, that allow you to combine your travels with volunteer work. They'll often save you tons of money, and they're a great way to meet locals and experience different ways of life while on the road. The truth is that travel is often a wasteful activity no matter how you swing it, but these programs are changing that narrative.
Many of these programs involve living and working on sustainable, zero-waste permaculture farms, so you can produce even less waste than you normally would at home. Even if you want to stick to traveling for pleasure, you can also incorporate short-term volunteering by doing activities like beach clean-ups or working with an organization like Pack For A Purpose. Just be careful to avoid voluntourism, please.
▲

While each of these activities can help offset some of the emissions and waste you'll inevitably be producing while traveling, they ultimately won't do anything about the fact that 71% of our global carbon emissions are being produced by a mere 100 fossil fuel companies. In fact, the most useful thing that might happen while you're traveling is you might witness some of the more brutal effects of climate change firsthand, which could motivate you to take action.
If you really want to help the environment and fight climate change, join an environmental organization, attend climate activism events, support Greta Thunberg, and vote for politicians who support sweeping environmental legislation like the Green New Deal.
▲

Related Posts