Eco friendly travel is just one of the elements of sustainable travel. But it’s a big piece of the puzzle that contributes to how you can travel responsibly. It’s easy to buy disposable stuff and contribute to waste as traveling puts you in a position where you’ll opt for ease. And that is totally understandable. This is why it’s important to start becoming more environmentally friendly in the right way that you can keep on doing. Here are some of the simplest ways we’ve compiled that has helped us so far!
Make a conscious effort to reduce your own impact
Individual impact matters. And this is big when it comes to eco friendly travel. Even when what you are doing is merely bringing your very own shopping bag in a country that still provides plastic bags for its shoppers for free. One of the biggest contributors to waste and carbon footprint is individuals. When traveling, it may be a bit harder to navigate the most environmentally friendly option. Where and what you eat, where you shop, and many other things may become out of your control when you’re traveling. But your habits are powerful in shaping your actions and decisions.
Eco friendly travel: Take public transportation
This is easily done you’re in a place where they have a comprehensive public transportation system. But this may not be the case with many countries all over the world. Walk more or cycle instead, whenever possible, to avoid relying on vehicles too much. Do what works for you and adapt to your surrounding.
Often times, even in the place where public transportation is not a thing, you can still enjoy a form of said facility. Many places have a public transportation bus that simply is not effectively implemented. An example of this Bali’s Sarbagita. Try to ride the bus for an authentic experience that not many tourists (if at all) often take. Moreover, a lot of places offer buses just for tourist destinations. Try to take advantage of it.
ALWAYS bring your own water bottle and shopping bag
Start this by doing it in the comfort of your own home. And when you travel, your own habit will simply follow. For your travel, it is a good thing to have a lightweight, foldable shopping bag. You will have a much easier time carrying them around during your busy travel itinerary.
It’s also noteworthy that by using less and less plastic bags, aside from reducing waste, you are also going to reduce your carbon footprint. The production of plastic bags in the industry uses a huge amount of petrol. By not contributing to the demands of plastic bags, the cumulative effect will decrease the production of supply.
Read more: How to Eat Healthy While Traveling
Be aware of the fundamentals of eco friendly travel concepts
Do your research about eco-friendly travel. Carbon footprint is a major concept but is merely one among many that can help you understand environmentally friendly travel better. Having even just a general grasp of the concepts would direct you in your actions in becoming a better environmentally conscious traveler.
Be aware that you contribute to carbon footprint by traveling
Carbon footprint is one of the main concepts when it comes to environmental sustainability. There has been a study that covers more comprehensive aspects of tourism and how tourism affects the world. It’s been noted that the amount of carbon footprint has been increasing dramatically in the last decade or so as people spend more on tourism. There has been a study that covers more comprehensive aspects of tourism and how tourism affects the world.
Know that travelers make an impact
What you have been doing and what you are starting to do in your eco friendly travel may not seem much. Share what you have been doing. Write about it. Share it with people in your social media. It doesn’t have to be a 1,000 words blog post. You can simply post a simple but handy tip that you’ve been doing. Chances are, some fellow travelers might need it. And some others have also been doing it the way you have. The little things count.
Find like-minded people who care about eco friendly travel
Thanks to technology, finding like-minded people is not so difficult. There are quite a number of active groups on reddit, facebook, couchsurfing, and various forums focusing on eco friendly travel. And for those who crave the much-needed touch of human impact, meet up with the local community or the expat community who would share similar interests as you. It’s simply a good feeling to be surrounded by people who care about the things that you also care about.
How to start being eco-friendly: start small
New year resolutions kicked in. And you’re bursting with energy to do a lot. To achieve a lot. And that includes becoming a travel who is environment conscious. You start listing big goals. Only to realize later that the things you aim to do has its process and takes time.
Start small, and start at home. It’s no use if “being eco-friendly” is merely a phase for you. People quit their effort not because they feel they don’t do enough. They quit because they are often overwhelmed. This is why the effort to strive for “eco friendly travel” starts at home. This way, you can test what works for you, and how you can best go about it.
It’s no use if “being eco-friendly” is merely a phase for you.
Walk, walk, and walk some more
This is one of the things that you also need to start at home. If you don’t like walking at home, it may be more difficult to walk when you travel especially in places where taxis and motorcycle are in abundance. Now, this may not always be possible in many countries that are not pedestrian-friendly. Try to walk at first. It is so much better to walk when your destination is not too far. Always try to check with your google map whenever you want to move from one place to another. If it is not far and the road is walkable, then go ahead and walk!
Turn off the electricity when you leave your hotel room
It’s easy to just leave the AC on when you leave the hotel room, thinking that you’ve paid for your room anyway. But some people do this only when they’re traveling and staying at a hotel. They don’t do this at home because they knew their electricity bills will go up. Stop thinking that it’s all about the bills. Start thinking that the usage of electricity had a major impact on the environment. By making it a habit to always turn off the electricity in your room wherever you’re staying, you’re building a good habit that does contribute to the environment.