While your travels can have a big impact on you, it’s important to remember the impact you make too, not only on the people you meet but the places you visit. Green travel doesn’t mean you have to go days without showering to reduce water usage or sleep outside to save electricity. It’s all about making small choices that make a big difference. Easy as 1-2-3, we’ve found all sorts of suggestions to make your next trip more environmentally friendly all the way from A-Z!
Turn the AC down and other heating systems before you leave for your trip.
Avoid bottled water to reduce the harmful plastic put in landfills. It takes 17 million barrels of oil to produce plastic bottles annually that could be put towards fuelling 1 million cars. Take a reusable bottle instead, like this one!
Conserve water by taking showers and not baths. Did you know showers use 10-25 gallons of water where baths can use up to 70 gallons?
Dine at local restaurants to preserve and support the local culture. Meal Sharing sets you up with a local to give you an authentic home-cooked meal experience right in their home.
Be energy efficient! This smart thermostat does all the work for you. The Nest Learning Thermostat turns itself down while you’re away to save you energy. You can use the Nest app to adjust the temperature back to the way you like it before arriving home.
Find recreational activities that won’t be damaging to the geographical surroundings and even help them out like cleaning Maui’s reefs in Hawaii while snorkelling with sea turtles!
Go for GoToobs, which are both airplane safe and earth-friendly refillable shampoo and conditioner bottles that are made from BPA-free material.
Look at the hotel’s sustainability efforts such as using solar power, wind turbines, rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient lighting and low-flow toilets. You can also use the Green Globe app to find a list of hotels and resorts that are certified for sustainable tourism.
Investigate before going on a tour to see what measures they take to conduct a responsible and sustainable experience for both you and the surrounding environment.
Join the locals by using public transportation to eliminate any additional carbon emissions from private transport and give yourself the opportunity to interact with the community. Changers tells you the best route to get to your destination that encourages fitness, rewards green behaviour and even tells you how much CO2 you’ve saved in the process.
Use KnowRoaming to share with your friends and family your green traveling adventures with either our Global SIM Sticker or Card!
Check for LEED certified buildings. This system judges on sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection, indoor environmental quality and innovation in design.
Stay on marked trails. We know you love to explore, but it’s better to navigate through designated routes to respect the natural landscapes and protect any endangered plants. Look out for this sign to know you’re on the right path.
Book non-stop flights to your destinations. Believe it or not, the takeoffs and landings create most of an airplane’s carbon emissions in the air compared to the journey itself.
Choose carbon offset adventure. There are many airlines and tour operators that have carbon offsetting programs that you can opt to use.
Pack only what you need. Every kilo counts when flying and the more it weighs, the more carbon emission gases it produces. See our picks to find out what kind of suitcase fits your travel.
Quit printing traveling documents and go paperless by keeping your trip information on your mobile device or tablet. TripIt helps you organize all your travel itineraries and tells you exactly when to leave so you can make it to the airport on time based on your location, flight status and local traffic.
Rent a hybrid car to reduce emissions in the air and the mileage on your car. Green Motion operates in 30 countries all over the world and lets you enjoy a clean and green road trip.
Bring back locally made souvenirs rather than those that have been imported and created a large carbon footprint getting to the store.
Reuse hotel towels to reduce the amount of electricity invested into laundry. The universal symbol is to hang them on either the rack or bathroom door so they won’t be replaced.
Unplug your lights and electronics before you leave the room to save energy. Can’t remember if you’ve left any lights on? Belkin’s WeMo Light Switch allows you to control your lights remotely from anywhere using their accompanying app. Check out other smart home devices frequent travelers need.
Volunteer to bring much-needed supplies with you on your trip to help the local community. Check out our favorite organizations that help travelers give back.
Create your own laundry mat on the go. Wash your clothes with a portable and environmentally friendly wash bag that you can take with on the go.
Experience less man-made attractions and more natural sightings. With the number of glaciers falling in Montana’s Glacier National Park due to climate change, this picturesque view may cease to exist in 15 years. Here are some tips to help you plan your visit.
Take leftover shampoo and conditioner bottles with you! Unused ones are often thrown away after you check out. But if you’ve got plenty at home, donate them to a homeless shelter or Clean the World who delivers unused toiletries to places across the world to those in danger of hygiene-related illnesses.
Zap your phone with energy from the sun using this solar powered device charger. This compact device is easy to store and adjusts the amperage of the power supplied to charge quickly and safely.
How do you travel green? Share with us in the comments below!