It's not easy being green... 101 Greener Travel Tips

As part of Green Week, today’s post is all about greener travel tips. Travel is a big part of my life; it’s my passion and hopefully my new career. As I prepare for my RTW (round-the-world) trip later this year
I’ve being paying more attention to being “GREEN” and how to decrease my
carbon footprint.

But enough talk, here is a list of 101 Greener Travel Tips (If you have additional tips, please share them with the rest of us by leaving a comment). These tips are in no particular order, they were recorded as
they come to mind, or were suggested by some of my twitter followers.

1. Walking is one of the best ways to be green. There’s no carbon footprint involved and it’s great exercise!
2. Ride Shares/ Local Buses are another way to decrease
your carbon footprint. Flying is sometimes essential, but cutting back
on flights and traveling overland as much as possible is ideal.
3. Research your hotel and hostel options and make
greener choices. Do they use chemicals? Do they waste water? Some hotels
even offer incentives for turning down maid service during your stay.
4. Use organic clothing with natural or eco-friendly
dyes.
5. Bring a water bottle and water filtration kit. Avoid
buying and throwing away bottles if possible.
6. Use biodegradable toiletries
7. Wash your clothes only when necessary. Don’t waste
water if you can reuse your clothing, unless you’re sweating like a pig,
you can probably get away with wearing your t-shirt or pants more than
once before washing them.
8. Buy eco-friendly travel gear from
companies like Patagonia.
9. Use eco-friendly pencils instead of pens.

10. Do NOT litter, EVER! If there is no trash bin near by, carry it with you until you find one.

11. Use eco-friendly tour companies- do some research and look for green initiatives before booking.

12. If you use Ziploc bags when you travel to keep shampoo bottles etc., reuse them. Don’t throw them out; wash them.

13. If you need batteries, take rechargeable ones. When they’re juiced, don’t throw them out- look for someone who recycles them.

14. Keep your showers short.

15. When you’re hiking, stay on marked trails to keep from damaging delicate eco-systems.

16. If you’re snorkeling, don’t touch coral or stir up sediment.

17. Rent Hybrid vehicles when possible.

18. Bring your own travel fork, spoon and knife. This will cut down on waste when eating at restaurants that only provide plastic utensils.

19. Pass along books, magazines or newspapers instead of dumping them. You can also invest in an eReader like the Kobo, Kindle or iPad.

20. Instead of buying newspapers & magazines, read them online. This saves paper, ink, energy AND money!

21. Avoid using Styrofoam.

22. Only take necessary maps and brochures. If you don’t really need them, leave them for somebody else who might.

23. Buy guidebook chapters online and use on your laptop or mobile device. This saves paper and waste.

24. Do NOT take “souvenirs” from natural areas. Leave the flowers and pretty rocks where they are, you don’t know if they’re endangered. Ie: the Trillium flowers in Ontario, Canada.

25. Support conservation programs.

26. Pick up litter and put it in the trash. I know, it’s not yours, but why leave it lying around?

27. Avoid using disposable cameras.

28. Bring an eco-friendly cotton carry bag with you for when you need to do some shopping.

29. Bring sealable containers for snacks. They’re lightweight and reusable.

30. Use electronic tickets whenever possible for flying.

31. Use a solar charger

32. Visit parks and nature reserves.

33. Pack light, the heavier the bag, the more fuel consumption to carry it when traveling.

34. Take non-stop flights. This is a great way to cut down on your carbon footprint if you have no other choice than to fly.

35. Voluntourism. It’s a great way to give back, and help the environment.

36. Support local traders/farmers etc.

37. Watch wildlife; do not feed them!

38. Turn off AC, Heaters, coffee pots and fans when leaving your hotel room.

39. Purchase carbon offsets to make up for flying.

40. Unplug appliances, TV’s and other electrical items before leaving on your trip.

41. Via @Brednanvanson “I poop in a Ziploc bag when I go hiking in National Parks”.

42. Use biodegradable laundry soap.

43. Via @onURwaytravel- just because the locals pollute their water, doesn’t mean you should do it.

44. Don’t purchase souvenirs made from endangered species.

45. Book flights with airlines that recycle the waste from food and beverage services.

46. Turn off water while brushing your teeth.

47. Separate trash if bins are available.

48. Avoid using ice cubes- it’s a waste of energy to make them and a waste of water.

49. Use eco-friendly trains if available.

50. Keep electronic copies of I.D. with you. If you own a blackberry or smartphone this is easy. Avoid printing things. An email with important travel information is ideal as it’s hard to lose or
steal.

51. Stop newspaper and magazine subscriptions before leaving on your trip.

52. If you’re driving, turn off your engine while idling.

53. Leave un-opened toiletry bottles at the hotel if you haven’t used them.

54. Reuse hotel toiletry bottles- if you’ve already used the contents, refill them. Avoid throwing the plastic bottles away.

55. Avoid room service or take-out food.

56. At fast food joints, only take condiments that you’ll actually use.

57. Use eco-friendly make-up. The Body Shop is an example of a company that doesn’t participate in animal testing. LUSH products are vegetarian and they have a recycle program for their
containers.

58. Tubes of toothpaste are a waste. Use a cold cream type jar, fill with toothpaste and take that on the road with you.

59. Air-dry your clothing when doing laundry. Dryers use a lot of energy.

60. Via @smultronstallen “ask for an environmental friendly biogas taxi when travelling in Sweden”.

61. Use travel kettles that use natural fuels like dry grass, dried animal dung, pinecones etc.

62. Avoid packaged foods, eat more fruits and vegetables while on the road, use local bakeries and butchers. In other words, buy fresh.

63. Eat organic food

64. Eat only local foods to avoid carbon footprints on imported foods.

65. Don’t buy more than you can eat, and it you do- eat your leftovers.

66. Avoid animal tested products.

67. Visit GREEN cities! Some of the Greenest Cities in the US are: Eugene, Austin, Portland, St. Paul, Santa Rosa, Oakland, Berkley, Honolulu, Huntsville, Denver, Boston, Lexington, Springfield,
Irvine, Anchorage, Cambridge, Seattle…

68. Writing home? Reuse paper to make your own envelopes and write on recycled papers!

69. Buy recycled postcards, using eco-friendly inks.

70. Bring toilet paper made of recycled materials. It’s rough on the bum, but good for the environment.

71. Take Staycations. Travel close to home when possible.

72. Take the slow route. It takes longer, but it’s better for the environment.

73. Drink organic beer or wine.

74. Do not flush or throw away medications. Return unused medications to a pharmacy for proper disposal.

75. Convert an organic cotton pillowcase into a laundry bag.

76. Bring an energy efficient light bulb with you and switch it with regular ones when you travel.

77. Support fair-trade companies such as Kiva or Ten Thousand Villages.

78. Via @monica530 Bring an organic sleeping bag.

79. Via @TLWH Teach the locals “why” it’s bad to litter, as they are the worst offenders not the tourist in general

80. Via @TLWH If no bins, recycle facilities, take 5 min to write a letter, drop it into tourist info center complaining.

81. When purging your pack, don’t throw out your gear; give it away to charity or another traveler.

82. Rent bicycles when you’re tired of walking around.

83. If you’re tempted to take a cruise, don’t. Look into sailing instead. Your trip will take on a whole new meaning and you’ll even learn a few things!

84. Use an eco-friendly travel pillow. Look for an organic cotton travel pillow, instead of synthetic ones.

85. Use biodegradable travel towels. They’re great for the environment and they dry fast!

86. If traveling with a baby, use cloth diapers.

87. Bring a sock filled with uncooked rice to use as a heating pad on days when your muscles are sore.

88. Only bring toys that are natural and not lead-based.

89. Download audio books onto an iPod to listen to while on long trips.

90. Look for and use eco-friendly baby wipes. This goes for both adults and kids.

91. Use hand sanitizer sparingly. It’s not good for your body to use this in excess and should never replace washing your hands!

92. Be careful when putting up a tent. Look before you peg it down and make sure you’re not crushing or disturbing wildlife or delicate plants.

93. Don’t use or support tour companies that practice cruelty to animals.

94. Make the leap from tape dependent video cameras, to digital video cameras.

95. Participate in local recycling programs.

96. Drinking beer in green bottles. Green glass is better on the environment and more recyclable.

97. Use herbal sleeping aids, not prescription or over the counter drugs.

98. Press your own coffee and reuse filters.

99. Reuse tea bags. You can get more than one cup out of a tea bag.

100. When road tripping, slow down! The faster you drive the more fuel you burn.

101. Never plug your cell phone or other mobile device into your car. It drains the battery and your car uses more gas.

You’ve read the list, now read about some of the brands and products out there that are doing their share in terms of being “GREEN”.

www.indigenousdesigns.com?referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spunkygirlmonolo...');">Indigenous Designs – I love this company, even though they only ship to the USA. They have a wide range of clothing made from organic fibres
and environmentally friendly dyes, as well as fair trade wages and
artisan cooperatives. Not cheap, but definitely great quality.

Eco-Boudoir -this one is for the girls. This fabulous company makes eco-friendly and
organic lingerie and nightwear. Their mission is “…to make
sustainability sexy.”

Fuz I love the UM bags and Mediapocket featured on this site. Although the
bags are a little pricey, the media pocket is only $18. Their products
are made from grey wool felt from factory excess. The Mediapocket is
great for iPhones, iPods, cell phones and smaller PDA’s.

www.kellykettle.com?referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spunkygirlmonologues.c...');">Kelly Kettle -the Kelly Kettle comes in Aluminum (3 sizes) or Stainless Steel (1 size), it’s lightweight and compact and doesn’t need
batteries, or gas. This beauty works with FREE fuel such as sticks, dry
grass, bark, pinecones or dry animal dung. Worldwide shipping.

Solio- this is a must have product for any traveler with electronics. Solio makes a solar charger like no other. It’s small and lightweight
and works with over 3,200 devices! With price points of $49.95 – $79.95,
it’s a steal! I’m buying one before my trip.

Preserve -who doesn’t want to own a toothbrush that you can mail back to the company
for recycling! This is a wonderful, innovative company.

Traveling green is not as hard as it seems. You don’t have to jump all in at once. You can take baby-steps if need be. The point is that you try. We can all make a difference, and if each of us does a couple
of small things, they will eventually add up to some really big things!

Be sure to return tomorrow and read about a traveler who makes Green Travel a focus on all her trips!