13 Eco-Friendly Tips for Your Next Vacation

Your journey is the universe The footprint starts forming before you leave the house. If you pack wisely, there’s a lot you can do to reduce the impact travel can have on the world. Here’s a quick list of eco-friendly tips to get you started.

1. Use Refillable Toilets

Disposable toilets make travel easier, but they are some of the most polluting products on the market. Replace them with reusable containers that you refill at home – they don’t cost much, and they’re also inexpensive. Or, try the hard stuff: soap, shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash, and more are available in the bar.

2. Hitting the Beach? Pick up some Ecofriendly, Reef-Safe Sunscreen

Of the sunscreens available in the US, oil-based sunscreens are the only ones with sunscreen protection. Chemical sunscreens rely on oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, octisalate, and other substances that wash out of the water and harm coral reefs—they can cause coral bleaching, DNA damage, and weakness in coral formation. Use mineral sunscreens.

Outside of the United States, be aware of bemotrizinol. It is approved for use in many parts of the world, but not in the US—although the Food and Drug Administration is now considering approval. There is less research on its effect on coral than mineral sunscreens, but it is known to be safer than conventional sunscreens in the US.

3. Ward Off Critters With Good Bug Spray

If you’re going off the grid or in an area with a lot of bugs, it’s possible to be safe without it DEET. What is often thought to be effective against insects has been linked to negative effects on human health and the environment, and can break down plastics and damage clothing made from synthetic fibers. Natural repellants such as lemon balm oil can work for a short time. But a new entrant to the market, from a California startup called Mimikai, has been proven to be as effective as DEET. However, it is natural that the active ingredient in the tomatoes is undecanone, which scientists have found is what causes the bugs to leave the plants alone.

4. Stay Dry in PFAS-Free Rain or Snow Gear

The so-called forever chemicals were in everything that was said to be waterproof. The situation has changed significantly in the last two years, New York and California banning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in textiles at the beginning of last year. They never went away, however, make sure you look for products that are called PFAS-free, says Marty Mulvihill, managing partner at Safer Made, a VC firm that invests in companies and technologies that reduce people’s exposure to harmful chemicals; he also founded the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry, an interdisciplinary program housed at the University of California, Berkeley, that develops “green ways” on a wide variety of toxins, from detergents to shoe soles.

Brands don’t have to tell you what chemicals they use in their products, but if they struggle to remove PFAS, they will tell you more on the label. You can also turn to PFAS Central, a website run by the non-profit Green Science Policy Institute that maintains a list of PFAS-free productsamong other things.

5. Buy Sustainable Fibers (Non-Plastic)

Do you buy clothes that match the season? Whether it’s linen or cotton for hot weather or wool for winter, choose organic fibers—bonus point for regenerative organic, since conventional agriculture is carbon and water intensive. Fiber made from oil is plastic so if you want to be environmentally friendly, it’s best to avoid it as much as possible; Polyester is the main culprit, as it is responsible for the microplastic problem and is so cheap that it has directly contributed to the global waste problem. When you are sensitive to polyester, you may be disappointed by how difficult it is to avoid it; you can persevere especially because of that frustration. Planetary support problem, accepted.

6. Buy In Person—or Be Very Careful Online

If you’re shopping online, don’t buy three large items to see what fits you and return the rest. Most returned clothing is no longer kept on the shelves; it is dumped or sold in bulk to buyers who usually export. Returning also requires packaging and shipping, which also increases your carbon footprint. Try the old fashioned habit of individual shopping, or search for the right product and size and buy what you want.

7. Carry a Travel Mug…

You’ll be surprised how much you can use them when carrying mugs. You can avoid lost cups on airplanes and in hotel rooms. Bring a restaurant stop when you’re out and about; disposable cups add up quickly. If the bag has a small amount of space, the loose ends can go a long way.

8. … and a bottle of water

It may be obvious, but it’s important. You are sure to need water, and water dispensers are now everywhere in many places. Skip the single-use plastic – you save not only money but also exposure to microplastics! Modified versions are also available in this category.

9. Use Expensive Services on Your Trip

You can buy a bamboo cutter to take with you – but if it’s too far away, grab what you already have. “If you have a single cut-out package from a delivery order sitting in the drawer, it’s a good time to take it to the airport cafeteria,” says Anna Sacks, a New York-based trash expert who goes by the name Trash Walker on social media. He often sends garbage dumps and scavenger hunts where he finds companies sending recyclables to landfills — food waste outside Starbucks stores, for example — and he knows, more than most, that we all have things lying around that could be recycled with a little effort.

10. Pack More Snacks—and Containers

If you pack your own snacks for an airplane or train ride, you can save money up front—and then have snack containers around your trip, too. You can also use it to store leftovers from restaurants, which are often difficult to manage on the go; having your own luggage can mean being able to zip it up so you can safely carry it in a bag until you get back to the hotel – where you’ll have a midnight snack when you’re ready.

11. A Mini-Towel or Two. Thank you, Douglas Adams

Because they have unlimited uses, and one or two will go a long way. In the hotel room, use cloth instead of disposable towels. If you’re camping or at an Airbnb, a reusable cloth or hand towel can replace paper necessities. Also, keep a separate printed bag somewhere. It can contain towels, dirty shoes or clothes, or anything else, so you can avoid using extra plastic bags, even a hotel laundry bag, when you go out.

12. Bring Menstrual Products

Replace disposables with a menstrual cup or period underwear. If you go the underwear route, make sure that – for your health and the planet’s – it does not contain PFAS. Wash by hand and dry in the hotel room.

13. Put a Bag in Your Bag

You never know when you’ll be tempted by souvenirs or snacks you don’t want to eat until later. A reusable bag can also be useful on the return trip home – to carry suitcase spillover or tchotchkes that are too fragile to fit in your suitcase.

None of this is going to stop the plane from flying somewhere, but it adds enough to make it worthwhile. A little planning ahead of time can go a long way.