Plastic-Free Travel: How to Go Green on Your Travels

Have you ever considered the benefits of plastic-free travel?

Read on to find out how going green will benefit you and everyone else around you.

This post may include affiliate links to products I believe are useful, at no extra cost to you. The thoughts and opinions expressed below are completely my own.

Travelling is super exciting, and I try to do it as often as I possibly can. But I also love the environment and I do my utmost to care for it, even when I’m away from home. Being eco-friendly is not always easy when you’re on the road, but planning beforehand has helped a great deal in reducing the amount of waste I would otherwise generate if I didn’t spend a little extra time going over the things I’d be using. Here are a few plastic-free items you can take with you in your handbag when you go out in your own country or in your suitcase when you go abroad, and still manage to travel light:

1. Reusable Water Bottle

Keeping hydrated is one of the most important things for self-care, but discarding single-use plastic bottles can leave quite a negative impact on the environment. I used to feel guilty about buying water in plastic bottles, and often waited too long to buy one, only to give myself headaches from dehydration. I finally became aware that I could use a stainless steel bottle which can be rinsed and refilled even from water fountains on the street (budget water-drinking, too!) I never go anywhere without my bottle now. People tend to like it too and some friends of mine have adopted this practice – I can’t tell you how rewarding this is to me – seeing so many people refusing single-use plastic makes my day!

2. Bamboo Cup

The bamboo cup has become my sidekick! I go EVERYWHERE with it! My best friend first introduced me to it at work, when she felt it was much more convenient (and fashionable) to have tea in one, as it eliminates the risk of breakages. I was hooked…mostly because of the pattern! If you’d like one without a pattern, you could get the Wheat Straw Travel Cup instead.

As soon as I got myself one, I started using it whenever I could so as to avoid any single use cups being thrown away. One time, people stared in amazement as I politely refused the disposable plastic cup, casually poured the local beer I had just bought into my reusable cup, set the glass bottle back on the counter and went about my business enjoying the festivities without littering or throwing anything away (local glass bottles are returned to the brewery and reused). It’s handy, it’s trendy and…well… it’s pink, but still green, if you know what I mean.

3. (Bamboo) Cutlery

Unless you go ahead and buy a bamboo set, bringing your own cutlery can be a tricky one. When I’m in my country, I tend to have a stash in the handbags I use most often. However, these being made of metal, knives can be problematic. A metal fork, spoon and teaspoon are considered safe enough, (though I have my doubts about the fork, but then again I’m not a child) but a metal knife, whoa! I don’t think I ought to risk that!

Converting my extended family members to reusable cutlery has been quite a struggle and not altogether a successful one. Birthday gatherings in fast food restaurants tend to be the hardest to control, especially when the restaurant itself readily provides you with disposable plastic spoons, knives and forks for the cake! When I am faced with such a situation, I collect the plastic knives and wash them properly at home, to be reused wherever I go until they break.

When travelling, however, I prefer the bamboo set, mostly because of smooth sailing through airport security checks. I also feel better knowing I will never have to use my unwashed fingers to eat takeaway food or food I would have prepared beforehand – thinking of all the germs that would otherwise get transferred onto my food makes me lose my appetite.

4. Reusable Container

Thinking of this still makes me wonder why I did not adopt this practice ages ago, but some realisations really do come with age unless someone points them out to you. Watching online videos about food waste, consciously becoming more aware of how much food people waste when they eat out, and noticing how other people took their leftovers in single use takeaway containers, it finally occurred to me that I should start carrying my own reusable container with me to take my leftovers in!

Putting leftovers in reusable containers these days that the first time I did it, my friends felt embarrassed, but the waiter congratulated me and said that if everybody did this, the world would be a much better place. Now I do this even when I’m abroad, though I must say, the portions served in some countries tend to be much larger than in others. What’s more, after all the walking I would have done when I’m travelling I would be starving, so there’s hardly ever a reason to leave food on my plate.

I also realised that this can be done when shopping at the supermarket for food products such as nuts or oats. The counter assistant tares the container, fills it with the item I require, weighs it, and puts the sticker on the lid. All this takes is some planning ahead – this practice helps me to avoid single use plastic bags and food waste; I only buy the things I really need for my weekly meals.

5. Cloth Bag

This is the easiest to remember, in my case! I have quite a few of these, and if you don’t, you can even make your own from old cotton T-shirts or pillowcases without having to buy any (provided you can do some basic sewing if you’re using T-shirts, that is).

I tend to have specific bags for particular items, for example, I always use the same one to get freshly baked bread from the baker’s. I also have some smaller cotton bags for fruit and veggies – buying these from the local markets – wherever I am in the world – makes me feel better about more things than one, including supporting the local farmers, reducing plastic packaging (obviously), as well as buying whatever is in season, knowing that nature has provided me with exactly all I need to get me through those months.

Whenever I go on shopping sprees, which are very few and far between these days (I do lose some control when I’m abroad, I’m afraid), I also refuse any bags because I would have taken my own. All in all, cloth bags are absolutely necessary for me.

6. Bamboo Toothbrush

In my book, flashing a smile can instantly make other people’s lives, and mine, brighter and better! That said, I don’t believe anybody likes knowing what I had for lunch from looking at my (not-so-pearly) whites. That is why dental hygiene is a must. But did you know… in the U.S. alone, an estimate of one billion plastic toothbrushes end up in landfill every year. Lifetime care for these little ivories can contribute to quite a bit of non-recyclable waste, but not necessarily so. Bamboo toothbrushes are the new cool!

When it’s time to dispose of a plastic toothbrush, the norm is to toss it in the bin containing the bag which gets sent to landfill. Not the bamboo toothbrush! It is 100% compostable and can easily degrade in your backyard (or if you’re abroad, in your landlord’s backyard or any compost bin accessible to you!) I opted for an alternative to plastic toothbrushes after a trip to London. Having had a lot of things to pack, I forgot my new travel toothbrush in the bathroom and still feel guilty about this being thrown away without it hardly having been used at all. I haven’t purchased a single plastic toothbrush since.

7. Make-Up Remover Glove

The thrill of travel makes me want to go the extra mile when it comes to make-up. Although I am by no means a professional makeup artist, I do my utmost to look pretty in photos which I will look back on for the rest of my life. However, applying makeup goes hand in hand with skincare and removing it before our beauty sleep is of utmost importance. That is why I have opted for a more chemical-free way of removing it; the glove. The glove is made up of special microfibres that remove layers of makeup with water only! It is also super easy to clean because all you need to do is wash it with warm water and soap, and then hang it to dry. I’m sure Mother Earth is thankful for less single use cotton pads and plastic bottles containing liquid makeup remover!

8. Menstrual Cup

Let’s talk periods. As much as I love being a woman, I used to find it extremely inconvenient having my cycle in the week of my travels. And I say ‘used to’ because…not anymore! Don’t get me wrong, cramps are a bummer, but not having to remember to bring, carry and change sanitary towels or tampons is a real blessing! What’s more, I can now wear whatever trendy outfits I would have planned for the trip! All this has become possible thanks to the discovery of the menstrual cup – a funnel-shaped, silicone cup made designed specifically for our monthly Bloodfest.

Admittedly, getting used to inserting the cup was a bit tricky at first, and this led to occasional leakages every now and then. I solved this by also using a sanitary towel until I got the hang of it. Eventually, after various attempts at squatting just the right way, relaxing the muscles, as well as adjusting the cup to fit snugly in the cervix, I embarked on the blissfully stress-free journey.

Now I no longer have to worry about stains or embarrassing toilet breaks when you’re not in the comfort of your home (or present accommodation). Wondering why? This cup can be emptied every 8-12 hours! Enough time to tick off all the boxes on the daily itinerary, I should say! To top it all off, I no longer leave tokens of my womanness for our overworked planet to deal with; and that, ladies, is a great way to journey through life, wherever you are on this beautiful Earth when the persistent Uncle Charlie comes to visit.

Inspiration

The founder and owner of this shop, Lauren Singer, is the person who inspired me to take a closer look at my habits and make positive changes to my lifestyle. Visit Package Free and start “making the world less trashy” today.

Final Thoughts

I strongly believe that it is our responsibility to care for this beautiful planet, and not just for our sake, but also for the sake of the generations that will walk this Earth after we’re gone. Travelling makes us more aware of all its wonders; both natural and manmade, but it also makes us realise how neglect to care for what sustains us can have extremely harmful effects on our bodies, minds, and spirits. In today’s materialistic world, the little actions mentioned above can change the world for the better if done consistently by many people.

Best wishes,

Passport and Pathways x

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