Have you been struck with wanderlust lately? Us too!
Whether you are lucky enough to go on holiday, or are staying at home, it has never been more important to have an eco-friendly summer.
According to a study, global tourism accounts for 5% of greenhouse emissions, whilst 73% of beach litter is plastic. In the spirit of the summer holiday season and Plastic-Free July, we’ve put a list together of our favourite Eco-friendly summer tips!
Sustainable Packing for an Eco-Friendly Holiday
- If you are travelling on a plane, try to pack lightly! Your carbon footprint is increased with heavier luggage, as it requires a higher fuel consumption!
- If your luggage collection does need upgrading, why not invest with an eco-friendly luggage brand? Brands such as Roka transform recycled plastic bottles into stylish and durable luggage.
Eco-Friendly Transport Options
- Take public transport where possible, as this produces less carbon emissions than driving.
- Using public transport in a new city is an exciting adventure! It allows a more authentic experience of enjoying the landscape and interacting with locals.
Sustainable Holiday Essentials
- Staying hydrated in the heat is extremely important, however this has contributed to nearly a million plastic beverage bottles being sold a minute across the world - make sure you pack your reusable water bottle or simply reuse a single bottle which reduces the offset by 10 times! In some countries, their drinking water could be unsafe, why not pack water purification tablets instead of buying bottled water?
- If you are going shopping abroad, make sure you pack reusable shopping bags since plastic bags are not biodegradable, which in turn has contributed to the 5 trillion tonnes of plastic that is floating in our oceans.
- For those of you who enjoy outside takeaway food, why not take your own reusable cutlery instead of using the plastic ones often provided?
- Flip flops and beach towels are certainly an essential for any beach holiday. Once your flip flops break, make sure you don’t bin them as you can recycle the plastic! If you are looking to buy a new beach towel, consider buying one made from 100% recycled material from the company Dock & Bay.
Plastic-Free and Eco-friendly Toiletries
- Bodywash, toothbrushes and sanitary products may be essentials whilst you are on holiday, but single use plastic certainly isn’t! With less than 9% of plastic waste being recycled, why not make the switch to zero waste bars of soap, toothpaste and even reusable period products? Alternatively, you can transfer your favourite products from a larger bottle into reusable travel bottles.
- Suncream is key to assuring your skin remains healthy in the summer heat - buying reef friendly sunscreen ensures the safety of your skin does not compromise our coral reefs!
Adopting an Ethical Mindset
- An easy switch to make is to change your mindset! If you are staying in a hotel, the simple things like turning off the lights and not asking for fresh towels everyday makes a great difference.
- Stay off the beaten track - by avoiding usual popular tourist hotspots you are not contributing to the negative environmental implications of over tourism including air pollution and littering, whilst also providing an opportunity to support small local businesses.
- Enjoy local produce - drinking and eating locally sourced produce, not only benefits the local economy, but you are reducing the carbon footprint of relying on exported goods.
- When you are going to get your locally produced ice cream - get it in a cone! This reduces your plastic consumption again by avoiding single use plastic tubs.
- If you are considering a picnic whilst on holiday, why not invest in some Beeswax wraps instead of using clingfilm?
We hope you found some of our tips useful! If you have any more ideas on how to enjoy an Eco-Friendly and Plastic Free Summer, why not comment below?
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Written by Isabella Richardson
