You want to be more eco-friendly and leave less waste behind? We’re in the same boat! I thought about what I could change up to travel more eco-friendly and found these low waste travel essentials.
This post won’t just list my favorite go-to travel essentials but is also supposed to be a little guide to low waste travel.
I hope it helps!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase via my link I may get a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend things I use and love, but for any questions, refer to my full disclosure here.
Let’s start with my low waste travel tips!
Before leaving:
Before you leave for your trip, make sure to do the following 3 things:
Unplug Electronics
Yep, even if they aren’t in use, they still use power. So make sure to unplug everything.
Eat up Food
How many times have you forgotten to eat up food before leaving for a while and came back to a bad smell?
Yeah, I can relate.
To avoid that, and to avoid food waste, make sure to either freeze food or eat it up.
Get your Ticket as E-Ticket
If you’re flying or taking a train or bus, always check if you can use an electronic ticket, instead of having to print it out. Saves paper!
1. Try your best, but enjoy your trip
Let’s start with this one. I know how hard it is, NOT to pay attention to all the wasteful things that happen on travels. I still struggle with this, but it is important to breathe, do all you can, and enjoy yourself.
Worrying about what other people do (such as using way too many plastic bags) won’t make you happy. And if you can’t change their behavior, you shouldn’t worry about it.
Do what you can, such as maybe tell them politely that they could take own bags the next time, etc. But you can’t really do more, so try to ignore it and enjoy your trip!
2. Look for most Eco-Friendly Transportation
Always check what ways of transportation are available at your destination. Look for busses, train systems, or collective driving.
Those options are better than renting a car for example. Look for the best you can find.
3. Take your Own
This tip is pretty general. Anything you aren’t sure of, such as straws in restaurants, compostable takeaway packaging, etc, take your own.
When I leave the hotel/accommodation I always take these things, whether I need them or not:
- water bottle
- straw in its bag
- a shopping bag
- food container (I only take this when I’m going to eat somewhere)
And that’s it.
4. Hygiene Products
I love taking shampoo, conditioner, and soap bars on my travels.
Not only because they are plastic-free and contain only good stuff for your body, but also because they aren’t liquid and you can take them on your carry-on. Jackpot!
5. Compensate your Carbon Footprint
Flying and driving are sometimes unavoidable. But by compensating your carbon footprint, you can be sure to do something good for the planet in return.
What does that mean exactly?
Well, there are a couple of websites online that let you calculate the CO2 emissions from your flight. After that, they show you a variety of projects you can donate to, to offset your carbon emissions.
How does that work?
By funding an equivalent carbon dioxide saving project elsewhere, you balance out the CO2 you produced.
The same thing works when you calculate the carbon emissions from your whole house and not just a flight.
Check out this website to learn more.
You can also donate to a tree-planting organization if the projects are out of your budget. Oh, and here is a code for planting a tree for free!
Low Waste Travel Essentials
Now that we are through with my general tips for low waste travel, let’s get to my low waste travel essentials! (also includes pretty normal things)
1. Adapter
If you are traveling overseas, the outlets may be different.
Do some research before you leave so you can get an adapter beforehand. They are usually way too expensive at the airport.
2. Luggage Tags
Luggage tags are definitely travel essentials, even if not necessarily low waste.
To make them sustainable, make sure to get one you really love and plan on keeping for as long as it holds.
3. Cutlery Set
If your flight is international, chances are you’ll get some more food. If you wanna avoid the plastic cutlery they give you, you can just take your own from home.
4. Document Organizer
If you can’t use electronic tickets (some small airlines still want printed tickets), a document organizer is a MUST.
It keeps things like your passport, ticket, and any visa papers in one place.
5. Reusable Cup
To avoid the single-use plastic cups on planes, ask the flight attendants to put the drink into your own cup.
Cups like this are also great because they keep warm things warm and cold things cold. Perfect for tea or hot cocoa!
6. Ebooks to read
Books are usually pretty heavy end you end up not reading them.
Ebooks are great because they don’t add more weight to your luggage, and you can have several of them.
7. Reusable Straw
Straws are great low waste travel essentials. You never know when you’ll need one!
Here are a few straws to choose from:
8. Filtered Water Bottle
Or any water bottle that you can reuse for a long time. Lifesavers!
Filtered bottles are great if the water isn’t safe to drink on your trip.
9. Portable Charger
A charger that doesn’t need an outlet is perfect for traveling. If your phone’s battery happens to die, you can charge it anywhere you are.
10. Luggage Scale
Last but not least, a luggage scale is another travel essential that makes weighing your suitcase much easier.
These were all my low waste travel essentials and travel tips! I hope they helped you and you’ll use them on your next trip:)
Let me know where you’re headed! I’m always looking for new travel destinations!
Until soon,
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