Tips that will make sure you go on trips that will not just rejuvenate your soul but also be harmless for the environment.
Pollution all around us is pretty evident to everyone now. We can’t ignore the fact anymore how much this is affecting our environment and also our lives. And with all this pollution around the world and its negative impact on our environment, people have started doing everything in a more eco-friendly manner. But when it comes to pollution, there’s something that people often don’t talk about. And that is the part tourism plays in pollution. Usually, we only blame the big companies, cars, and plastic consumption for pollution. And we rarely hear or even think about the harm that tourism can cause. However, citizens have begun to recognize and behave on their travel ethics in recent years, by organizing increasingly safe, eco-friendly travels to help minimize pollution.
Traveling comes with many benefits for us, and I believe that it’s the only activity that gives you a different experience every time. And I know every one of you just like me is eagerly waiting to enjoy those different experiences again by traveling after the coronavirus pandemic ends. And I hope by God’s grace that day comes sooner. We should praise traveling for giving us new experiences every time and giving a new meaning to our life every time after we travel. But we should also ensure we’re not harming the place we’re traveling to.
We have to do what we can to protect this wonderful planet that we all want to travel around one day. So why not start right now? Not to mention the fact it will give you amazing, unique, and unusual experiences. So, if you do care, in this article, I’m presenting a gateway for you to plan a sustainable and eco-friendly trip.
What Should You Pack for an Eco-friendly Journey?
Packing fewer things is both wise and eco-friendly. Packing fewer things will give you some benefits like a lighter backpack, and you will almost use all the things you have packed. This will make your backpacks eco-friendly backpacks, because if you take fewer things and then you will use fewer things on your trip, which means less pollution and less harm to the environment.
When you’re packing you should have a few things in mind such as, do I actually need this and is it eco-friendly? You should pack green products for the well-being of both you and the planet, so make sure that you pack everything that is reusable. And if you can, try to pack pads and cotton pads that are reusable.
If you have a hard time packing only reusable items in your backpack, then at least make sure they are recyclable. Nature and the environment will repay your good service in their own way.
Choosing the Means of Your Transportation
We all know by now that our means of transportation are the biggest contributors to pollution. And traveling by plane is definitely the most harmful for the environment. Yes, most of the time we don’t have the option of choosing other means of transport when we travel to faraway destinations. But at least what we can do is choose the company wisely, and preferably an eco-friendly one.
It is quite natural that your safety will be your first priority, and then you’ll think about the harm you’re causing to nature. But I believe that if we want, we can do both. Also, you should refrain from traveling by plane and buying first-class tickets because it is nothing but a social standard.
And if possible, try to use other means of travel like the train, bus, and other forms of public transportation. And if you travel by land, it will not only protect the environment, it will also give you a vivid and engaging experience.
What Type of Accommodation Should You Choose?
The more eco-friendly the accommodation you choose, the better for everyone. But if you stay at an eco-friendly 5-star hotel, then you’re not doing anyone any favor at the end of the day. They use so many resources to give you that so-called eco-friendly experience, so being an eco-friendly hotel becomes irrelevant after causing so much harm.
To avoid this, you can try living in multi-person dorm quarters, guest houses, homestays, or, if you’re feeling adventurous, camping in a tent. And it’s not like I’m recommending these locations because they’re inexpensive; it’s not really about cost. It’s about the gritty experiences you`ll get in such places.
And presently, many places put a priority on the impact they have on the climate, and they do it at reasonable prices, so it’s not a bad idea to look at those places.
Carefully Choose What You Eat and Drink
The most essential part of any vacation would be eating and drinking. Without trying a country’s cuisine you really can’t understand their culture. And all around the world, there are so many different tastes and flavors that everyone should try at least once in a lifetime. The real fun of traveling is when you have broadened your taste in everything by experimenting with as many new things as you can.
But how can we do all this and still take care of the environment? We can do so by going to green restaurants. And green obviously doesn’t mean vegan, it means such restaurants that care about their surroundings.
But what you can really do is to avoid fancy restaurants as much as you can and eat locally. That will not only just give you the local and authentic experience, but it will help small businesses flourish, which are not particularly harmful to this planet.
Mind the Country You’re Visiting
Our world is a strange little place, and the most fascinating thing about our world is how different each and every human being is different from one and another even if they look similar or speak the same language. And the best example would be Europe, where they live across almost open borders where any citizen of the EU nations can travel to another EU nation without a visa. But still, these people live differently than each other.
So for this reason, we are so very different from each other, and sometimes, so very similar. So, before you visit any place, you should try to find out what their ethics are regarding the environment. Some cultures and countries really treasure and care about their nature, while there are many who don’t seem to care at all.
Stay at a Destination for a Longer Time
We can all agree with the fact that traveling can become pretty polluting. This especially happens when you travel to a different place every other day. I know you would want to visit all the best locations there is to visit with your friends and family. But you should also remember that when you travel frequently from one destination to another, you just don’t get enough time then because you barely get any time to enjoy your trip to its fullest; you also pollute the environment by such actions.
So the longer you stay in one destination, the more it will be beneficial for both you and the environment. That will give you more time to walk, discover, and enjoy your trip. Also, environment lover travelers will have more time to do research on eco-friendly activities.
Don’t Buy Your Water Bottles
Last but certainly not least comes the issue of water consumption when we travel. To be more specific, the water bottle policy at the airport, where they basically force us to buy water from the airport.
Yes, of course, we do have the choice of not doing so. And yes, they’re doing so for a good reason. But still, many of us don’t know a lot when it comes to bottled water. So all we should do is buy reusable bottles, which will certainly decrease the pollution caused by plastic bottles.
You can easily fill up your water bottle almost anywhere you want without polluting the planet with plastic while fulfilling your body’s need for water. Also, you shouldn’t pay to stay hydrated. It’s a basic need of a human being that should be fulfilled for free.
Traveling is certainly one of the most soul-pleasing experiences one can have. There’s so much one can see, learn and discover on a single trip. But rather than traveling selfishly, we should care for our surroundings while we’re traveling. Since looking after them includes looking after yourself. This also means that we must treat the others we meet along the way well while still helping the world, and not simply help our own wellbeing.