Vacay away but in an environmentally friendly way!
Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. But it also leads to pollution, natural resource depletion, and waste management issues. There are ways to be eco-friendly when travelling.
One of the most enjoyable experiences in life is travelling and immersing ourselves in different cultures, traditions, and cuisines. The sudden rise in ecotourism has made us increasingly aware of the environmental impact of our travel choices.
Eco-friendly holidays offer a responsible way to travel while conserving nature and boosting local economies. In contrast, traditional tourism generates plastic, food, and paper waste. Organic and hazardous waste generated by regular travel can have a devastating impact on local diversity.
It's crucial to plan and prepare before embarking on an eco-friendly holiday.
Skip the car, star!
Whether journeying alone or in a group, transportation is one of the biggest challenges you’ll face while travelling. You probably spend most of your time researching how to get from point A to B.
If you plan on renting a car, it’s not necessarily a bad idea. But have you thought about the environmental cost of that? Transportation alone accounts for 90% of greenhouse gas emissions from tourism. Here’s what you can do -
Don’t be shy, get on a local!
The use of public transportation can help you reduce your travel carbon footprint. It is one of the most efficient ways to be eco-friendly and reduce the environmental impact of travel. Getting to know the local community and culture is an added plus!
Take the metro, bus, or tram! Ask around for the best local shopping centres to visit. While you’re shopping for souvenirs or food, remember to forego plastic bags.
Use eco-friendly shopping bags like reusable grocery bags and shop in style. With these eco-friendly products, you can reduce waste, eliminate single-use plastic, and support local communities!
Pool your way around town!
Not all cities have a robust public transportation system. But no worries! You can pick from one of the many rideshare apps to help you get around the city. Get a glimpse of the city through the eyes of the locals by carpooling.
Make sure to stay safe while you protect the environment too.
Skip wheels, use feet!
Before you land in a city, check the online travel guides. These guides will let you know whether or not your destination is a walkable tourist spot! Many places have redesigned their spaces to accommodate pedestrian welfare to reduce the impact of transportation on the environment.
One of the ways to be more eco-friendly and discover the city's soul is to walk. Make sure to stay hydrated as you stroll through alleys and busy streets.
Don’t worry about the sweat; it’s all part of the adventure! Use bamboo aloe-infused wet tissue wipes by Beco to stay refreshed. Made with pure bamboo pulp, they are a perfect addition to your environmentally friendly travel kit.
Eco-Friendly Stay is Bae
You have just stepped out of the airport and onto the humid streets of a tropical city. Or maybe you are greeted with the biting cold of a winter wonderland, and all you want to do is rush to your hotel and rest before your adventure starts.
Your stay may have been pre-booked, or you want to book it after you have arrived. But you may not always find environmentally friendly hotels everywhere you travel.
A proper sustainable stay needs energy-efficient lighting, water conservation measures, and plant-based cleaning products. You could call in to ensure that each place has a Green Globe, LEED, or Earth Check certification.
In case you can’t find the right place to stay, here’s what you can do -
Kit it up
Before you jet off, ensure you have a personal kit of all your eco-friendly products. This will help your chosen hotel to reduce the wastage of single-use and other essential products.
These eco-friendly products may include bamboo toothbrushes and wet wipes. There are some other eco-friendly personal care kit that you can look into buying.
Laundering for green
Don't let your laundry weigh down your eco-friendly holiday plans! Pack a small bottle of sustainable liquid laundry detergent to avoid toxic chemicals entering the local waterways. And get washing! If it's not too cold, conserve energy by using cold water to wash your clothes and air-dry them.
Be Green, See Green
Have you ever been on a camping trip with your friends and felt like you were in the middle of an eco-disaster? Making eco-friendly spaces is not always possible for a variety of reasons. One of them is a lack of awareness of sustainable tourism practices.
Before you head out on your next adventure, do your research. Ask questions to camp coordinators to make sure your campsite is doing its part to keep Mother Nature happy and healthy! While travelling, use eco-friendly products and engage in eco-friendly activities. Ensure your presence has a low impact on the environment around you.
Here are some tips to help you be at your eco-friendly best on your next adventure:
Manage, don’t waste
Plastics can take up to 1000 years to degrade. Instead, carry a bundle of compostable garbage bags when camping. Use these environmentally friendly bags to dispose of your organic waste. It is one of the easiest ways to be eco-friendly. Ensure you collect your dry waste, like tins, plastic packaging, etc., in a separate bag. Bring all your trash with you and dispose of it properly in the city.
Don’t just Reduce, Reuse
Travel with light and reusable containers when camping. Plastic and other disposable waste can harm wildlife and the environment around you. Use reusable bottles and containers to carry food and water. Use your stash of cotton cloth bags to pack your items inside your bag.
Composting is the way
Camping is fun until you need to figure out what to do with leftover organic food scraps. Since you are carrying compostable bags, you could use them to pack these scraps. Before leaving, bury the compost bag in a hole several inches deep away from your campsite.
Save the Critters, Do not Litter
One of the most rewarding camping moments is observing the local wildlife. Squirrels playing around, birds chirping in the trees, and monkeys swinging about amid the foliage. Before you leave, ensure that you do not leave behind any waste. Check the nature trails you frequented for any trash or other hazardous materials.
Importance of eco-friendly travel
Environmentally friendly travel is essential for protecting the environment and supporting local communities. By making simple changes to the way we travel, we can help preserve our planet for future generations.
Travel can cause irreparable damage to the environment. Without proper awareness and regulations, it can cause the depletion of natural resources and ecosystems. Travelling with eco-friendly products is just one way we can help local communities preserve their surroundings.
Traditional tourism can have a significant impact on the natural environment, with activities like deforestation, pollution, and wildlife disruption, which cause long-lasting damage. Eco-friendly travel, on the other hand, aims to reduce these adverse effects by promoting responsible travel practices that minimize environmental harm.
Eco-friendly holidays boil down to three principles -
- Choosing environmentally friendly accommodations and travel options.
- Opting to source essentials from local communities.
- Using eco-friendly products to reduce your environmental impact.
Given the significant contribution of tourism to global greenhouse gas emissions by choosing eco-friendly holiday options, we can significantly reduce our travel carbon footprint.
Shop for eco-friendly bamboo products with Beco before you jet off to your next eco-adventure!