Your trip’s environmental footprint starts forming before you ever leave the house. If you pack wisely, there’s a lot you can do to reduce the negative impact that traveling can have on the planet. Here’s a short list of ecofriendly guidelines to get you going.
1. Use Refillable Toiletries
Single-use travel-size toiletries make travel convenient, but they are among the most wasteful products on the market. Swap them out for reusable containers that you refill at home—they’re less wasteful, and far more economical anyway. Or, give solid products a try: soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and other products are available in bar form.
2. Hitting the Beach? Take Ecofriendly, Reef-Safe Sunscreen
Of the sunscreens available in the US, mineral sunscreens are the only reef-safe options. Chemical sunscreens rely on oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, octisalate, and other ingredients that wash off into the water and harm coral reefs—they can cause coral bleaching, DNA damage, and deformities in developing coral. Stick to mineral sunscreens.
Outside of the United States, keep an eye out for bemotrizinol. It’s approved for use in many regions of the world, but not the US—although the Food and Drug Administration is now considering it for approval. There’s less research into its effects on coral than on mineral sunscreens, but it’s widely considered safer than the chemical sunscreens standard in the US.
3. Ward Off Critters With Better Bug Spray
If you’re heading off-grid or to high-insect places, it’s possible to stay safe without the DEET. The substance often considered the most effective insect repellant has been associated with negative impacts for human health and the environment, and can also break down plastics and damage clothing made with synthetic fibers. Natural repellants like oil of lemon eucalyptus can work for shorter durations. But a new entrant to the market, from a California startup called Mimikai, has been proven to be as effective as DEET. It’s natural, though—the active ingredient is called undecanone, a compound in wild tomatoes that scientists have identified as the reason that bugs leave the plant alone.
4. Stay Dry in PFAS-Free Rain or Snow Gear
So-called forever chemicals used to be in just about anything labeled waterproof. Things have changed drastically in the last two years, with New York and California banning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in textiles early last year. They’re not entirely gone, though, so make sure you’re looking for products specifically labeled as PFAS-free, says Marty Mulvihill, a managing partner at Safer Made, a VC firm that invests in companies and technologies that reduce human exposure to harmful chemicals; he also cofounded the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry, an interdisciplinary program housed at the University of California, Berkeley, that develops “greener solutions” for a range of toxic exposures, from cleaning products to shoe soles.
Brands don’t need to tell you what chemicals they use in their products, but if they have gone to the trouble of removing PFAS, they will likely tell you as much on the label. You can also turn to PFAS Central, a website run by the nonprofit Green Science Policy Institute that maintains a list of PFAS-free products, among other resources.
5. Shop for Sustainable Fibers (That Aren’t Plastic)
Stocking up on weather-specific clothing? Whether it’s linen or cotton for hot climates or wool for cold, opt for organic fibers—bonus points for regenerative organic, since conventional farming has a heavier carbon and water footprint. Petroleum-based fibers are plastic so if you’re going for eco-friendly, best to avoid as much as possible; polyester is by far the worst offender, because it is a strong culprit in the microplastic problem and it’s so cheap that it’s contributed directly to the world’s mounting textile waste problem. Once you’re on alert for polyester, you might be frustrated with how difficult it is to avoid; you might also persist specifically because of that frustration. Planet-friendly challenge, accepted.
6. Shop in Person—or at Least Be More Mindful Online
If you’re shopping online, don’t buy three sizes of something just to see what fits and then return the rest. A huge percentage of returned clothing doesn’t get restocked onto store shelves; it gets landfilled or sold in bulk to buyers who often export it overseas. Returns also require additional packaging and shipping, which bumps up your carbon footprint as well. Try the old-fashioned practice of shopping in person, or at least researching the correct product and size and buying only what you need.
7. Carry a Travel Mug …
You’ll be surprised how much use you’ll get out of carrying a mug. You can avoid disposable cups on the plane and in hotel rooms. Bring it along for café stops when you’re out and about; disposable cups add up fast. If bag space is limited, collapsible versions can go a long way.
8. … and a Water Bottle
It might be obvious, but it’s a must. You are guaranteed to need water, and water stations are now ubiquitous in many places. Skip the single-use plastic—you’ll save not only money but microplastic exposure too! Collapsible versions are available for this category too.
9. Stick Travel Cutlery in Your Carry-On
You can buy a bamboo cutlery set to travel with—but if that’s a step too far, grab what you already have. “If you have a single-use cutlery packet from a delivery order sitting in a drawer, it’s a good time to bring it along for the airport food court,” says Anna Sacks, a waste expert in New York who goes by the name Trash Walker on social media. She frequently posts dumpster dives and sidewalk trash hunts where she has found companies sending perfectly usable products to the landfill—food waste outside Starbucks stores, for example—and knows, better than many, that we all have stuff lying around that can be repurposed with just a little bit of effort.
10. Pack Some Snacks—and Containers to Put Them In
If you pack your own snacks for flights or train rides, you can save some money on the front end—and then have containers for carrying snacks around the rest of your trip, too. You can also use them to store restaurant leftovers, which are usually hard to manage while traveling; having your own containers can mean being able to seal them for safe carrying in a backpack until you’re back at the hotel—where you’ll then have late-night treats at the ready.
11. A Mini-Towel or Two. Thank You, Douglas Adams
Because they have limitless uses, and one or two will go a long way. In a hotel room, use a cloth instead of a disposable makeup wipe. If you’re going camping or even to an Airbnb, a reusable dish cloth or hand towel can replace the need for paper towels. Also, stash a separate sealable bag somewhere. It can hold towels, dirty shoes or clothes, or anything else, so you can avoid using additional plastic bags, even the hotel laundry bag, when you’re out.
12. Bring Reusable Menstrual Products
Replace disposable products with a menstrual cup or period underwear. If you go the underwear route, make sure—for your health and that of the planet—they’re PFAS-free. Wash by hand and hang dry in the hotel room.
13. Put a Bag in Your Bag
You never know when you’re going to be tempted by souvenirs or snacks that you don’t actually want to eat until later. A reusable tote can also come in handy for the return trip home—to carry suitcase spillover or tchotchkes that are too delicate to pack into your suitcase.
None of this will cancel out the carbon footprint of a flight somewhere, but they do add up enough to matter. A little advance planning can go a long way.