HOME > MINIMAL > 10 GREEN TRAVEL PRINCIPLES
BLOG POSTS
Living on the map
MINIMAL
10 Green Travel Principles
THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO STAY MINDFUL WHILE TRAVELING, TO KEEP OUR PLANET AND IT'S DISCOVERY A TRUE PRIVILEGE.
We are big on green living and as much as we love to travel and discover new places, it can be really challenging to keep a clean lifestyle. Every country has it's own limits when it comes to the environment and there is not always a way around them.. But we believe that there are ways to keep our impact low(er) and we thought we'd share them with you !
Traveling, to me, is about discovering new cultures, expending our minds and diversifying our views. In order to enjoy all that the world has to offer, it is our duty as travelers, to ensure it's preservation, by leaving it exactly as it was.
Of course in many undeveloped countries, tourism is one of the only source of revenue, meaning locals will do everything they can to make your stay extra confortable, adding extra waste to the equation too.
Although we can't control everything, remembering that traveling is a privilege can already go a long way.
We wanted to share in this article our ten best principles to adopt when traveling, to stay not only as low waste and respectful as we can, but to enrich our experience.
HERE ARE OUR TEN SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL PRINCIPLES -
1# Eat Local Food
LOUISE HERE !
hi
I'm so happy that you stumbled on our little corner of the web.
I hope this space serves you in your journey to a more mindful and sustainable life !
Stay in touch
TOP CATEGORIES
MINIMAL
Sharing ideas, tutoriels and solutions to live simpler lives
WELLNESS
Opening a window onto health for the body, mind and soul
NOURISH
Sharing delicious and nutritious recipes and solutions toward better living.
Food is one of the main reason we travel, one of the cultural aspects of a country we are the most excited to try and discover.
And by enjoying local delicacies, you are not just extending your palet, you are also protecting your budget (unless you are traveling in Norway or Iceland..) and protecting the environment, as you're avoiding shipping the food from far away and food that has been shipped dis usually overly packaged.
So a win win win - right ?
2# Avoid use single use plastic
So our first tip is to try to be prepared, to avoid single plastic as much as you can, since with traveling usually comes eating out, shopping and snacking on street food. By keep reusable bags with you to save all the treasures you'll find along the way, a jar for juices, smoothies, coffees, water, maybe some cutlery and a tupperware, you are sure to reduce drastically your plastic foot print !
If you are in a country that does not have potable water, you can try to get the big bottles of 5 to 10 litres to limit the plastic use. In Morocco, we bought those very big jerricans and filled our little bottles for the day with them.
If carrying all of that extra stuff is a little too annoying (which I get, it can definitely be annoying), you could try to avoid taking food and drinks to go and enjoy it on the spot, allowing you to take a break, look at people passing by and enjoy the feel of this new place.
3# Mind your water and electricity
Although we should always mind water and electricity, it becomes even more important when traveling in developing countries. Those ressources are not easy to come to and are often sent to tourism first, rather than to locals.
I have visited places in Nepal where the whole city would go dark for 6 hours a day, except the hotels and fancy restaurants that used power to serve their guests. Keeping this in mind can make a big difference !
So making sure to turn of all appliances before leaving, shutting the lights, using AC carefully.. It all counts.
4# Embrace Slow Traveling
Planes and boats have a tremendous impact on the environment. And although you can't always avoid them, it might be possible to travel by other means, like trains, buses and car share.
When given the choice, we've often picked a night on the bus over a short plane ride, and although we are currently traveling by car, (which is not the best but not the worst either) we make sure to keep it for long distances. We keep our bikes in the back of the van, and as soon as we arrive to our destination, we tend to cycle everywhere. It's a great way to discover a new city (unless it's London.. Those buses scare the crap out of me!).
If you don't travel with your house like we do, you can rent bikes almost everywhere, or public transport is always a nice way to move around, like a local ?
Whichever one you chose, just remember it as great way to save money, have fun and discover a new place through a local's eyes.
5# Take you rubbish with you
No litter is a no-brainer.. Keep your trash with you if there are no bins in sight ! You can discretely dump your compost in the wild and cover it with some soil but nothing else. Try to keep all the rubbish in a little bag and toss it when a bin crosses your path.
Because I mean, who wants to sit on top of a breathtaking cliff overlooking a dazzling blue sea, surrounded by old cans of tuna and beer bottles ? Yurk.
6# Take your rubbish with you even further
Different countries, different rules.. And different means of recycling. A lot fo countries do not have any basic recycling system, let alone ways to dispose of bulk man-made items like batteries or electronics. So don't leave them behind !
7# Respect the places you visit
Wildlife needs to stay wild.. When trekking in the mountains, stay on the path, mind the flowers, when swimming in the ocean, avoid stepping on corals, when encountering wild life, respect their space, don't feed them any junk food or touch their young.. Too many places have been impacted by humans, but it does not mean they all have to be. Right ?
8# When in hotels...
Don't be afraid to ask for your sheets and towels not to be washed everyday ! It is nonsense anyways and the water and soap used to clean them reaches insane quantities.
You can also avoid using any of the items that are wrapped in plastic like mugs and cutlery, since they will be put again under wraps for the next person.. Same goes for the toiletries ! Those mini bottles might be cute but they are replaced and thrown away all the time and contain more plastic than actual shampoo.
And if you feel like taking it even further, then at breakfast, stay clear of the one portion packaged items like jams, small cereal boxes, little butters etc. The other options are usually healthier anyways, so two birds one stone !
9# Bring your own toiletries
Well this point only concerns people staying in hotels, as they rarely offer mini shampoos and toothpastes in hostels and home-stays... By bringing you own, normal sized toiletries, you avoid using those tiny bottles and are saving plastic. Simple and efficient.
10# Share your knowledge
We should all, of course, do our part. But knowledge isn't brought to everyone equally. By sharing your experiences, your discoveries, your tips to stay green while traveling, you make sure to inspire more people to join in the movement !
The world is wonderful and beautiful and we should all try to keep it that way. We have learned so much from our travels of the state of our planet and the work we have to do to make it a better, safer place for all the species who share it. We are lucky enough to live in developed countries, where our trash magically disappears, and we only have to worry about it when the collectors are on strike. Other countries have to face their trash and ours, washing up on their shores, over flooding their forests and littering their country sides.
Thank you for caring, and looking for answers to this crisis. If you have more ideas on how to keep our impact low as travelers, don't hesitate to share them with us !
WE CAN ALL GET TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WHAT WE WANT IN LIFE, BY TUNING OUT THE VOICES THAT WANT US TO BUY AND WEAR THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE, AND BY LISTENING TO OUR OWN DESIRES.
I'M LOUISE
Thanks for giving this a read ! I'm a writer, photographer & self proclaimed environmental warrior, excited to share solutions, ideas and recipes to bring sustainability into our lives.
hello
MORE LIKE THIS
DIVE INTO
.jpg)
GUIDE TO
Register and get your FREE guide to slow fashion sent directly to your inbox
Slow fashion
