Image courtesy of Z_dead’s photostream
Hopping on an airplane, staying in hotels and eating out every night might sound glamorous to you. And it can be, especially if you are jetting off to wonderful, exciting places. But it also disrupts your regular habits, such as when you go to bed, what time you eat… and even your environment-friendly habits.
While you are traveling this year, keep these ideas in mind to make sure you are eco-friendly, wherever you may be:
1. Bring your own water bottle. You cannot go through airport security with a filled water bottle. However, the TSA says you can take your empty CamelBak or another water bottle through, and then fill it up once you are passed security. This eliminates not only buying an over-priced water bottle, but also eventually throwing away a plastic water bottle you won’t use again.
2. Turn off the hotel room lights when you’re out and about. Instead of leaving every single light in the room on when you leave for the day, keep just one on that helps you feel safe when you enter the room. You can still see your way around, and you will save a lot of energy at the same time.
3. Re-Use Your Towels. Many major hotel chains have started to change out towels only if they are on the ground, which indicates new towels are needed. If you only used your washcloth or hand towel once, don’t discard it. Keep it on the counter or on the rack for a couple additional uses. This saves on water, electricity and soap.
4. Use the Recycling Side of the Garbage Can. Another trend with hotels is having a garbage can that has two ‘sides’: one for waste, and one for recyclable items such as plastic and paper. If you bring back food wrappers or bags that can be recycled, take advantage of that side of the can to do your part in eliminating recyclable items ending up in a landfill.
5. Hit the Ground Running. If you are traveling to a major city, chances are that it is very walkable and you can get from Point A to Point B without using a car. When walking isn’t an option, consider taking the city’s public transportation. While it’s extremely cost-effective, it also reduces the number of cars and taxis that are adding to the air pollution.