15 ECO FRIENDLY TRAVEL ITEMS TO PACK FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP
If you are trying to become a more sustainable traveller or are trying to pack lightly I have a few products that might help you achieve that goal. Not only will you be living a more eco-friendly life you’ll also end up saving money by switching to reusable items and you know what that means, more money to travel!
Here are a 15 amazing products that I personally have come to love and carry along with my travels. A quick disclaimer, what works for me might not work for you but take the time to try a variety of different products to find what works best for you.
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1. Zero-Waste Reusable Ear Swab
Ok we are starting off the list with a really random item, cotton swabs. Ear swabs and plastic straws are equally bad for the environment since they end up in oceans killing marine life. Daily 1.5 million disposable swabs are produced and since they aren’t recycled they are effecting seahorses every single day. Along with saving marine life, invest in a product that can be reused rather than continue to use disposable swabs.
2. Water Bottle with Filter
Why this helps: Less water bottles = less plastic in landfills!
Not only do you not use a whole lot of plastic you also save quite a big of money while traveling by simply avoiding buying water bottles. Over 480 billion plastic bottles are used yearly, that’s a million plastic bottles a minute, and literally not even half of that gets recycled. Just a simple change like using a reusable water bottle can help cut down the unnecessary plastic we use. Plus, no matter where you travel to there’s usually always a water fountain near by for you to refill your water bottle at.
3. Shampoo & Conditioner Bars
Why this helps: little to no packaging + way better for your hair!
These are really great to travel with, they save lots of room in your toiletry bag and you save plastic bottles from going into the landfill. These really neat shampoo and conditioner bars are made with less chemicals and with way better ingredients then your regular shampoo and conditioner bottles. Along with the bars I have linked below Trader Joe’s has a really good shampoo bar that’s worth checking out. To maximize the life of your shampoo and conditioner bars place in a container after using in the shower, I’d advise using any spare containers you might have for this instead of buying a container specifically for this.
4. Deodorant Bars
Why this helps: uses only biodegradable ingredients and packaging
Just like the shampoo and conditioner bars you reduce the amount of plastic you are using. Deodorant bars will last you a lot longer than your typical drug store deodorants. Using natural deodorants are way better for you anyways, using aluminum-filled anti-perspirants can actually clog your sweat glands which causes irritation to the skin.
5. Travel Cutlery Set
Why this helps: less plastic in landfills + comes in handy on picnics
Reduce your carbon footprint by investing in a good set of cutlery to avoid disposing of single use silverware. A travel cutlery set isn’t just for camping, they come in handy when you order take-out, while snacking at the farmers market, and even while traveling to take on a picnic. I can't count the amount of time we have received plastic utensils when ordering out, you know, the small plastic bag with the utensils and the small salt and pepper packets? We’ve noticed now days we can opt out of getting utensils, napkins, and straws at restaurants which is pretty nice!
6. Collapsible Coffee Cup
Why this helps: no more disposable cups + easy to travel with
A collapsible coffee cup is an awesome way to reduce the use of disposable cups! It’s perfect for traveling since it hardly takes up any room in your bag. If you are a big coffee drinker this will definitely be a great thing to invest in since coffee cups cannot be recycled. I personally love using these collapsible cups, I fill a tea infuser with loose tea and let it sit in my cup then I’m all set!
7. Silicone Storage Bags
Why this helps: horrible for the environment + saves money on ziplock bags
The average American uses 500 ziplock bags every year, so these are one of the best environmentally friendly products you could switch to. Plus you can use them for so many things! These are great to store your fruit and veggies, trail mix, snacks, and even sandwiches, the possibilities are endless. They come in handy on any type of trip, you can place your trash in them to dispose of later or you can even place your toiletries in them to avoid leaking. Never buy ziplock bags again, reuse these silicone bags over and over, which will save you a ton in the long run.
8. Mesh Produce Bags
Why this helps: 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually
Grocery store produce bags are one of the biggest cause of aquatic pollution, 100 billion plastic bags are used every year in just America alone, with that being said using mesh produce bags will help reduce the number of plastic bags. I mean everyone has to go get groceries so this is a really great swap to make.
9. Reusable Tote
How it helps: it takes 1000 years for a plastic bag to decompose in landfills
Going hand in hand with mesh produce bags are getting some reusable tote bags. When going grocery shopping bring along some reusable bags. If don’t have any or simply forgot to bring them just ask for paper bags instead of plastic. I have quite a bit of reusable totes, I always carry two or three in my bag in case I have to run to the store and a few in my car to gather trash. What I love about these totes is that you can use them for so many things, basically they aren’t just limited to carrying groceries.
10. Silicone & Metal Straws
Why this helps: Reduces the amount of disposable plastic straws
Switching to reusable metal and silicone straws was one of my favorite switches I made, I actually look forward to grabbing a metal straw to put into my refreshing drink knowing I can reuse it by giving it a quick wash rather than throwing away a one-time use plastic straw. There is so many types nowadays, metal, silicone, foldable, bamboo, glass etc.
It’s super simple switch, replace using plastic one-time use plastic straws with sustainable straws that not only help the environment but go great with your iced coffee in the morning.
11. Eco-Friendly Sanitary Products
How it helps: Menstrual cups don’t contain chemicals found in tampons and pads, (such as bleach) + one sanitary pad could take 500 to 800 years to decompose
Using a menstrual cup will completely eliminate the use of pads and tampons, which will save a crazy amount of waste in the long run not to mention the amount of money you’d be saving as well. If menstrual cups aren’t really your thing, there are period undies to replace the usage of pads as well. These both are great alternatives to cutting down on tampon/pad waste. There are studies that have shown that these plastic-free sanitary products are way safer for your body then your normal drugstore feminine hygiene products which contain an unnecessary amount of chemicals and toxins that are horrible for your body.
12. Toothpaste Tablets
How it helps: 1 billion plastic toothpaste tubes end up in landfills and take more than 500 years to decompose + made with less chemicals
These toothpaste tablets are basically toothpaste pressed into small pills that will start to become paste as soon as you start brushing your teeth. It’s a great way to help reduce the amounts of toothpaste tubes that end up in landfills, which is around 1 billion toothpaste tubes in just the United States alone. Plus, most squeezable tubes can’t be recycled because of their aluminum layer.
13. Eco-friendly Floss
How it helps: less marine life suffocate and swallow floss + better for your teeth and gums
Flossing is key to good dental health, but regular floss is not so environmentally friendly since it’s made of plastic. I switched to biodegradable floss, my favorite being made of a bamboo fibre with activated charcoal and organic tea tree oil which acts as an antibacterial. There are so many different types of sustainable floss out there, it’s all about finding the one that works best for you, the good thing is they are fairly affordable and will last you quite some time.
14. Solar Powered Chargers
How it helps: saves on electricity
These are a must if you are camping! You simply can’t go wrong with a solar charger, its a great power source for charging your phone or tablet. Having a solar charger that can be recharged entirely by sunlight comes in handy anywhere not just when you are in the middle of nowhere. I personally always have one on top of my backbag facing the sun so it can charge my phone while I go on a hike.
15. Reusable Face Masks
How it helps: wastes less disposable face masks
Having a face mask handy during this pandemic is a must have, so having a reusable face mask not only helps you stay safe but also helps the planet. N-95 masks and single use masks are made from polypropylene a type of plastic that makes it hard to decompose, face masks are washable and reusable.
The amount of pollution in the ocean is getting out of hand and taking a toll on our planet, I hope you found some eco-friendly travel products on this list and gives you an idea of how to minimize your carbon footprint while enjoying your travels.
Do you know any other sustainable travel accessories that I could add to this list? Do you know brands that also offer eco-friendly travel items? I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comment section!
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