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Being a conscious traveler has so many benefits both for us and the earth. We can have deeper experiences and lower our travel footprint.
A lot of the leg work that comes with being a conscious traveler can be done before you even leave your hometown— a big chunk of it comes while you’re packing for your holiday.
With a few simple swaps, you can easily make your trip more eco-friendly and conscious.
To make it extra easy, I’ve made this list of simple swaps to make to get you started on your conscious travel journey.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, meaning that I will earn from qualifying purchases made. With that in mind, my promise to you is to only recommend things that I truly stand behind.
The first thing that we need to consider is our suitcase. If you already have luggage, great use the one you already have for as long as it’ll still wheel — because the most sustainable thing is using what we have and making it last.
If you don’t have one, instead of going for the most beautiful or trendiest suitcase, consider which companies are making their suitcases in a sustainable way.
Also, be conscious of the quality. Even if the suitcase was made super sustainable, if it needs to be replaced after one trip, then it’s not sustainable.
My favorite brand for sustainable travel bags and luggage is Paravel Suitcases
This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people are still buying single-use travel-sized toiletries.
Swapping the minis for reusable toiletries not only is better for the environment but also for your wallet. When you get a reusable toiletry container, you pay once rather than every time you travel — keeping plastic out of landfills and money in your pocket.
You can also skip the container altogether by using solid shampoo and conditioner bars.
My favorite reusable containers are these silicone ones that are easy to squeeze so you can use every last drop, plus they’re super easy to clean.
If you’ve never tried a solid shampoo or conditioner bar, I would suggest the brand B.O.B, my favorite is the nourishing bar.
If you’re living in a place where single-use plastic has already been banned, you might be shocked when you’re traveling and everything is coming with plastic straws rather than bamboo, glass, or aluminum.
You can easily swap these plastic straws for a reusable one, as long as you’ve packed one.
When people see you using it, it could also spark some interest in why you using it, and bring some awareness to the issue of single-use plastics.
My favorite is this compact cutie.
A friend of mine told me “I only use face wipes when I’m on vacation”. Rather than buying single-use face wipes for your holidays invest in a beauty eraser cloth.
All you need is water and the cloth and voila, your makeup is long gone. This is another swap that’ll save you some $$.
Think about how much you’ve spent on makeup wipes over the course of your life. $4 doesn’t seem like much for a pack until you add up how many packs you’ve bought. Since I’ve bought The Original Makeup Eraser I haven’t had to buy a single pack of makeup wipes.
I never use plastic water bottles in my normal day-to-day but for the longest time when I was on holiday I felt immune to the rules of my normal life. I always thought there was no way around having to buy a plastic bottle at the airport for the plane. That is until I had the revelation that you can bring an empty water bottle through security, then fill it up after.
Bringing a reusable water bottle can also save you so much money on your trip. From the overpriced airport water bottles to the mini-fridge water— having a reusable water bottle really cuts those tiny expenses that start to add up.
If you’re going to a destination where the tap water isn’t so friendly for your stomach, invest in a water bottle with a built-in filter.
Regular sunscreen is filled with chemicals that can bleach the beautiful coral — and not only is this a disaster for the beautiful oceans, but coral health is extremely important for the health of our ecosystem.
Swapping it out for a reef-friendly sunscreen is one of the simplest ways to be a more conscious traveler — my favorite is Sun Bum.
Bet you didn’t think there was a way around the ziplock bag that TSA requires you to put your liquids in. This was always such a pain, especially if you don’t use zip locks in your normal life, having to buy a pack for travel purposes was frustrating.
Then a friend told me about reusable Silicone zip locks. They’re great because they also never rip while you traveling leaving you scrambling for a new one for the trip back. I use these silicone zip lock bags for almost everything now.
Quick-dry towels are a fan favorite for travel because they’re more compact than a normal fluffy beach towel, and while they dry fast ensuring that we never have to lug around a soggy towel, they’re normally not the most sustainable of materials.They’re often made of microfibres that are made from polyester — aka plastic.
Don’t fret, even this has a simple sustainable swap. Turkish-style bamboo towels are thin and dry extremely fast, plus they biodegrade at the end of their life.
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2 Responses
Great tips! I’ve just discovered your Youtube channel, and I love it! Thanks for sharing your content and the day and life of a designer.
Thanks so much for the tips both in the blog and on your YouTube channel. As a new Interior Design student, I find them to be incredibly helpful, interesting, and inspirational. Keep up the great work!