Zero Waste Trip – 13 Tips For A Holiday Without Waste
Would you like to stay plastic-free on your next trip and go on a Zero Waste trip? Then you are exactly here. Whether we are travelling to Bali, Indonesia, or on vacation here in Europe, the trip usually generates a lot of garbage.
With this article, I want to show you how you can take a real journey through Zerowaste without having to bend down completely.
13 TIPS FOR YOUR ZERO WASTE TRIP
I don’t want to overwhelm you with hundreds of tips here. So, here are the top 13 tips for the most waste- and plastic-free trip possible in the sense of a zero-waste lifestyle. Let’s not waste time; after all, the next vacation is just around the corner.
1. TRAVELING WITH YOUR WATER BOTTLE
In principle, it doesn’t matter which foreign country you are in: Unfortunately, there is almost only one deposit system for beverage bottles. That means: if you drank a plastic bottle on a trip to Bali, it’s straight-up rubbish.
The alternative is your own drinking bottle. I can highly recommend this stainless steel drinking bottle and these flip-top glass bottles from Soulbottles. You can, for example, refill it after the control at the airport and save on garbage by using the plastic cups on the plane.
In Bali, I refilled my bottle for free with the Zero Waste Refill Bali app. Many restaurants and cafes participate in this program to avoid plastic waste. Even if there is no recharge app for your travel destination, there is another good alternative. Many lodges have water filters built into the faucet so you can easily refill your bottle in your lodge before heading out. Since we have to drink a lot of water every day, for me personally, this is the absolute basis of a trip to Zerowaste.
2. TRAVELING WITH SOLID TOILETS
Of course, cosmetic products also generate a lot of plastic waste when travelling. To be able to live without plastic during the holidays, you must replace shower gel, shampoo, and company with solid soaps. For example, I can recommend this plastic-free olive oil soap. It can be used on both skin and hair.
If the soap gets wet during the holidays, you can carry it in a small tin in your toiletry bag. How to avoid plastic waste from shampoo bottles during the holidays.
3. BRING A JUTE BAG AND VEGETABLE NETS
Take a reusable jute bag and some vegetable nets on vacation. So, you can buy mushrooms, tomatoes, and all other grocery shopping on the go without any junk. The bags are lightweight and easy to store, an absolute must for the Zerowaste trip.
4. REUSABLE CUTLERY PACKAGE
As I have mentioned so many times on the nature travel blog, you can’t do without the basic zero waste kit even on vacation. This also includes reusable cutlery. Stainless steel cutlery can be found in most accommodations, but the plastic cutlery problem usually starts with eating on the plane.
By packing a cutlery set, you can make a significant contribution to your trip without waste. It will also help you eat homemade and on-the-go lunches without litter.
5. REPLACE PAPER DIGITALLY- EVEN WHEN TRAVELLING
Even a normal trip generates a lot of paper waste. With digital tickets on your smartphone, you can save a great deal of paper waste. You also don’t have to carry a huge atlas with you. Even if you don’t have mobile internet at hand, Google Maps offline maps will help you. You can also read books digitally on your tablet or e-book reader. So you can take hundreds of books on vacation at once and still have no extra weight on board. Another valuable step for sustainable travel.
6. BRING YOUR LUNCH BOX & BEESWAX TOWELS
You’ll also save a lot of trash by bringing your own plastic-free freshness containers or towels with you on vacation. For example, fill your food in the stainless steel lunch box on the go and enjoy it on your next day of travel. How to Avoid Spontaneous Togo Meal Junk. Beeswax cloths are also reusable and keep solid foods like coated bread fresh for a long time.
In the article How to make beeswax cloths yourself, you will find out how you can easily make them yourself at home. If that takes too long, you can get ready-to-use beeswax cloths without plastic.
7. CLEANING ON HOLIDAYS
For me personally, a trip to Zerowaste also includes doing something with plastic waste that is already present in the sea or in nature in general because there are already 5 huge garbage vortexes in our ocean, which are driven by ocean currents.
As I described in my Indonesian Cleanup journal, for example, cleansing actions are a balm to your own soul and the environment. Support some cleanup campaigns against plastic waste or organise your own cleanup campaign. By doing this, you are educating and contributing to cleaner beaches at your vacation spot.
8. FIND GARBAGE-FREE ACCOMMODATION
Finding truly sustainable accommodation is difficult. However, there are more and more good contact points for really well thought out and waste-saving accommodations.
At bookitgreen, for example, members’ accommodations are evaluated in great detail according to waste avoidance, recycling rates, and other factors important to a waste-free trip. As I have a partnership with the travel portal, you can save € 20 on your first trip with the coupon code CARE BIG.
Personally, I often book home stays on Airbnb and just ask in advance if there are water filters, WiFi, and other things available for my trip without waste. If not, I will keep looking for suitable accommodation.
9. THERE IS NO PLASTIC WASTE ON THE AIRPLANE
Flying completely without plastic is indeed almost impossible and flying itself is anything but sustainable. But if there is no other way, you should at least avoid plastic debris on the plane. With the aforementioned drinking bottle, which was filled before departure, I already passed the garbage through the drink glasses. The cutlery set you brought with you also helps to avoid litter by using disposable cutlery.
What about all those food wrapped in plastic? These can only be avoided if you have eaten well beforehand or pre-cooked for the flight. With the latter, you can easily transport your meals in the stainless steel tin in your carry-on luggage. This is allowed and is a valuable tip for your trip without waste.
Fortunately, there are already the first airlines to declare war on single-use plastic waste
10. COOKING OR EATING ON SITE
Togo Food generates huge amounts of plastic waste, which unfortunately often ends up in the environment as waste plastics, especially in developing countries. Try to cook as much as you can during the holidays, even when you are away. With the already mentioned lunch boxes made of stainless steel, you can transport your food on vacation.
Avoid ToGo-Food from Fastfood chains like Subway & McDonald’s while on vacation and prefer the local specialties of people who really need the money.
Need more cooking inspiration? Then take a look at our nutrition blog.
11. TAKE THE TOWELS WITH YOU ON THE TRIP
Cloth towels are a real miracle weapon for waste-free travel without waste of plastic and paper. Because they are easy to store, washable, and, above all, versatile, use some of them as a handkerchief, for example, and some to carry around on the go. You can also dry the dishes and wrap them beautifully with cloth towels.
While this waste-free travel tip sounds pretty dusty, avoid tons of trash while on vacation.
12. AVOID SOUVENIRS ON VACATIONS
An ankle bracelet here, a porcelain figurine there. During the holidays, I do without these things, which are sometimes done aggressively. Because at home, they simply end up in a drawer, or they end up anything but minimalist, like dust collectors on the shelf. If I think the seller really depends on income, I prefer to give him some money.
The decline of mostly useless memories is an important part of waste-free travel and creates a wonderful transition to the next tip for a plastic-free vacation.
13. USE THE BASIC ZERO RESIDUE RULES
Some basic Zero Waste lifestyle rules can also be wonderfully applied while on vacation. Here is some inspiration for you on how you should behave on your waste-free journey:
Reusability – By preferring reusable items like stainless steel cutlery and bamboo straws, you are already contributing a significant part to your zero-waste trip. Avoid single-use products as they end up in the trash after just one use.
Loan: You can borrow items during the holidays instead of buying new ones. Rent a bike, for example, to be able to go from A to B sustainably even on vacation.
Rejection: By clearly rejecting things like plastic straws or souvenirs, you will avoid a lot of unnecessary junk during the holidays. When ordering a drink, please say in advance that you would like it without a straw. Perhaps the operator has already switched to bamboo or glass straws.
Reduce: Think minimalist and reduce your luggage to what you really need. Buy only the strictly necessary things. Cutting down is an extremely important part of the zero waste journey.
I hope these rules of conduct help you on your plastic-free journey.
IS A TRIP WITHOUT WASTE POSSIBLE?
As you can see, a largely trash-free trip is entirely possible. As always, it is helpful to view the term “zero” waste not as an extreme, but as a common goal. So we all gradually learn how we can travel without plastic and save a lot of waste. By the way, without stopping completely and losing the desire to travel. That should not go unmentioned.
