Planning for a vacation can be stressful. And when you begin considering how your vacation plans impact the environment, vacationing becomes even more challenging.
Getting away doesn’t have to hurt your wallet or the environment. By making small changes to your packing and traveling process, you can prevent wasteful last-minute purchases and lessen your footprint on your next leisure trip away from home.
We’ve defined some sustainability terms and included a few practical tips to help you travel greener…
What do these commonly used sustainability terms mean?
Sustainability terms can become empty buzzwords without clear definitions. To help, we’ve included a list of terms that companies often use to describe their products or services:
Carbon footprint: According to the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, EcoVadis, a carbon footprint is the “amount of greenhouse gas emissions created by the activities of an entity, such as a business, organization or individual.”
Cruelty-free: According to PETA, cruelty-free is when “a company or brand has taken the position that it won’t allow any tests on animals, including in its supply chain, for any reason – and its products are vegan.”
Upcycle: Often mistaken for meaning the same as recycling, upcycling is reusing a product to create a product of higher quality or value than the original product.
Zero waste: Zero waste goes beyond recycling and waste management practices. It promotes using natural resources as long as possible before responsibly disposing of them with little to no environmental impact.
How can you make sustainable vacationing choices? Start with packing differently.
Packing greener starts with planning to reduce, reuse and recycle. Here are a few practical tips to help you think greener while packing:
Tips for Packing Green
Prepare a capsule wardrobe.
This wardrobe reduces the amount of clothes you need while vacationing. A capsule wardrobe is a small collection of clothing items where every item coordinates with each item. For example, a capsule wardrobe may include two different but neutral-colored pairs of pants, five versatile shirts, a jacket, one pair of casual shoes like tennis shoes and another pair of more formal shoes like loafers.
By bringing a variety of clothing, you can prepare for the best and worst of weather. Not only can a capsule wardrobe save you time and space, but it can also help you avoid quick purchases that will likely be rarely used after this trip.
Pack a reusable shopping bag.
You're likely to purchase food items for later or souvenirs. Rather than toting your purchases in plastic or paper bags, come prepared with a reusable, cloth shopping bag that can be used again and again before disposal.
Use reusable bottles for toiletries and water.
When traveling, convenience can push you toward disposable packaged goods. But by purchasing or using refillable containers, you can help reduce waste.
You likely already own a refillable water bottle, but you can find a variety that fits your needs. For example, if you are carrying a small backpack, you can find a water bottle the collapses in your bag until you are able to refill it.
You also most likely have smaller containers for liquid soaps, shampoos, etc. Rather than purchasing a new set of travel toiletry containers, consider refilling these containers from your everyday soap containers.
Bring a reusable cutlery travel kit.
This small little kit can help to reduce your use of plastic, disposable forks, knives, straws, etc. Easy to store and clean along the way, these everyday utensils can help you reduce your carbon footprint and protect the environment.
Purchase local public transportation passes.
If you plan to frequently use transportation at your travel destination, consider purchasing a pass for public transportation. These vehicles can help to cut down the fuel used on one-time single-passenger trips.
Vacationing should be a guilt-free experience. By understanding how your purchases impact the environment and packing greener, we hope your next trip not only helps you feel good but do good too.
Learn more about how we prioritize sustainability at Sonoco!
