3 Ways To Be More Eco-Friendly While You Travel

While flights are by far the largest contributor to any person’s travel carbon footprint, what you do on the ground during your travels (and at home!) also contributes to the impact you have on the planet while exploring it.

I’ve rounded up a few ways that I personally make an effort to mitigate my footprint, but I’m sure you will think of many more with just a little more attention to your habits and their eventual consequences.

1. Use public transportation at your destination (rather than renting a car or taxi) – or walk! 

Public transportation is always going to be the greener option over low occupancy cars.  That’s just the way it is.  

More people moving on the same vehicle means less carbon impact per person. Period.

I realize it’s not always possible for safety and distance reasons, but whenever you can, take the train, trolly or the bus! You might be surprised at how easy and efficient and entertaining it can be.

Have you ever ridden around London at the top of a double-decker city bus? At less than £5 for an entire day of travel, the view and the price beats cramming in the back of an expensive black cab or battling through traffic and parking nightmares in a rented car any day!

If navigating public transportation seems like a daunting task to you, try free apps like (my favorite) CityMapper to map out which trains/busses/sidewalks you need to get to your destination.  Apps like CityMapper make it SO easy to get around a new city almost as efficiently as a local!  Just put in your destination and follow the (incredibly detailed and up-to-the-minute) step-by-step directions. (You will need cellular service for the best use of the app- it’s possible to use it with wifi, but remember that wifi is not always available on the go!)

If the city you’re traveling to isn’t listed on CityMapper’s (ever-growing) list of cities, the various transit options in Google Maps can also be a useful tool for public transport help in almost any city you visit.  Just be sure to choose the type of transportation you’d like to use (walking/transit) and follow the instructions!

PS- I’m not affiliated with CityMapper in any way- I just really like the app.

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2. Eat local and do your best not to waste food.

Food production and preparation is a big contributor to carbon emissions. All parts of the modern food production process, from clearing forests to raising livestock to processing, packaging, transporting, and refrigerating food create a considerable amount of carbon emissions.

When we throw away uneaten food, it’s not only wasting the product of a carbon-intensive production process, but it also creates harmful methane emissions as it rots in a landfill. 

When you eat local food (at home and while away), the fresh produce from local farms likely traveled to your table in less than a day and has a MUCH lower carbon impact than something that’s been packaged and imported from afar.

It’s also a DELICIOUS way to taste the local flavors and immerse yourself in the culture of wherever you are. Where’s the fun in eating the same fast-food chain burger you can get at home while you’re exploring a different culture? I know it’s not always possible to eat farm-fresh foods, but do your best to keep it local and keep the notion in mind. 

If you want extra points, pack a collapsible food storage container in your day bag to turn leftovers into hotel snacks without the wasteful takeout containers.  They’re lightweight, reusable, and make traveling with leftovers and fresh snacks less susceptible to spills in your bag due to a flimsy disposable box.

I’ve also found reusable containers useful for anything else I want to collect and seal while I’m out and about without wasteful plastic single-use containers. (yes, sometimes I collect sand or dirt or rocks and shells from various locations on my travels for my “collection of earths” at home. I know I’m not supposed to and may be the only adult with a literal dirt collection…let me live.)

Packaged and fast food, while familiar, convenient, and sometimes comforting, is taxing on our environment and produces more waste than it’s worth.  I know it’s not always possible, but try to cut down on waste and keep it local wherever you can. Every little bit helps.

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3. Bring. A. Water. Bottle.

I’ve screamed about mentioned this before, but reusable containers, including water bottles, are a huge way to reduce your waste and emissions while traveling. Buying plastic bottles or using disposable takeout boxes every time you grab a quick lunch or need a sip of water is REALLY not great for our environment.

More single-use plastic purchases and use lead to more emissions from the production of plastic and more plastic waste in our oceans and landfills.

Sure- recycling helps a little, but you can’t guarantee that you’ll have access to a recycling bin every time you finish a disposable water bottle or that your particular bottle or box can even BE recycled. 

For touring around a new city or heading out to the beach or on a hike, I’m particularly partial to this collapsible water bottle for shape and weight reasons. It’s easy to fill and stands upright in your bag (or clips on), then collapses down and weighs very little when empty.

A reusable bag can also do WONDERS for your eco-efforts at home and when you’re on the road (and they’re just really freaking useful). 

I LOVE this reusable bag (one lives in my purse permanently and I use it every day for everything from groceries to carrying packages!)  It’s incredibly lightweight, neatly folds down to a very small and flat square, and has an ENORMOUS carrying capacity that surprises me every time I pack it full. You need one of these bags.

The next time you head out of your hotel for a day in a new city or at home, fill that water bottle or pouch and drop it into your day bag alongside a reusable bag and maybe a little resealable box. You’ll stay hydrated, save money and our precious planet in one easy move.

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