Tips for a garbage free vacation
From the German company Green Pearls Sustainable Tourism
I love these ideas!
Darmstadt, May 4, 2017 *** From the principle traveling is not really eco- friendly. Nevertheless, it does not help anybody to only stay at home. While traveling one can do a lot to minimize the carbon footprint and behave more environment friendly. Traveling and Zero Waste is. Green Pearls® gives tips on how to avoid or minimize garbage.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
We have known it since the 80s: Jute instead of plastic
For the purchase in the holiday destination a jute bag is very convenient. Besides, it is light and does not take a lot of place and one avoids to tale any plastic bags. If the jute bag becomes dirty, it can be easily washed, an ecologically friendly alternative to paper and plastic.
Omnipresent: Water bottle (with filter)
An absolutely indispensable companion for garbage free traveling is a water bottle. The best choice is a BPA free bottle made of stainless steel. It looks trendy and can be refilled just as one likes and, besides, it saves on the travel since one does not need to buy expensive drinks. Certainly travellers should find out whether the water is drinkable in the destination. In the Alps it is absolutely no problem to drink tap water. In Portugal or Asia it be a problem. A good solution is a drinking bottle with integrated water filter for chlorine, lime and other organic pollutants from the water. Even E-Coli bacteria and parasites can be detained by a high-quality filter, so that dirty water becomes drinkable.
Digital tickets & E-Books
A possibility to avoid garbage not only in the destination, but already at home are digital instead of printed out tickets. No paper is wasted for something, which is thrown away anyway. Airlines, railway or bus enterprises can easily scan the QR codes on the smartphone or tabloid. Moreover, the fear to lose the paper ticket turns out to be superfluous. A useful companion when traveling is an e-reader. Instead of carrying along heavy books or magazines, one has all digital media on one device. The compulsory free newspaper with the entrance in the airplane is therefore redundant. Besides, e-readers have the advantage of an integrated lighting and travelers do not depend on additional sources of light. Usually the battery lasts for a couple of weeks.
Rather a container than a cling film
Who still has place in the luggage, should pack some reusable containers. They are incredibly useful, for example, upon a spontaneous purchase at a local market garbage can be avoided. Moreover prepared snacks can be simply taken away. It is also useful for people with allergies or diets. A new product on the market is the reusable wax paper, which is an alternative to aluminum or cling film.
Cutlery and the return of the soap
Who has not been to a supermarket to buy a tasty ready-to-eat salad ? With it comes usually a plastic cutlery which one throws away immediately. An ecologically friendly alternative is a so-called Spork (mixture of fork and spoon). It is light, practical and fits in every handbag. And a material cloth is a sustainable substitute for a paper-napkin. With firm cosmetics one can kill two birds with one stone: On the one hand garbage is avoided, because there is no disposal of the bottles. Moreover, problems with liquid restriction when flying do not occur. Instead of shower gel take a piece of soap. Firm hair shampoos can be easily produced with patience and precision.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Minimalist packing & souvenirs
The less place is in the luggage, the less purchases. And the less one shops, the less has to been thrown away later. It is an easy equation, which always works. Travelers with only small hand luggage suitcase or backpack, consider twice which clothes they really need, and whether they must buy any souvenirs. People tend to buy so many souvenirs that the suitcases seam to burst. Coming home the souvenirs loose their attraction end up in the basement or garbage. A key ring is surely more useful than a miniature place of interest, which serves at home only as a dust catcher. Spices are a good alternative, the suitable recipe can be found on the Internet. And a travel diary with photos and drawings to look at with friends and family is a nicer and more sustainable small present than a T-shirt with “I love XY”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The German Green Pearls GmbH w is the first holding company worldwide that consolidates sustainable hotels, destinations and restaurants in a global data source.
Among the criteria of admission to Green Pearls® Unique Places, are a sustainability plan on management level, sustainable architecture, comprehensive water, energy saving and waste recovery measures, the use of seasonal and regional ingredients in the kitchen, as well as a large commitment for the social balance in each of the vacation regions.
