Sustainable Travel Products for an Eco-Friendly Trip
This guest blog post was curated for Bucky by Kacey Bradley.
You're not just heading out on any vacation — yours will be an eco-friendly voyage. Whether you're trekking to a green resort or heading into the wilderness, you'll do your part to protect your earth while you travel. Now, you just have to make sure that what you pack keeps the planet in mind, too.
Here's what should be in your bag:
1. Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
According to the EPA, landfills saw an influx of 26 million tons of plastic in 2015 alone. As an eco-friendly traveler, you can and should do your part to cut the material from your travel bag(s). Start by swapping out one-time-use, TSA-approved-sized bottles. You'll probably trash them at the end of your vacation, thus making them a wasteful choice.
So, reach for a shampoo and conditioner bars from brands like Lush. These sudsy sticks forego plastic — you can buy a tin to hold your bars instead. As a bonus, solid shampoo and conditioner won't count toward your liquid limit for your carry-on, either. So, throw them in your suitcase and lather up, worry-free.
2. Glass Water Bottle
Airports will charge you an exorbitant amount of money for a bottle of water. Worse yet, buying one means you'll be purchasing yet another single-use plastic product. So, (gently) chuck a glass water bottle into your purse or carry-on and fill it once you get through security. The water you drink won’t have any toxins that derive from plastic containers, either.
3. Canvas Tote
Planning to hit up the grocery store at your final destination? Really, do you plan on doing any shopping at all on your trip? Chances are, the answer is yes. In that case, you should consider bringing a canvas tote or reusable grocery bag with you to avoid unnecessary waste. You'll be surprised at just how handy such a tote can be. You can use it as a beach bag, laundry container, carry-on for all of your souvenirs... the possibilities are truly endless.
4. Washing Bag
All you need is a bit of elbow grease and you can wash your clothes on your next trip. The Scrubba Portable Laundry System stands as an example. You toss your dirty clothes into the container, add water and detergent. The bag's got internal nodules inspired by an old-fashioned washboard to effectively wash your wearables sans electricity. So, it makes a smart edition for a long-term backpacking trip, for instance — no need to pay your hotel to launder your clothes or spend hours in a laundromat.
5. Natural Insect Repellent
Deet can cause damage to both you and the environment in which you're traveling. However, you still want to keep bugs at bay — there's nothing more annoying than coming home from vacation with a body full of mosquito bites.
So, try an all-natural option instead to keep you and the planet happy. You can whip up your own blend with essential oils, witch hazel and glycerin. Or, you can purchase from a brand like Murphy's and protect yourself in an all-natural way. If essential oils don’t do the trick, take extra precautions and invest in an insect shield scarf! These oversized scarves can be worn anywhere – from the beach to a campground. Wear it as a shawl or drape it over your legs and keep those pests away!
6. Solar Power Bank
Where will your earth-friendly travels take you? If you answered, "Somewhere in the wilderness," then you can get good use out of a solar power bank. Of course, you can also use these smart accessories if you're headed to an urban metropolis. Either way, place the device into the sun and let its rays charge up the power bank. Then, plug your devices into it and save electricity instantly.
7. Reusable Makeup Wipes
Makeup wipes make face-washing simpler than ever. Unfortunately, they create a pile of waste once you finish the pack. In London, for example, so many people flushed such wipes that they created a fat iceberg in 2017. The conglomeration of these sheets, plus other waste, created a block that weighed as much as 11 double-decker buses.
If you plan to wear makeup — or wash your face with reusable wipes — opt for a reusable cloth instead. Such materials can still remove makeup effectively, and you can reuse it throughout your trip, at home, and on the next voyage. Win-win-win.
8. Organic Travel Journal
Tree-free paper exists, and you can find it in the right organic journal. Purchasing such a diary can give you a place to jot down your travel memories. And, because it comes from tree-free paper, you won't feel bad when you waste pages for doodling, grocery lists, and other ephemeral ruminations.
9. Compostable Toothbrush
You can't travel without a toothbrush. Grocery store options tend to come in plastic only, so head online and find a compostable version. That way, at the end of your travels, you won't feel as though you wasted a single-use plastic on your journey. Instead, you can toss your all-natural toothbrush into your compost pile and settle into life at home — no eco-shame incurred.
10. Compact Neck Pillows
What’s a trip without a neck pillow, am I right?! Instead of using a pillow with memory foam, typically made from chemicals that negatively impact the environment, try a compact neck pillow that is filled with millet hulls. Millet hulls are an eco-friendly material that not only supports and creates comfort but provides a hypoallergenic solution to travel accessories that may be harmful to you and the environment!
Go Green and Get Going
These ten must-haves are just the beginning — you'll be surprised to find just how many eco-friendly travel products exist out there. So, recycle your most favorite wares for their green counterparts. Then, pack the good stuff and get on the road. It's time to enjoy your trip, and you can do so even more wholly now that you've made your packing process pro-earth.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Ruffled, and more!
Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!
*Bucky does not endorse any products or practices suggested by guest bloggers. All ideas and opinions are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Bucky.