Anyone else battle with trying to reduce their waste while traveling? Anything you’ve learned during your travels that help reduce your waste?
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I’ve found a few very simple things to pack that help reduce my waste while traveling that also don’t take up a ton of space. Some of my favorites have been:
Shampoo and Conditioner bars. They pack up small and you never have to worry about any of it leaking onto something else and typically one bar will last me 3-4 months depending on usage and I have a ton of hair.
Laundry Detergent sheets. For the past three years I’ve only used laundry detergent sheets for laundry. I always pack a few sheets for trips especially if I’m staying in an accommodation that has laundry machines.
Travel water bottle. Since 2017 I’ve been traveling with a roll up silicon water bottle. I absolutely HATE having to buy single use plastic water bottles in locations where the drinking tap water is unsafe. In most airports I’m able to fill the bottle up so I at least have some clean drinking water until I figure out if my accommodation has water filtration or some other way I can get clean drinking water. Yes, if you clean the silicon with harsh soap it can leave a funny taste, so I always make sure to hand wash.
While these are just small things potatoes in comparison to the amount of carbon emissions any flight to a destination takes - I also add the the carbon offset on websites like this into the cost of our flight.
For some all of this might sound rather silly, I was raised with a sort of “waste not want not” mentality where every single thing purchased was used and re-used until it was broken or turned into something else useful.
I’d love to know if you’ve learned of any ways to minimize your waste while traveling?
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I have Dr. Bronner’s concentrated castille soap, almond scent- my favorite, in a soft silicone 2 or 3 oz (don’t know for sure which size they are) squeeze bottle. One squeeze dispenses a small amount and because it’s concentrated it goes far. I use it for hand-washing my clothes and for scrubbing sinks, tubs and counters. I can also use it as hand and body soap.
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We are full-time sitters in UK. We try to pack as lightly as possible. When the seasons change I shop in charity ( thrift ) shops for clothes .
It’s so exciting to find a bargain and know that good quality clothing is not going to land- fill.
Last week I found a beautiful Ralph Lauren cashmere jumper in a charity shop for £10!
I also use eBay and Vinted to buy clothes getting them delivered to my house- sit address or a local pick up point.
The clothes we are no longer using we either donate to a local charity shop or sell on eBay/ Vinted .
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