Waste-free travel: Reducing your impact from airport to accommodation

With the stresses of trip-planning, costs, accommodation and flights, daily practices like recycling, composting and reusable coffee cups tend to be overlooked.

But with 1.65 million people travelling through Brisbane Airport alone last September school holidays, some small changes made across a large group of people could have an impact on curbing waste production in the travel industry. When thinking about these strategies, we must aim for progression, not perfection, so read ahead for a collation of tips to consider implementing into your future travels.

VISIT WASTE-CONSCIOUS DESTINATIONS

The most important part of your trip: the destination. Whether you are remaining in Australia or flying internationally, some brief online research can provide extensive information on sustainable destinations and accommodation with an eco-friendly focus. For sustainable destinations, search for a Sustainable Cities Index, where the top eco-friendly cities in the world are ranked. These cities implement systems such as increasing the efficiency and accessibility of public transportation, reducing carbon emissions, and relying on more renewable energy sources. For eco-friendly accommodation, look to places that implement smaller scale systems to reduce environmental impact, such as having recycling and composting systems, using renewable energy (e.g. solar), and reducing water use. A simple search of your travel destination and eco-friendly accommodation surrounding should provide many options to choose from.

PACK YOUR LUNCHBOX

To avoid buying plastic-packaged (and overpriced) snacks at the airport, pack your own packaging-free snacks from home. However, if you do enjoy some airport cuisine, try to bring along your own reusable or wooden cutlery, as well as reusable coffee cups and water-bottles, to eliminate extra unneeded waste.

GO PAPERLESS

Most airlines, bus companies, and hotels no longer require printed versions of bookings and tickets, but rather can use digital versions as proof of booking. So, to curb paper waste, simply screenshot, download, email, or forward your bookings prior to needing them.

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE USED

Do you live in a warm climate, but are travelling to somewhere cold? Instead of buying climate-specific garments you are likely to never wear after your holiday, consider renting, borrowing from friends and family, or buying second-hand clothing from op shops. Fashion waste is a major contributor to Australia’s waste problem, so buying or borrowing used garments is a great way to reuse items and reduce your impact.

PREPARE YOUR OWN ZERO-WASTE TOILETRIES

It is estimated that in its full capacity, a single hotel with 200 rooms produces approximately 300 000 pieces of single-use plastics per month, with single-use toiletries being a major contributor. We all do it – swipe those little travel-sized hotel shampoos and soaps – but with this statistic in mind, it may be time to commit to preparing our own toiletries. Popular methods require simply squeezing the needed travel amount from your usual toiletry bottle into reusable mini bottles, allowing you to leave those little hotel toiletries where they are.

IMPLEMENT ONE OF THE 8 Rs: REFUSE

Another holiday habit: the tendency to buy souvenirs for each destination we travel to. Although fun, and usually justified to hold the memory of a place, souvenirs are usually made cheaply from plastic, and once bought and shelved, they sit, collecting dust, and only a couple glances per year. Instead of falling into this, lean towards photographs as your source of physically marking a holiday, and if you’re looking to boost the local economy, consider buying only food items at your vacation destinations.

Whether you implement many, or just one of these tips on your next holiday, know that you are taking responsible steps towards making your travels waste-free. If Australians across every airport and travel destination worked to become more waste-free, a real impact could be made within the travel industry.

Remember, always aim for progression, not perfection!

By Elliana Groeneweg