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Top ten tips to travel plastic free this summer

We are well into #PlasticFreeJuly but we are also well into holiday season and nothing can test your zero waste lifestyle like travel.  SDG 12 commits to sustainable consumption and being out of your usual routine means a bit of planning ahead to keep your holiday hassle free and plastic free. So here are our Top Tips to help you out this Summer:

 

1. Take Your Tote.

 

Although many places are now plastic bag free, and the number is growing, you can stop yourself being tempted by taking a few totes with you on your travels.  Have a couple in different bags so you are always prepared. If you like to wear your values then we love the Greta-loving organic cotton tote bag from illustrator Ellie Good.​​

 

 

2.Shampoo & Soap bars 

 

The traditional soap bar is back! The focus is on natural ingredients with high-performance results. Many come wrapped in paper, are regionally produced artisan blends and super space saving making them, even more, cost and eco-effective. Our recommendations would be shampoo bars from Friendly

 

 

3. Reusable bottle 

 

In the UK, you can fill up in plenty of places and if you download the Refill app then you get a handy map of your nearest spot.  Overseas most restaurants are happy to help on a hot day. 

 

 

4. Cutlery 

 

Chopsticks are the ultimate low-waste travel accessory and mean you can breezily wave away the offer of a plastic fork and knife on planes or out and about.  Often made from bamboo which is a pretty sustainable option, they are reusable and easy to carry around. Tricky if ordering soup of course…

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5. Bamboo toothbrush 

 

Quickly becoming the staple in many households, they naturally decompose so are the perfect alternative to the plastic version. Try The Pearly White Club for a subscription for the whole family! 

 

6. Stainless steel razor

 

Ditch the disposable plastic razor for the classic and stylish safety razor. Not only will it give you a closer shave but it should last you a lifetime. 

 

7. Say no to straws

 

In the United States alone, 500 million straws are used every day, they are hardly ever recycled and can take up to 100 years to degrade.  Just say no because #strawssuck

 

8. Use a washer rather than cotton wool or wet wipes

 

Packets of cotton wool come wrapped in plastic (not to mention that cotton is pretty unsustainable) and wipes are full of plastic and clogging up sewers all over the world.  Bring back the good old flannel we say. Reusable and you can even make your own by upcycling old towels for the ultimate in zero waste.
 

9. A container 

 

This is so useful when travelling for keeping your own snacks in (single use snacks in their own packaging like bananas are brilliant), carrying your shampoo and soap bars and anything else you don’t want to lose at the bottom of your suitcase.  Stainless steel or even tupperware, you won’t regret having one of these with you.

 

10. Handkerchief to avoid buying plastic packets of tissues

 

Why not buy vintage hankies or make them from scrap fabric. To reduce the laundering impact, wash hankies in cold water and line dry. Liberty do some gorgeous hankies, take a look!

 

A final tip for more sustainable travel, if you are taking to the skies for your summer break this year but you are worried about the environmental impact of flying then why not look into offsetting your travel?

 

There are several organisations that do this:

Treedom is a certified B Corp that has planted more than 600,000 trees in Africa, South America and Italy so far.  All are planted by local farmers. Your tree will be photographed and has it’s own online page so you can follow it’s journey.

https://www.treedom.net

 

FlyGRN is a flight search engine that compares the lowest price of flight tickets from airlines and merchants then for each flight sold they offset the carbon (CO2) emissions of your flight which they pay for with the fee their partners pay them for bringing you in as a customer.  Flights can be offset with trees or solar panel projects. 

https://flygrn.com

HAPPY HOLIDAYS. #GoalsForGood

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