How to Be an Eco-Friendly Traveller

If you’re reading this, there’s a big chance you’re an avid or occasional traveller. Perhaps you’re even looking forward to the next time you have a few days or weeks to yourself so you can take that long-awaited vacation!

But have you ever wondered how your trips impact the environment? Are you an eco-friendly traveller? If so, read on to find out what it means to be a green traveller, alongside things you should never forget if you want to be a friend of the environment.

What is eco-friendly travel?

Also known as green travel or sustainable tourism, eco-friendly travel has become an overly important and trendy topic over the years. It simply refers to travelling in a manner that causes the least harm to the environment.

This includes everything from where you go, what you pack, how you get to your destination and basically how to treat your surroundings. The simple decisions you make—like throwing away trash during your errands—also count.

With this being said, below is a list of things people tend to forget when trying to travel sustainably.

1. Packing (light) the right essentials

It is not uncommon to overpack for a trip or forget items that you will end up really needing. Especially overpacking, this occurs to so many travellers, often ruining the whole essence of travelling green. Remember, each luggage brought into a flight adds to the overall weight of your plane.

If the plane gets too heavy, it will have to burn more fuel to stay on course and get to the destination, meaning a higher carbon footprint from CO2 emissions. This is all the more reason to pack light, making sure only essential items go into your bag.

At the very least, this means packing clothing items that you’ll actually use, enough footwear and some toiletries, alongside quality personal care items like beauty and skincare products.

2. Reusable bags

When travelling, the need to go shopping comes occasionally. Perhaps you rented an Airbnb and needed to restock your groceries, or you needed to bring some souvenirs back home after your trip. In these and other situations, reusable bags come in handy since you won’t have to use plastic bags or purchase a carry bag every time you have to go shopping.

Moreover, the bag can easily be slipped into your luggage or even a purse without bumping up the weight.

It is funny how people keep on forgetting this eco-friendly utility.

3. Disposing of waste responsibly

Green travel requires a lot of cautiousness when it comes to disposing of waste. Nothing harms the environment more than dumping waste irresponsibly, especially in water bodies, more so if it’s plastic. It ends up clogging wastewater systems, plus it could end up in the sea, eventually harming aquatic life.

As a responsible traveller, it is best to reduce your usage of plastic as much as you can, always making sure to dispose of all your waste responsibly.

4. Reducing carbon footprint

The distance between your tour destination and your home is another crucial consideration if you want to make your trip eco-friendly. Huge distances often mean a higher carbon footprint, whether you’re travelling by air, road or sea.

Nonetheless, public transportation systems like trains, buses and bicycles are considered more sustainable because they help reduce the amount of CO2 released to the atmosphere per trip. Also, don’t forget to choose a sustainable destination every time you travel, making sure to use responsible tour guides who have the best interests of the environment at heart.

Nothing is more fulfilling than knowing you’ve helped sustain the environment by the little choices you make every day. Fortunately, this is something you can experience by ensuring sustainable travel every time you take a trip.

Proud to be supporting parents and families on Vancouver Island!

MLA Murray Rankin

Oak Bay – Gordon Head Murray.Rankin.MLA@leg.bc.ca 250-472-8528