Are you looking for travel items that are better for the environment than the ones you have now? Travelling is great, but it can be very damaging to the environment. Especially when you fly somewhere. However, there are small things you can do to make sure you minimize your impact on your holiday destination. Think about an alternative to plastic bottles or those small one-off plastic shampoo bottles in hotels. Here are 8 tips for sustainable alternatives to take with you on your travels.

3. Ditch the wrapping altogether

Do you want to go the extra mile and be sure that it is allowed on the plane? Then go for packaging-free products such as shampoo bars, soap bars and toothpaste tablets. These products have several advantages. First of all, you don’t have to worry about any bad packaging materials. In addition, these products are made of environmentally friendly ingredients. And finally, they are not liquid products, which means they are always allowed on the plane. No more hassle with 100ml per product, you could fill your whole bag with these products.

4. Reusable products

Do you normally take a pack of moisturizing wipes with you when you travel? Or a plastic bottle with toner and a load of cotton pads? Then you might want to reconsider. Most wet wipes contain plastic, and the cotton pads are sprayed with pesticides to ward off pests. Bad for the environment, but also for you. The same goes for cotton swabs. Go for reusable alternatives instead. Reusable cotton swabs are made of silicone and are easily washable. Reusable cotton pads are made of microfibres and can be cleaned during your trip by putting them in hot water and rinsing them out. At home, simply throw them in the washing machine.

5. Bamboo cutlery and straw

Do you often find yourself using plastic cutlery or drinking a cocktail? Then you probably have a plastic straw in it. In Europe, this is now prohibited, but not in the rest of the world. All this plastic is awful for the environment, and sea creatures can suffocate from the straws. Fortunately, you can buy beautiful sets of bamboo cutlery and straws nowadays. In a nice package to keep it together and a rag to clean your straw. Just remember to ask the waiters for a cocktail without a straw.

8. Reusable water bottle

Every year, we throw out billions of plastic bottles, which often end up in nature. In most countries, there’s no proper recycling system, so they just end up in a big pile or in the ocean. To avoid contributing to the plastic soup of other countries, it is always a good idea to bring your own reusable water bottle. But what about in countries where you can’t drink tap water? Then go for a water bottle with a water filter.

The same goes for your coffee mug, by the way. Instead of getting to-go coffee in plastic containers, you can bring your own coffee cup and ask them to serve it in it. This isn’t very common everywhere and might be difficult to explain in a language you don’t speak. But in most cases, they will understand if you show them your cup. Bringing a thermos with your own coffee from your Airbnb or hotel is also an option. Especially nice in countries where the coffee isn’t very good anyway.

.. And many more

I could make this list much longer with sustainable clothing, sustainable deodorant and bags for fruit and vegetables if you like to go to the market during your travels. The most important thing is to be aware of what products you use and what impact they can have on the planet. Wherever possible, go for organic products, as this will ensure that you are at least making a better choice than the average products. Organic products would not exist if the average products were good enough. Most cosmetic shops have organic sections, or go to a fully ecological or wrapping-free shop and just have a look around to see what alternatives they offer. You might not even be aware of the harmful products you are using.

Through the links on this website, you’ll find a whole bunch of my favourite products as well, if you prefer to order online.