5 Ways To Have A Sustainable Holiday

Prepare Properly To Reduce Waste & Purchases 

Before you start packing your bags and daydreaming about your holiday escape, take a minute to consider how you can reduce waste; what you pack, and what you leave behind.

We know it’s odd — but first, take a look in your fridge! Create a mental (or written) inventory of perishable food or leftovers to reduce unnecessary food waste. Apply OzHarvest’s Use It Up Tape to remind yourself of what needs to be cooked, consumed or frozen before you leave. 

In terms of packing for your holiday, try to pack lightly and efficiently. Check out your local op shop if you need a specific item for your travels — whether it’s a thick coat for your wintry destination, a pair of hiking boots for your camping trip, or a summery dress for your tropical getaway.

Choose Plastic-Free, Eco-Friendly Travel Products

Opting for reusable, plastic-free items will reduce your dependence on single-use plastics, which means you’ll save money and leave less waste behind on your travels. Here are our favourites (and why!).

• Reusable Water Bottle: Having a reusable water bottle on hand will reduce reliance on plastic water bottles.
• Shampoo & Conditioner Bar: Solid toiletries are compact, long-lasting, easy to use, and completely waterproof.
• Reusable Cutlery Set: During your travels, you never know when you’ll need a knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks or straw! 
• Natural Hand Sanitiser: Hand sanitiser has become such a staple in our society, so choose natural, no nasties!
• Solid Cleanser & Moisturiser: Instead of packing heavy, full-sized skincare products, why not make the switch to solid skincare bars to save space and lighten the load?

Choose Sustainable Transport & Carbon Offsets (When Possible!)

To fly or not to fly? Aviation is the most carbon-intensive method of travel, so it undoubtedly increases our personal carbon footprint. In most cases, however, we have no choice but to fly — especially when we want to travel overseas. 

Some flight-planning tools can help you to identify flights with lower emissions based on the type of aircraft and fuel — like Google Flights. Some aviation companies even give you a tick-the-box option to offset the carbon emissions from your flight, like QANTAS and Virgin Australia. Our favourite option is to offset your carbon emissions with Greenfleet. They plant enough native trees in Australia to offset the emissions from your domestic and long-haul flights! For shorter distances, always opt for train travel and public transport. Or, hire a bike!

Support Ecotourism & Environmental Conservation 

Ecotourism… what’s that? Good question! Ecotourism refers to “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education”. More people than ever want their travels to be a force for good. 

As an example, we recently wrote about the launch of WWF-Australia’s ‘Walk For Wild’ ecotourism events. The profits from these luxurious hiking adventures helps WWF-Australia to restore wildlife and habitats impacted by bushfires.

Plus, Where Wild Things Roam (WWTR) have launched a unique range of eco-travel tours that allow you to engage in environmental conservation and help local communities.

Eat Locally & Be A Responsible Tourist 

Lastly, let’s talk about how to interact with your surroundings when you’re on a holiday! When you’re out and about, check out some local food guides to see which restaurants use locally-sourced, in-season food for their menu. Eating locally sourced food is great for the economy and even better for your tastebuds — plus, you can feel like a true local!

Also, keep in mind that you want to help, not hinder, your destination’s environment and its people. Rainforests, beaches, parks, and other natural public areas aren’t your playground — stay on the designated trails and footpaths, refrain from interacting with wildlife, and never litter. We also recommend avoiding popular petting zoos and any situation where animals are used for entertainment. Plus, try to adhere to local recycling rules, limit your single-use plastics, and conserve water and energy.