by Kim Michele

The Travel and Tourism industry has a significant impact on our environment, as our appetite for international globetrotting continues. We cannot go anywhere without leaving a footprint. From oceans and beaches, to forests, mountains, lakes and rivers—there isn’t a place we have not touched, and this long history of abusing the planet is finally catching up with us.

In today’s environmentally aware society, more people are seeking eco-friendly approaches to travel and welcoming the opportunity to learn about sustainability and green practices. As consumers, we have control over the choices we make and the size of the footprints we leave behind. Making responsible, sustainable choices will help center the global consequences of said choices. Our footprints are determined by the combinations of things such as the sustainability of the places we visit, the businesses and industries we support, and (most importantly) the means by which we travel. In other words: accommodation, transportation and consumer consumption. 

The world is full of brilliant ideas and eco-hacks to help reduce our carbon footprint—not only when traveling, but also in everyday life, and we don’t have to forfeit luxury or adventure for sustainability. Becoming a more conscious tourist can be one of the most progressive decisions we can make towards sustainability.

 With that in mind, read through our top travel tips that will help reduce our carbon footprint.

Things to take with you

As a must item for all travelers, reusable shopping bags mean traveling plastic and waste-free. We all shop, especially while traveling—for groceries, souvenirs, gifts, and more. On average, we use between 5-10 bags a day while we are out. Now, even if we use paper bags, we still create a large amount of unnecessary waste. A couple of foldable, reusable bags is all that’s needed to replace store-bought bags, whether paper or plastic. A small change in habits like these goes a long way in making an impact. Many stores across Canada and globally have also recognized this and eliminated plastic bags—one of the most recent of which being Walmart—encouraging customers to bring their own bags. Of course, this also means that eco-friendly bags are easy to come by; pop into nearly any store and you’ll find one if you need it! 

Second on the list of travel essentials is a reusable water bottle or coffee mug. Water extraction and plastic bottles are both contentious practices. Water is often extracted from the ground at very high rates, leaving the local populations with less water for their own consumption, or ecosystem destruction, or abuse of indigenous water rights, etc.

Bottled water is packed and transported from various countries which result in a high carbon footprint from travel. Then there’s the plastic; water bottles are made from cheap plastics that often bleed into the water inside the longer they sit on a shelf. Besides that, many places in the world don’t have proper recycling or disposal facilities, so a lot of plastics end up in the environment. For more information, check out this video:

Thirdly, when it comes to sustainability, we should stay clear of those tempting bathroom amenities found in hotels. An eco-friendly establishment will have soap and shampoo dispensers in the bathroom, but the best thing to do is bring our own. Several travel size, reusable silicone bottles containing shampoo, conditioner and lotion are all the travel essentials needed. We should never travel with full sized anything as full size products occupy a lot of space that can otherwise be used more productively—especially when trying to travel light—and these products can easily get left behind in favour of souvenirs. We should also abstain from using disposable travel size plastic containers - it’s always better to buy in bulk, which allows us to reuse and refill to reduce plastic consumption.  

Speaking of traveling light—hand luggage only when you can. Believe it or not, that checked bag has a carbon footprint of its own! After all, according to Natural Resources Canada, “the heavier the vehicle is, the more energy it needs to get moving,” which means greater fuel consumption and thus greater pollution. Reducing your luggage weight will also reduce the plane’s weight.  

Where you stay

As consumers, we have the power to decide who to support and where to spend our money. We have the choice to align ourselves with ethically sustainable businesses and destinations, and it’s our responsibility to research a destination prior to visiting and recognize who we are supporting. What are their sustainable practices and what makes them green and eco-friendly? Do they grow any of their own produce? Where do they source their produce and products from? We can also look into how the property manages their water, electricity and waste. Do they use solar power? Are they plastic free? What environmentally friendly resources or programs do they offer?

These are questions that would help in understanding the sustainability of a property and flushing out the greenwashing, which refers to false advertising that takes advantage of the green movement. It is not always easy to find the perfect eco-friendly hotel, but with a little due diligence, we can spot the eco-imposters. Many all inclusive resorts have also become Green Globe Certified, which verifies their green status—looking out for this certificate is another way to ensure an eco-friendly trip. 

How you get there

Transportation, especially flying has a very hefty impact on the environment. However, if we can mitigate the amount of CO2 we emit in a single trip, we are taking a giant step in becoming part of the solution. If we must travel by air, direct flights are a lot less carbon intensive than traveling to your destination with layovers. One advisable way to combat your air travel could be utilizing carbon offset programs to offset that next flight.

Train travel is a great alternative to flying, especially if in Europe. It is one of the eco-friendlier means of transportation, if the country in question uses clean energy for their railways. Besides that, consider visiting a city with great public transportation and subways, or use Uber or rideshare instead of renting a car.

What to do while you are there

Make it fun. If you like cocktails (who doesn’t really?), seek out a bar or restaurant with a menu of ‘seasonal cocktails,’ serving drinks made from whatever fruits, herbs or spices are in season and are grown in the area. Understandably this is not always an option, so instead look for a local microbrewery or winery. The point is to support something local. 

A local farm-to-table restaurant uses produce that comes from within a 50 mile / 80 km radius, which ensures freshness, supports the local economy and in turn has a very low carbon footprint. A tomato that is grown 50 miles away and delivered fresh, gives off almost 90% less CO2 than one coming from out of state or out of the country. Instead of farm-to-table, the latter option means “farm to producer, to warehouse, to wholesaler, to grocer to consumer.” 

In terms of making purchases, in buying a souvenir, buy local artesian goods instead of something made in China. Supporting local is one of the best ways to honor the sustainability of the places we visit. 

If you are vacationing in a beach community, look into participating in community beach cleanups. With the amount of plastic that is washing ashore these days, even the most pristine places are being polluted. Giving back to the host community, not only gives them a much-needed boost, but ensures the sustainability of the community and helps it to thrive for years to come. It’s also a good way to get involved with locals and learn about the country, city, and community more intimately. That said, you don’t have to wait to travel to be a sustainability steward. Following the same tips as a ‘domestic tourist’ will create the same effect, only locally. Next time you’re feeling adventurous, consider volunteering with an organization like the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup, who host a yearly cleanup in the summer. 

Sustainable choices, SMART CHOICES

San Francisco, California is considered the ‘greenest’ city in the USA, while Vancouver holds Canada’s top spot. When a city is tagged as green, it means that it is often rated high on a sustainability index. Cities are rated on their carbon emissions, the amount of green spaces offered, connectedness, Green Building Certified infrastructure, etc. How their water, waste and electricity is managed, how green is their public transportation, and how much of their resources run on renewable energy are important factors too. Knowledge of these efforts being undertaken across various travel destinations allows travelers to integrate sustainability into our travels, so it’s time to choose wisely.

While being carbon neutral or zero waste may be the ideal, it is difficult to achieve. However, it’s still possible to make a big difference with small actions. To get a better understanding of travel footprints, consider using a carbon calculator. And remember that eco-tourism is not always about the destination but more so about conscious individual actions taken throughout the trip; irrespective of where we come from and where we go, we are all citizens of the earth and as such we are all faced with the consequences of global warming. It is up to us to collectively ensure that we do everything possible to protect our environment and ensure a sustainable future for our planet, whether at home or away.