One week after high school graduation, I carefully rolled up a capsule wardrobe and managed to fit a few paperbacks, journals, a camera and film into a 50 litre backpack with a Canadian flag sew on it; I slid my passport into a diy money belt, and flew off to travel around Europe for six incredible weeks.

What I didn’t know then, was that I had failed to pack some of the most important items of all – a travel mug, reusable water bottle, cloth bag, and other zero waste travel essentials.

I’ve always been eco-conscious, but I was definitely not as hyper-aware of waste reduction in my international travel days. I would pack differently now – when you know better, you can do better.

Life lessons on the road

Travelling can teach us so much, about ourselves and the world we live in. I’ve travelled across Canada several times, down the West Coast to the tip of the Baja Peninsula, and overseas once . I’ve travelled by train, camper van, car, plane, bicycle, ship, and even canoe.

Exploring other places and cultures can inspire us creatively, help us understand our own privilege, and teach us how to communicate and connect over language barriers and perceived differences. It can also test our mettle in uncomfortable situations. I have learned that, like many others, I like comfort and I love good food and coffee; however, I loathe the waste that can quickly accumulate when you expect these things on the road.

Yes, I make small sacrifices to reduce waste – at least once daily. I often put the health of the environment ahead of my own comforts and desires. But, because I know myself, I do my best to plan ahead so that I can enjoy the things I love most while making the lowest possible impact on other people and the planet.

Our needs don’t change with time zones

I may not hop onto airplanes or trains often these days, but since adopting a lower waste lifestyle, I’ve done my share of car travel trips around the Maritimes, overnight hotel stays, and day-trips with kids and friends. I find that the same challenges come up whether I’m on a day-trip or an epic overseas adventure.

When you know what you like and anticipate what you’ll need, it isn’t too hard to plan ahead.

You may have different travel standards, but I imagine that our basic needs are the same. So here are my tips for zero waste travel based on my own adventures.

Plan ahead and be prepared

This is my number one tip for zero waste travel. You really can plan ahead and prepare for most scenarios.

Will you likely be out during lunch time? Pack a lunch; stop at the market with your own containers for a package free picnic lunch; research restaurant or take-out options ahead of time and pack your travel kit. The same applies to bigger trips – do your research. Find out what you’re allowed to bring on the airplane when you book your ticket and pack your own water bottle, snacks, and headphones.

You can’t predict every scenario, especially if you’re experiencing an unfamiliar culture, but you can learn from your experience and tweak your routine.

It’s up to you to form new habits. You wouldn’t go out for the day or on a longer trip without your wallet, keys, or cell phone would you? Don’t leave home without your essentials – a reusable water bottle, travel mug, utensils, and cloth bags. Build it into your routine. You can do this!

Refuse Waste and Pivot

This is where the real mindset shift happens. Zero waste habits stick when you make a personal commitment to reduce waste, even when it’s inconvenient.

If you forget your travel mug, take ten minutes to enjoy your coffee at the cafe or go without until you have time to slow down. Does the Thai take-out place use styrofoam containers? Try the sushi place a few doors down instead. Forget your cloth bags? Trim your grocery list, buy only essentials, and carry or cart them out.

A little bit of inconvenience and real consequences will prompt you to remember next time and help you form new habits.

Some of the best travelling experiences come from cultivating reliance, curiosity, and spontaneity. Learn how to pivot and change your plans and you may discover something new and interesting.

Say no to freebies!

Free snacks in tiny plastic bags, airplane drinks in plastic cups, promotional products, and tiny hotel toiletries can be tempting – we even feel entitled to them when we pay for a ticket or a room – but make a point to refuse them if they are wasteful. Imagine if more people did this? Free stuff may not take money from your wallet but it costs someone else somewhere.

Go the extra mile for the things you love

Coffee deserves its own heading

If making coffee in your hotel room requires you to unwrap a cup from a plastic sleeve, insert a plastic pod into the machine, and throw away disposable creamer and sugar packets – maybe there is some other way you can get caffeine? (I won’t suggest you go without – I’m not cruel!)

Some hotels have coffee in the lobby, which you can put in your own travel mug, which is the ideal alternative. If not, you could try the hotel restaurant or ask the front desk to direct you to the nearest cafe. Be sure to let them know that their wasteful practices have inconvenienced you – speaking up is the only way to make change happen.

I go so far as to bring my own ground coffee and coffee maker when I travel because I don’t expect low-waste options – and delicious, fair trade organic coffee is just that important to me. I use a french press or aeropress and a travel mug (and I’m always careful to dispose of the coffee grounds in a compost or garbage so that it doesn’t damage plumbing). Hotel rooms don’t seem to come equipped with kettles anymore, but you can run hot water through the coffee machine.

When I’ve travelled long distance by van or car, I brought an inverter, grinder, stainless steel french press, aeropress, kettle, rocket stove, and travel mugs. I love coffee that much. It is so worth it to be able to have coffee whenever you want it, even when in the middle of the Canadian Prairie or at a remote surf spot in Mexico.

My Zero Waste Essentials Travel Kit

If you travel with this kit in your car or backpack, you’ll be able to adapt to most situations to avoid unnecessary waste – whether you’re away from home for the day or for a month.

I always make space for items that can be used for more than one purpose. Pack a cloth napkin and mason jar, and you’re all set for anything from an iced coffee and donut, to berry foraging, or a wine tasting!

I like to keep my kit items all together in a tote or cardboard box in my trunk or else in a backpack.

• Water bottle
• Travel mug
• Mason Jar (wrap several rubber bands around one for hot drinks)
• Cloth Napkins
• Cloth bags
• Containers with tight fitting lids in a variety of sizes
• Reusable zipper snack packs
• Rubber bands (Useful for many things – I save them from grocery store produce)
• Utensils – buy travel utensils or simply wrap some from home in a cloth napkin or pouch.
• Reusable straws – stainless steel, bamboo, or silicone. (Or simply refuse straws!)

For overnight trips

• Toiletries – fill your own mini containers with products from home
• Dish soap and laundry soap
• Coffee maker, ground coffee, and tea bags
• Favourite shelf-stable condiments – salt, chili flakes, cane sugar, etc.
• A small sharp knife (great for cutting up grocery store picnic items)

It may seem a lot to tote around, but with the privilege of travel comes responsibility. Packing light may be easier and more convenient for us as individuals in the present, but our streamlined travel habits actually create a lot of upstream and downstream waste. So, remember to pack for the planet!

For more tips on packing a travel kit and low impact travel, check out my post on Simple Tips for a Zero Waste Summer.

Do you have any tips to share? What would be on your zero waste essentials travel list?

 

Margaret Hoegg is a Simple Local Life Contributor. She is also a writer, entrepreneur, and sustainability advocate on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. Margaret writes about local food, gardening, sustainability, and wellness at Living Locavore and can be found on Instagram @living.locavore.