Everybody is quite capable of contributing to the protection of the environment. If you are wondering how you can get started (if you haven’t already), is by taking some small and simple steps. And you don’t have to wait until you are at home to get started; you can do it from anywhere, even while on holiday, with some reliable sustainable travel tips.

Whether it’s plastic-free snacks, a vegan restaurant, or using the right sun protection – we’ve compiled some simple sustainable travel tips that will help you travel more consciously and sustainably. And, just to add, most of these tips are quite suitable for everyday use.

Sustainable Travel Tips for Your Vacation

Depending on the destination, whether it’s a staycation or a full-on vacation, you can plan the journey more ecologically. For instance, you could travel by train instead of driving. And after you arrive at your destination after a flight, you could take public transportation. Other great sustainable travel tips include using digital tickets instead of paper and packing shoes and laundry in cloth bags instead of plastic bags. Also, when buying souvenirs, consider whether they are really useful, and under which conditions they were produced. You see how easy it is to travel sustainably? Read on for more…

Choose toiletries consciously

Sustainable Travel Tips to Keep in Mind for Your Next Vacation — ©HUBERTUS Alpin Lodge & Spa

Your toiletry kit should contain plastic-free cotton buds and cosmetics in biodegradable packaging free from microplastics. Most Green Pearls® hotels provide sustainable care products which are either unpacked or refillable, so you don’t need to bring anything. But if you prefer using your own products, think about soap bars instead of plastic bottles, like organic shampoo bars. Or why not simply manufacture your own care products in the hotel? Once a week, the HUBERTUS Alpin Lodge & Spa in Oberallgäu offers workshops where guests can make natural makeup, which is bottled in glass vessels of course. How cool is that?

DON’T MISS: How to Shop for Sustainable Beauty Products

Become active

Have you heard of the Swedish trend known as Plogging? Plogging describes joggers collecting trash while running, something which you can easily adopt on hiking tours, on the beach, and on lakes. If you prefer to become active collectively, watch out for action in these holiday regions: The Thai organization “Trash Hero” collects garbage from beaches and nature regularly. Some hotels also organize sustainable projects themselves like in the Maldives where you can help to afforest coral reefs at the Gili Lankanfushi. Alternatively, you can simply gather trash from the beach and the corals.

Eco-friendly culinary well-being

Having sustainable travel tips to follow doesn’t mean you have to eat boring food. After all, every good vacation deserves great food. And this can also happen sustainably without much effort. You can start by searching for green restaurants nearby, for example, those focusing on vegan, organic, or zero waste meals. Instead of taking food away, eat inside, or at least bring your own reusable containers (cups, boxes, bottles). It is easy to avoid single-use plastic bottles since there is clean tap water in many holiday destinations. And sometimes, it can even get better: At the Viennese hotel Das Capri as well as in the Arosea Life Balance Hotel in South Tyrol you get fresh spring water from the tap!

Water consumption: what you can do…

In most countries water is natural, in others it is limited. Therefore, everyone should handle the resource responsibly – even while on vacation. Shorten your shower time; turn off the tap while brushing teeth or soaping oneself, or try to use towels and duvet covers several times before you get them changed. Most hotels offer to change towels only when required.

Choose the right sun protection

Conventional sunscreen has a considerable negative effect on the marine ecosystem because the chemical substances facilitate the dying of the corals. In general, sunscreen should not be applied to the skin immediately before bathing. Give it some time to be absorbed by the skin so that it doesn’t dissolve in water. However, green alternatives like organic sunscreen are recommended. Due to the natural ingredients and mineral UV filter, they neither harm the environment nor humans. That is why the Tongsai Bay offers “coral-friendly” sunscreen. You can also find eco-friendly sun protection at the Gili Lankanfushi. The resort additionally offers sunglasses with wooden frames to avoid plastic.

What are your go-to sustainable travel tips? Feel free to share in the comments…