Travel Green

A guest post by Deborah at www.puremothers.com

School is out and summer vacations are calling. Some will stay close to home, some will travel by car and others will take to the blue skies in search of some well-deserved R & R. If you want to take your green way of living with you on your vacation there are several things you can do. Firstly, choose an airline that has a high green rating. Greenopia recently rated the airline industry and gave Virgin America and Continental high accolades. The ratings were in the areas of fuel conservation, alternative types of fuel, recycling programs, green building design, green food options and carbon offsets. You could start by choosing to fly with either of them.

Pack your own reusable water bottles to fill up at the airport, once you’ve gone through security. If you must purchase bottled water at the airport, look for recycling bins to discard or take them with you until you find a recycling bin. I’ve tucked a bottle or two into my bag or car until I got home to dispose of properly. Take your own utensils with you and avoid plastic utensils offered at the airport. To-Go Ware makes a cool bamboo set with a recycled plastic or cloth pouch for carrying. If you need a jolt of caffeine while you’re waiting for your flight and decide to wait in that long Starbucks line, opt for the organic, fair trade coffee- sans plastic lid. Just drink the first few inches down so you don’t spill it while you walk.

We all know that once you get the “okay” from the flight crew you can use your electronic devices. Why not give the batteries a rest and read a book? Have you been to a bookstore lately? There is something for everyone. If you can’t find something of interest to you, then you really do need this vacation to find yourself. My point is – electronics use energy. Save it and find other activities to occupy your time on the flight. Sudoku anyone?

If you’re traveling with children, it’s easy to look to convenience items, especially for meals. Instead make a batch of muffins and sandwiches at home to bring with you on your flight. To-Go Ware also makes great stainless steel tiffins to store food. I pack mine with sandwiches, fruit and yogurt. Just make sure there are no liquids in yours. It will ruin your vacation if it gets confiscated. Always be sure to check the airline’s website for rules and regulations regarding items allowed on the plane. If you’re a cloth diaper user, you score extra green points, but if not, you can think about switching over after your trip. In the meantime, be as green as you can and remember to put the poop in the toilet before you wrap up the diaper to discard. Some people are not aware that it is actually illegal to throw human waste in the trash. It needs to go into the sewage system where it can be treated properly. The greenest wipes on the market, short of making your own with cloth, are from Nature Baby Care. The wipes and the packaging are 100% biodegradable.

Once you arrive at your destination you can continue your green vacation. Did you choose a green hotel? These environmentally friendly hotels have chosen energy-saving measures, like low-flow shower heads and toilets, recycling and avoiding wastefully packaged products. Check out www.greenhotels.com to book your vacation.

Here are a few more things you can do to leave a lighter footprint. Because, the only footprint you should leave is from a walk on the beach!

-Share meals so you don’t have leftovers to take from a restaurant. They’re usually in plastic clam shells or Styrofoam. Or – bring your stainless steel tiffins from your flight and put your leftovers in those.
-Skip the plastic straws in your margarita. Get it with salt and lick the rim (my personal favorite).
-If you have a kitchen at your destination and need to do grocery shopping, bring your own bags and skip the plastic and paper. EnviroSax makes really small bags that roll up and fit right in your pocket.
-Rent bikes and share cabs.
-Eat organic, local foods when possible (I mean that’s why you’re there, right?)
-Shut the lights off in your hotel room when you leave.
– Reuse your towels.
-Keep the television turned off. You can watch TV at home.
– Be moderate with the A/C and turn off when you leave. If appropriate to your place of stay, open windows and turn on fans instead of A/C.
– Always throw litter and recyclables in the proper trashcans.

Enjoy your green vacation!