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Summer is the time for vacations both near and far. While many people prefer to take a car or a train to their destination, sometimes you have to travel by air. But don’t fret, there are ways to minimize the environmental impact of your flight by going green and zero-waste.
In the US alone, there are 2.3 million airline passengers every day, according to Outside. That amounts to a huge amount of to-go coffee cups, bottles of water, and other single use plastics just at the airport. If just half of these people brought a reusable travel mug and water bottle, it would take 5.5 million items of trash out of landfills and waterways every day.
“There are many things about the sustainability of air travel that we–as individuals–can’t control,” s Jackie Nuñez, the advocacy and engagement manager at Plastic Pollution Coalition told Outside. “But there’s one thing we most certainly can: how much single-use trash we create as we cruise through the skies at 40,000 feet and schlep through airports.”
Here are five hacks to make your air travel zero-waste whether you are jetting off to a sunny beach or visiting family in far-away places.
Pack a Zero-Waste Travel Kit
It’s very easy to pack a zero-waste travel kit using a cloth reusable bag. Fill it with a reusable water bottle and you can save your wallet and the planet at the same time by not buying expensive bottled water at the airport. You can also take reusable plates and cutlery instead of using single-use disposable items.
Use Digital Boarding Passes
Cutting back on paper waste is also important, so instead of printing out your boarding pass, go digital instead, reported Eco Watch. You may have to download the airline’s app, or you can have the boarding passes emailed to you. Instead of printing out hotel confirmations, you can download it to your phone.
Pack Reusable Travel Size Personal Care Items
Don’t go and buy travel-size shampoos, body wash, or cleansers, use refillable containers instead. You can purchase these containers at most pharmacies. You can also bring bar soap and toothpaste tablets with you. Another way to travel zero-waste is to use a bamboo toothbrush instead of the hard to recycle plastic ones. Instead of putting all your toiletries in a plastic bag for screening at the airport, you can use a reusable silicone bag instead.
Don’t Use Single-Use Items
On your flight, you can say no to single-use plastic items. Just say no thank you to plastic cups, straws, and plastic wrapped items. You can ask the flight attendant to fill your reusable items with water or coffee.
Zero-Waste at the Beach
Once you have arrived at your vacation destination, its time to enjoy the sun and the surf. You should pack your own zero-waste beach bag, according to a blog on the zerowaste website. Take a cloth bag and stock it with sunscreen that is coral safe, and after care items like aloe vera. Use a natural fiber towel that will not shed microfibers. At the beach be a conscientious traveler and make sure you take care of the environment and do not touch marine life or corals.
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