Travelling long term and living out of a backpack has made my usual eco friendly habits a little bit more difficult. Since being away, I’ve tried to stay as conscious as possible with the resources (space, money etc.) that I have available. Sometimes sustainability can be a pricey effort, but definitely not always… I’ve shortlisted some of my top ways to be a little bit more sustainable, whether it’s by saving or spending money.
SAVE - REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE
When I’m not living out of a backpack the reusable items I could use are basically never ending, but with limited space I’m sticking to the essentials this year. By having a reusable water bottle with me I’ve managed to get so much free water, saving money and plastic by not having to buy single use bottles everywhere. Yes, some countries where tap water isn’t drinkable are a little more difficult, but you’d be surprised by how many places offer filtered water for free. Or, you can even up your investment and get a Life Straw; it costs a bit more initially but means you can turn pretty much any tap water into drinking water on the go – which is definitely going to be a money saver long term.
SAVE - REUSABLE BEAUTY ESSENTIALS
This can be anything, a face cloth instead of wipes, reusable cotton pads instead of disposable ones – these are some of my faves… I love them at home and love them just as much travelling. They take up less space, I only ever have 4-5 with me instead of a pack full of disposable ones. They have easily saved me money, my set cost less than £15 and will last me years. They’re also super easy to clean, I just add them to my usual load of laundry and they’re ready to use all over again. This one is one of my fave tips as shopping for these sorts of essentials can be such a pain when you’re constantly moving from place to place… it’s one less boring life admin thing to think about!
SAVE - TRANSPORT CHOICES I literally don’t know of a place where public transport isn’t the cheapest option. It’s a great way to save money, help the planet and really experience a place like a local. Win, win, win! Plus there’s always the option to go one step better and walk! It’s totally free, 100% the most environmentally friendly way to get around and gives you more time to really take in the scenery, wherever you may be. Obviously, walking might not always be safe / possible and sometimes just getting an Uber is the best option; I’d never trade safety for sustainability, for me it’s just about making these little changes when I have the option to do so.
SPEND - CARBON OFFSETTING Carbon offsetting is where you compensate for any negative carbon effects with positive ones… this doesn’t mean you have to out planting trees yourself, luckily there are websites and schemes available that you can use. All the travelling I have done this year has meant more flying than ever – not the best thing for the environment! My plan is to work out my total air miles and find a decent carbon offsetting site to contribute to when I’m home.
SPEND - ECO FRIENDLY PRODUCTS There’s no way around it, when it comes to products like reef friendly sun creams, environmentally friendly beauty products etc. most of the time they will cost more money. I usually don’t mind spending the extra if I have it, as I’m a natural beauty addict anyway and its changes like these that are not only better for the planet but usually for your skin / hair / body as well. Since being in Australia I've found there are so many more natural options than back home in the UK, and are even available in most supermarkets - which mean they're not quite as expensive as other places!..
SPEND - SLOW FASHION So buying nothing but high quality, long lasting pieces for a year of travelling will definitely be more of a spending exercise to start with, but really this could also save money if you do it right. If there’s one thing my clothes addicted self has learnt this year, it’s that quality really does matter more than quantity when it comes to the clothes… especially when I’m wearing them again and again rather than just the once and then forgetting they exist. I’ve not done much shopping on my travels, I didn’t want to have to spend much money on clothes, but the odd time I do I would now rather spend a bit more on something that will last way past my year of living out of a backpack.
All of these little things added together can make the trip of a lifetime so much kinder to the planet and all of the places that we're lucky enough to get to explore.