It’s very easy to think disposably when traveling since you only have so much luggage and space -- especially when backpacking. Last year, I spent 13 days in Cambodia and it was the first time I attempted traveling sustainably. Here are a few things I tried, as well as some reflection a year later.
Reuse plastic bags for shoes and laundry: My roommates and I have been collecting the plastic bags we inevitably end up with in order to repurpose them. So, I am bringing 4 with me to wrap my shoes, some toiletries, and use as laundry bags. This way, I don't have to buy more plastic bags to have the same job.
3 fl. oz. moisturizer going strong for 3+ years: I always carry a small (carry-on appropriate) bottle of moisturizer. Like chapstick or Tide-to-Go, this is a pretty classic purse staple. The danger with these mini products is that when you run out, it’s really easy to just buy more and more small plastic bottles.
So, to save some money and reduce my plastic use, I bought a large bottle of the same moisturizer so I can refill the small one. I’ve had this small bottle for at least 3 years.
Make up remover pads and no face wash: The water is not safe to drink in Cambodia, or requires more time than 10 days to acclimate. This means that I will be using lots and lots of plastic water bottles. This is not just for drinking water, but also includes brushing your teeth and washing your face.
So, one way I am going to try and use fewer plastic water bottles is bringing make up remover pads as my face wash. One pad can be used for more than one day as well. So I am using less plastic water bottles, and purchasing 1 less plastic travel sized bottle (that I would’ve used for my face wash).
For this trip, I purchased a generic brand from Target. Next time, I am sticking with my Beautycounter make up remover pads that are compostable!
What I plan on doing next time:
Personal water filtration: The number of plastic water bottles I used was pretty ridiculous, so next time I definitely want to use a personal water filtration bottle.
A silver lining is that I found an amazing organization called Husk Cambodia that repurposes used plastic water bottles, so I tried to deposit the bottles in their collecting stations whenever I could.
Carbon offset plane tickets: Planes release a pretty ridiculous amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. If you need to travel by plane, one way to counteract this emission is to purchase a carbon offset.
Carbon offsets are when you donate the amount of money required to remove the amount of carbon you are contributing to the atmosphere by purchasing your plane ticket. Usually, the money is donated to a reforestation project, as trees take in CO2. So if the airline has a good reputation and history of distributing the money correctly, you do support a good cause. You can read more about carbon offsets here.
No plastic bags, but rather separate pockets in suitcase: Instead of bringing plastic bags with me, I plan on using suitcases/bags with many separate compartments so I can have my shoes and laundry separated from my clean clothes. This is easier access and packing as well.
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