Tips for Making Your Vacation Eco-Friendly

Julie Starr • May 30, 2022

When you’re on vacation, it’s easy to let your eco-friendly habits slip. You might not think about recycling when you’re on a beach in the Caribbean or turning off the light when you leave your hotel room for the day. But there are plenty of ways to enjoy your vacation while still being environmentally responsible. This blog post will give you tips for making your holiday more sustainable. We’ll cover everything from transportation to accommodations to food and drink. So read on, and start planning your next green getaway!

Overtourism:

Overtourism is a massive problem in many popular tourist destinations. If you’re planning to visit a place known to be crowded, do your research ahead of time and look for ways to avoid the worst of the crowds. This might mean visiting during the shoulder season or staying in a less-crowded area.

Use Efficient Modes Of Transportation:

One of the best ways to make your vacation more sustainable is to use efficient modes of transportation. If you’re flying, try to offset your carbon emissions by planting trees or investing in renewable energy. You can also offset your emissions by taking direct flights whenever possible and packing light to avoid weight penalties. Plan your route ahead of time to avoid wasting gas and carpool whenever possible if you’re driving. And if you’re taking public transportation, be sure to recycle any materials you can.

Stay In Green Accommodations:

Your accommodations can also have a significant impact on the environment. For example, if you’re staying in a hotel, look for a certified green one . This means that the hotel has reduced its environmental impact by using energy-efficient lighting and appliances, recycling, and composting. You can also look for sustainable practices in hotels, such as solar power or green roofs. If you’re staying in a rental home or apartment, ask about the property’s sustainability policies. You can also take steps to be more sustainable in your accommodations, such as turning off the lights when you leave the room and recycling any materials.

Support Local Businesses:

One of the best ways to reduce your environmental impact on vacation is to support local businesses. This means eating at locally-owned restaurants, shopping at local stores, and using local services. When you support local businesses, you’re helping reduce transportation emissions and supporting the local economy. You can also look for certified green businesses that use sustainable practices. You can l earn more about sustainable local business here.

Packing light:

One way to be more sustainable when you travel is to pack light. This will help you avoid overweight baggage fees, and it will also reduce your carbon footprint. In addition, when you pack light, you’ll use less energy and resources to transport your belongings, generating less waste. So next time you’re packing for vacation, leave some space in your suitcase for souvenirs and travel light!

Stay and Explore:

When planning your vacation, try to choose a destination that you can explore over a more extended period. This will help you avoid the environmental impact of flying, and it will also allow you to experience the place you’re visiting. If you can, take a road trip or take the train instead of flying. And once you’re at your destination, take some time to explore the area. For example, rent a bicycle or walk instead of taking taxis or buses everywhere. By staying and exploring, you’ll be able to immerse yourself in the culture of your destination and avoid some of the environmental impacts of tourism.

Eat Sustainable, Local Foods:

When you’re on vacation, it’s easy to eat out. But did you know that the food you eat can also be eco-friendly? To make your holiday more sustainable, try to eat locally sourced foods . This means eating foods that are grown or produced near your vacation destination. Local food is fresher and tastier, but it also has a smaller carbon footprint than food that’s been shipped from far away. You can find local restaurants by doing a quick Google search or asking your hotel staff for recommendations.

Drink Responsibly:

You can also make your vacation more sustainable by drinking responsibly. This means avoiding single-use plastic straws and cups and opting for reusable ones instead. It also means being aware of the water you’re consuming. If you’re in a country with limited access to clean water, drink only bottled water that’s been certified safe. And if you’re staying in a place with unlimited access to clean water, try to avoid bottled water altogether. You can also reduce your impact by drinking local beers and wines with a smaller carbon footprint than imported ones.

In conclusion, there are many ways to make your vacation more sustainable. By offsetting your carbon emissions, staying in green accommodations, and eating locally sourced foods, you can help reduce your environmental impact. And by packing light and drinking responsibly, you can further reduce your impact on the planet. So next time you travel, remember to consider the environment in all that you do!

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Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024

Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024

Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.