Green Travel Tips

Remember the days when one of the pleasures of traveling was the freshly laundered bed linens and towels, refreshed daily in your favorite luxury hotel? From 5-star service to renting high-performance sports cars to flying on the company’s private jet, there’s no question that traveling in style could be more eco-friendly. And with today’s luxury traveler balancing amenities with environmental consciousness, it’s more popular than ever to practice eco-friendly travel tips. Make your next journey friendlier to Earth with these easy-to-manage tips.

Buy Carbon Credits

Although science and technology are making incredible strides toward sustainable travel, the fact is that airlines, cars, hotels and restaurants do more harm than good. You can continue to travel and offset the damage fossil fuels do to the environment by buying carbon offsets. You can calculate your carbon footprint — your carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions your activities produce — and buy carbon offsets that support a project that’s already underway or in need of funding.

Travel Globally, Act Locally

Planning to visit a location that’s renowned for its natural beauty — or even for its unrelenting traffic congestion? Skip the gas guzzling car rental and use bikes instead. Available for rent, you can experience a uniquely local view of your preferred destination, enjoy some exercise and do your part to make Earth a healthier place. If you’re truly adventurous, cancel your hotel reservation and pitch a tent at a local campsite. Not quite there yet? Explore glamping — it’s one of the most fashionable trends in travel, and unlike anything else you may have done.

Don’t Forget About Reusing

You already reduce and recycle — but do you reuse? Repurposing plastic bottles and bags for travel puts less waste into the environment. Skip buying travel-size toiletries. Instead, wash old bottles and fill them with shampoo, conditioner and soap. Old bottles are also great for laundry detergent, dish soap and cleaners — handy if you’re renting a house at the beach for the summer. Although you may have to check your luggage instead of carrying on, you won’t contribute to the culture of waste that we’ve all become accustomed to.

Shop Local

Think more critically about where you’re eating and what you’re buying — and chances are you’ll find that there are locally sourced options to love. Not only is the food fresher and tastier because it’s in season, you won’t have carbon emissions on your conscience because it wasn’t shipped from far away lands. Eat and shop like a local and you’ll be giving back to the community you love, too.

Book Greener

One of the best ways to help the Earth while traveling is to visit destinations you can fly to non-stop. Not only do take-offs and landings spew dangerous emissions into the atmosphere, there are more non-stop flight options than ever before. Best of all, you won’t have to worry about rushing through busy airports to make tight connections. And if you carry on, you’ll eliminate the chances of lost luggage, too.

Finally, don’t forget to explore green hotel options at your destination.