11 SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS TO BRING WHEN YOU TRAVEL

I'm sure you agree with me when I say that our planet is a beautiful place worth preserving., and that unfortunately is drowning in plastic. In this post I leave you the 11 sustainable products to take on your travels to do your bit to fight climate change.

My time as a volunteer in india last summer was crucial to open my eyes to the problem we have with plastic single use only, as well as the impact of all the waste we generate. Many of the beautiful countries we travel to depend on tourism to maintain their economy, However, they do not have the necessary infrastructure to handle all the garbage manufactured by its inhabitants, tourists and industrialized nations.

The sustainability It is a subject that I am increasingly passionate about and from which I have been learning a lot during this last year. Since then I have been trying to live a more sustainable life, learning a little bit every day and encouraging others to be a part of it change that we need so much.

It is true that many times, a lot of the things we pack are not good for the environment, either because they are full of chemicals, packed in plastic or because they consume too much energy. So I would like to use this post to encourage you, as a traveler, to lead the movement for a sustainable life wherever you go. So that the only footprint you leave behind is your footsteps in the sand.

Then I leave you the compilation of 11 sustainable products to take on your trips. They are my favorites, And I hope they are useful to you!

1. SOLID SHAMPOO AND SOAP

I would like you to see what kind of products you have on the shelves in your bathroom and in your toiletry bag. I'd bet a few rods that you have a bunch of mini shampoo cans somewhere, gel, cream, conditioner…of different types of accommodation, and that surely the containers are plastic. According to The New York Times, the world generated 242 million tons of plastic waste in 2016; and according to UNEP (2020) the amount of plastic generated worldwide has increased to 300 million tons per year, of which only one is recycled 10%.

And you will wonder, What can I do? Well, with small gestures you can make a difference! I know it will be difficult, but next time you visit a hotel, avoid bringing or using the mini soaps, shampoos and creams that they offer you and instead travel with your bar of soap and solid shampoo.

Most of these solid toiletries come in sustainable paper packaging (instead of plastic bottles), or in metal boxes you reused. further, many of these products are usually made with essential oils and are more sustainable, most of them are vegan and have not been tested on animals.

I usually use this shampoo bar from Lush whenever I travel, and it works very well for me.

2. NON-TOXIC SUNSCREEN

Did you know that many of the sunscreens that are marketed even today are contributing to the destruction of coral reefs? Every year they are dumped into the sea between 6.000 Y 14.000 tons of sunscreen in the world's oceans. The chemicals in such sunscreens have also been shown to harm coral reefs., so essential to ocean ecosystems. These coral reefs, despite constituting no more than 1 % of its surface, they house almost the 25 % of the inhabitants of the sea (oysters, crabs, sponges, fishes, etc.).

Ingredients that are aggressive to the seabed (especially for corals) will be those that contain this series of ingredients, Apart from them, some preservatives and additives are also harmful to them and will appear under these names: Happy birthday, pthalates, triclosan, microbeads (plastic). And these are the chemicals to avoid to preserve the life of the sea.

1. Oxybenzone
2. Octinoxate
3. Octocrylene
4. PABA (Aminobenzoic Acid)
5. Enzacamene
6. Octisalate
7. Homosalate
8. Avobenzone

Some of the available options are: Clean Screen Mineral, Ren; Mineral Sun Fluid, Clarins; B-protect 50+ by Avène; Bio Beauty by Nuxe; Plant Stem Cell Antioxidant Sunscreen’ de Mádara; Freshly cosmetics; Safe Sea; Waterlover Sun Milk the Biotherm; Coola Mineral.

3. SUSTAINABLE CLOTHING

The fast fashion industry (fast fashion) is a major contributor to increased waste and pollution. Fabrics like polyester and spandex contain microfibers that seep into our water systems through our washers. further, most dyes (especially the most striking and bright colors) they are toxic, and crops like cotton use a very considerable amount of water. All this not to mention that to make cheap clothes, wages and safety standards for workers (many of them in Asian countries) may be well below average.

Buying less clothes is undoubtedly the most sustainable option in this regard.. But I'm not here to judge, since I also sinned in buying a dress, Nice top or skirt for a particular occasion that has never come out of my closet. Another option that we can take into account is to be more careful when buying clothes, making sure it is done in countries with fair labor and environmental practices, o support companies that are dedicated to ethics and sustainability as part of their core mission.

I am going to prepare a post with some brands of clothing and accessories, as well as sports, that I have been discovering during the last months, that I really liked, and that I think you may be interested in.

4. LAUNDRY BAG

How many times have you used a plastic bag to hear putting dirty clothes in your suitcase during your travels??, Why not use reusable cloth bags instead? Or better yet, Have you heard about fine mesh bags that can also be used to wash clothes??

I leave you some examples here Y here for you to take a look. They are very comfortable to wear and also reduce the amount of micro fibers that our garments will release in the washing machine. (and therefore to the water system).

(Additional tip: sometimes I put a bar of organic soap in my laundry bag to keep it smelling good while it's traveling in the same suitcase as my clean clothes!).

5. SUSTAINABLE TOOTHPASTE

Did you know that more than 1 billion tubes of toothpaste end up in landfills every year?

A Lindsay McCormick, founder and CEO of Bite Toothpaste, came up with the idea for a sustainable toothpaste while traveling. He noticed that the tubes of toothpaste (especially travel size ones) they were a waste and I create a toothpaste in pill format, Super easy to transport, even in your carry-on or purse!. To use it, you just have to put a pill in your mouth, bite it a bit and then use a wet toothbrush.

Other options are: Niyok; Georganics

6. BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSH

It is advisable to change our toothbrush every 3-4 months. Can you imagine the amount of plastic toothbrushes that accumulate in the garbage of the planet every year??

One change within our grasp could be to decide to buy toothbrushes with a bamboo handle and organically grown bristles.. These types of brushes are affordable and biodegradable.

Some examples here Y here.

7. REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE

Hopefully, at this stage, we all know very well that single-use plastic water bottles are poison. Nevertheless, they are still used a lot. In fact they are consumed 50.000 million bottles of water every year, producing approximately a 60% of this consumption in developed countries.

Imagine that you use such a bottle and put it in a recycling bin. Did you know that the plastic in water bottles cannot be completely decomposed and, instead, it only degrades into microplastics that end up in the ocean? These micro plastics end up being eaten by fish, to continue later with his journey to our stomachs (sorry, pescatarianos).

I understand that while we travel, there may be times when we have no other choice; and that bottled water is the only safe option. But most of us have the privilege of having access to clean running water in our day-to-day lives and in most of the destinations we travel to.. That's why I always travel with a reusable bottle of water., for this 90% of occasions when we can do without bottled water. There are literally THOUSANDS of options for reusable water bottles of all sizes and colors today!!

So, Do you dare that the next time you travel or leave home, you take your bottle and look for fountains or taps where you can refill it instead of buying bottled water? Do your bit to preserve all the beautiful destinations that appear in our Instagram photos and videos, and that travelers who arrive later can enjoy it in the same way as you.

8. REUSABLE METAL STRAWS

Some people love straws, And I'm one of them. Nevertheless, straws are one of the main waste products dumped into the oceans, causing a lot of damage. Fortunately, now there are reusable straws, being able to choose between bamboo, silicone or stainless steel. You can also find recycled brushes to clean the straws well inside before using them again. Personally, I have 3 made of stainless steel that I recently bought from Aldi and I plan to take them with me everywhere this summer!!

You can also find them here Y here.

9. REUSABLE CUPS

While it may seem like paper takeout cups are not a problem, most of them end up in the landfill and cannot be recycled because they are coated with polyurethane.

Think of all the takeout cups thrown away every day. How many times a week or a month do you order some coffee, tea or slush to go? Now think about how easy it would be to reduce that waste if you always carried a light cup with you and could reuse it every time you go to a coffee shop.. You dare?

10. REUSABLE COVERS

Doesn't it make you very angry that every time you go to eat at a street food stall or order take-out they give you plastic cutlery? You can say goodbye to plastic utensils in a very simple way, traveling with your cutlery set and asking that you not get single-use cutlery.

This type of ecological cutlery are generally made of wood or bamboo, and you can find many types of sets with those you use the most: chopsticks, spoon, fork, knife. And the best thing is that in case you lose one by accident, you don't have to feel bad, since they are biodegradable.

11. SOLAR CHARGER

Can you imagine being able to charge your mobile or camera with sunlight?, Well it is possible! Wherever you are you can make sure you have enough energy during your trip; no need for plugs nearby, All you need is daylight and voila!! These chargers are marketed in different forms, colors and sizes. It is definitely one of the most eco-friendly travel accessories and products!!

-CONCLUSION-

I have come to realize that most of us want to live more sustainably. Nevertheless, it is not always easy to make green decisions when we live in an industrialized nation run by large companies, that drive consumerism and convenience, and in which the number of garbage and waste generated increases considerably year after year.

I hope that with this post I can help some of you to be more aware of the importance of our decisions, not only in our day to day, if not also during our trips. As travelers, we are uniquely positioned to inspire others to live more sustainably.

Remember: the smallest action is worth more than the largest intention.

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I hope this article has inspired you to consider using 11 SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS TO BRING WHEN YOU TRAVEL. If you know or use other sustainable items on your getaways, I'd love for you to tell me what they are in the comments!!

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