Going Neutral: How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in Travel

The best way to be more environmentally conscious when traveling is learning how to reduce your carbon footprint. While a majority of us will have most of our carbon emissions through day to day choices we make at home, travel has become a major cause of carbon. And for Americans, the United States is one of the leaders in emissions through travel. Originally it was predicted that tourism had about a 3% impact on overall global emissions, but after research it was revealed that number is closer to 8%.

While that percentage may not sound large, we were nearly 3 times off when trying to predict the impact travel has on our planet. That is huge. There are a few ways to try and combat this carbon footprint. Learning more about how to reduce your carbon footprint while traveling isn’t the final answer. Doing something about this information is. Making better choices as travelers after understanding the problem is the only way that we can continue to travel and leave the places we visit as we found them.

Flights may be the first thing you think of, but there is more to it. It also includes what choices you make once you step off the plane.

How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Fly Less

This is probably the hardest thing as a traveler to do. Flying can be an essential part to your holiday, especially if you lie in a place that isn’t as accessible. While the plane part of your vacation may be unavoidable, it is the biggest culprit as the main source of carbon emissions.

Have to fly? Offset your flights with companies like FlyGreen  which will help. What’s carbon offsetting? Essentially, it is a way to take the greenhouse emissions, calculate that number and put an equal amount back with renewable energy projects. For instance, a flight from New York to London is about 11,000 kilometers and will be 2.1 tCO2. Carbon calculators will measure in metric tons of CO2.

Responsible Travel Tip: Use electronic tickets whenever possible to save from unnecessary paper! 

Start to choose companies that care about the environment. Several airlines are making strides towards a more environmentally friendly way to travel. Norwegian Airlines is consistently recognized for being the most fuel efficient transatlantic airlines. Hi Fly took the first plastic free flight in December 2018 and several airlines have committed to using less or no single use plastics on their planes.

Source: Fix.com Blog

Getting Around

Maybe spend a little more money by taking a direct flight. Flying direct not only saves time, but it’s a more efficient flight. The mileage is lessened AND since most emissions are during take off and landing, one flight helps decrease carbon emissions.

Take public transportation! Are you in Europe and can you get from one destination to the next by train or bus? Train travel if possible is my preferred method to get around. It can be fast & efficient and I love the ability to see more of a place by being on the ground and not in the sky.

Biking, walking or taking public transportation while at your destination are the best choices to make over driving. These are things we should also be considering in our day to day life too! Can you bike or walk to the store down the street instead of getting in your car? Is there a train station or bus stop near your house to take across town instead?

Conserve Water

Part of lowering a footprint is not being wasteful with water. Water conservation begins at home but can extend into vacation. Traveling to places where water isn’t as accessible as your own home can be an eye opening experience. The same things you can do to conserve water at home shouldn’t stop when you’re on holiday.

• Showers are more efficient than baths. Some showers can use 3 gallons a minute so keep your shower to 5 minutes or less!
• Turn off the tap. Be sure to not let water run when you don’t need it on (while brushing your teeth is a popular example)
• Reuse water. Cooking water or water left over from a glass can be used as “grey water” for plants.
• Skip bottled water. If you can, drink from the tap or bring a filter system like LifeStraw
• Pack Eco friendly soaps and sunscreens

Responsible Travel Tip: While staying recently at a LemonTree Hotel in India, the restaurant had signs that talked about being more mindful with drinking water. The staff only fills up your water glass half full to not waste drinking water. Think about how many times you’ve left a restaurant with a glass of water at the table because the wait staff constantly refills your drinks. Take only what you’ll use. 

Learn more about being smart about using water and what exactly is a water footprint. 

Stop with the Single Use Plastics

This is the easiest and most impactful thing you can do and it’s something you can start today. Don’t aim to reduce, just quit all together. Plastic is one of our major pollution problems. There are a few ways to stop with single use plastics while on vacation:

• Say no thanks to straws
• Pack small reusable bags so you can refuse plastic bags when buying souvenirs
• Bring a reusable water bottle
• Use reusable or plastic-free alternatives for travel sized toiletries

Be a More Mindful Eater

Eat locally sourced, seasonal foods. Eat less meat. When choosing foods, go organic if and when possible. When you’re traveling, look for restaurants that work with local farmers or grow their own ingredients. The food that travels farthest is a big culprit when calculating your carbon emissions.

Did you know the foods you eat have a water footprint? This means that your food choices can be just as impactful as your transportation choices. One cheeseburger for example is the same as 25 showers in terms of a water footprint. That is nearly 3 years of drinking water!

Choose a more plant based diet. More processed foods have a tendency to have more energy consumption.

Stop Wasteful Stays

When using a hotel or B&B, try to avoid washing your towels and linens. See if your accommodation does laundry separate and if so, take it to a laundry mat that will wash in bulk to avoid wasting water. Be sure to travel with clothes that are light weight and quick drying. Bring clothes that could be re-worn in between washes.

Try to stay in a hotel that is eco friendly. Use your room thermostat to keep your room efficient and avoid overusing the heating or air conditioning unnecessarily. Try to find hotels that use renewable energy systems at their locations and that are energy efficient.

Remember, a smaller locally run accommodation is better for the economy you are visiting and the environment.

Start Slow Travel

Slow travel is the way to go people! It is a win win for your memories and for the environment. Do yourself and the planet a favor and take that longer vacation! By physically going to fewer places, you’re keeping your carbon footprint lower. You are traveling more like you live in a location, so you could be more inclined to remember more sustainable travel practices.

See your Stats: Calculate your Footprint

See how your water use is impacting the earth.

Learn about your total carbon footprint through a Carbon Calculator. 

Do I think people will stop traveling? No. We need to come to the realization that travel is going to be part of human interactions and then find actionable ways to do better. So find your number. Learn more about your carbon footprint. Offset your unavoidable carbon emissions and be more mindful about keeping that amount as low as possible.