5 Ways to Make Travelling a Little Greener

Travelling will never be the greenest thing in the world, but here a few tips to minimise the negative impact you make on the environment while travelling...

Today is Green Britain Day (http://www.teamgreenbritain.org), which got us here at i-to-i thinking about whether or not it’s possible to be green while travelling – getting half-way across the world does, after all, involve belching out a lot of C02 into the atmosphere! But after racking our brains we realised it is possible to make travel a bit greener – here are our top tips:

1. Offset it! It may add a bit of extra money to your plane ticket, but offsetting the carbon emitted by flying will mean you’ll be able to jet off with a much clearer conscience. For more information check out this carbon calculator: http://www.co2balance.uk.com/co2calculators/flight/
2. Don’t overload your backpack Do you really, really need to take that much stuff? Face it – you’ll only end up wearing a third of the clothes you take with you. Much better to travel light, then you’ll be putting that much less strain on the planes, cars etc you use to get to your destination, not to mention your own back! For more tips on packing, have a look at this travel guide: http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/travel-guides/119-What-to-Pack
3. Eat local We’re always told to eat local when we’re at home, well guess what? The same goes for when you’re abroad: food that’s not had too far to travel will taste much fresher AND won’t have caused as much environmental damage in making its way to your plate.
4. Steer clear of taxis Taxis are really handy when you’re somewhere you don’t know too well, but they’re guilty of causing pollution and congestion. Try taking the bus or renting a bike instead – you’ll save money, get to meet a few more locals and feel a little greener.
5. Don’t wash… Your sheets and towels that is! Even in budget hostels towels and sheets are often replaced every single daily if you were at home? Better just to get them changed when they’re actually dirty – think of all the water and energy you’ll be saving!  

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