Do you love to travel? I am obsessed with travel! I love road trips, exploring a new area, and exotic adventures abroad. As I learn more about waste I am making it my mission to travel more sustainably. And over the last month I have really been focused on zero waste traveling on a local scale. I define local travel as an excursion that does not require an overnight stay. A one hour drive to a new hiking spot? Local travel. An eight hour car ride for work? Local travel. In another post I will discuss tips and tricks from sustainable travel for overnight trips, but read on for more information about zero waste and local travel!
I am going to level with you all here. Before becoming more conscious about my waste, I relied on gas station food for most of my nourishment while traveling locally. Guilty! I would do little-to-no food preparation and instead purchase all of my food on the road. So at the end of an all-day local trip I would usually have a bag of trash containing a breakfast sandwich wrapper, a chip or pretzel bag, a subway sandwich wrapper and plastic bag, napkins, and a coffee cup, all from gas stations and from just one day! I stopped at gas stations because I thought it was easy and saved time. But in reality I was stopping so often for food that I didn’t save much time. And to top it off, I always felt terrible after eating all that processed food.
After being exposed to the idea of zero waste, I started to look at packaging in an entirely new way. Not only is food packaging bad for the environment, but is consuming food packed with preservatives good for you? For example, a Doritos bag is a bad choice because the packaging can’t be recycled or reused. It’s also not the best choice for me because Doritos contain many non-natural ingredients, which I am trying to stay away from. What is disodium guanylate? A quick Wikipedia search reveals consumption of disodium guanylate is not safe for babies under 12 weeks or by asthmatics…hmm…. do I really want to be ingesting this?
So I changed my mindset and began preparing meals and snacks ahead of time. I filled my Tupperware containers with healthier items like nuts, fruit, and pre-made sandwiches. I also started bringing a min-cooler to transport a smoothie, hummus, and pre-cut veggies. The results probably aren’t shocking to most- not only did I feel much better after a day of travel, I actually saved time because I didn’t have to stop for snacks!
Tip #1- Be Prepared
Being prepared is key in zero waste travel. Before you set off on you awesome all-day road trip, plan out how many meals and snacks you will need. Then prepare these items and bring them with you.
Common snacks I bring with me for local travel:
- Trail mix
- Carrots
- Fig bars
- Fruit
- Smoothie
Common meals I prepare ahead of time and either eat on the road or at a rest stop:
- Sandwiches
- Salads
- Bagel with a spread
Tip #2- Create a “Zero Waste Travel Kit”
In my travels I have been frustrated when I wash my hands in a restroom and find paper towels are the only option for drying my hands (hello the I’ll-just-use-my-pants-to-dry-my-hands method). Instead of getting frustrated, I now have a “zero waste travel kit” (hereafter referred to as “the kit”) that comes with me when I am traveling locally and includes a cloth napkin for just this purpose! Also included in the kit is a reusable coffee mug, a reusable set of utensils, a mason jar, and a larger glass container. I put all of these items into a cloth bag and then I am ready to travel and be zero waste. With these items I can seriously tackle anything on the road. If I find a cute shirt at a thrift store or if I want to grab a quick to-go lunch I have the tools to be zero waste. The kit solves all problems!
Tip #3- Be Brave
Sometimes I feel like I spend so much of my time doing food prep that I simply can’t spend another minute in the kitchen. In that case I put the kit in my car and take off on my adventure. When I need to stop for food, I:
- Stop at an actual restaurant (not a gas station) where I sit and enjoy my meal. If I have any leftovers I put them in one of my containers.
- Stop at a “quicker” food establishment, like a Bueggers Bagels. When I order I simply ask for my food to be placed directly into my container instead of a disposable to-go container.
This tip is called “be brave” because I understand that visiting a new establishment and asking someone to do something out of the ordinary (like put my Chipotle in a glass container) can bring about a certain amount of anxiety. At least it does for me. I don’t know why it does- no one has ever said no. The usual response is, “Of course, what a good idea!” or “I like your jar”. So don’t be afraid to ask, be brave!
Side Note
In my opinion, anytime anything other than your legs or a bike (or a unicycle, I guess) are part of your travel plan you can never be truly zero waste. Almost all modes of transportation release greenhouse gases into the environment that have a profound affect on our world. But you can do everything in your power to make sure you don’t produce any new waste during your travels. The zero waste movement isn’t about perfection, it is about doing what you can.