Ways to get a “greener” footprint while traveling
Ways to get a “greener” footprint while traveling
Last updated: Dec 21, 2023 · 5 min read

Ways to get a “greener” footprint while traveling

Sustainability is not yet another trend of the times but is a concept that countries and institutions are investing heavily in, to make this planet a safer place for all of us to live in. The traveling industry is one of the biggest contributors to the earth’s pollution hence making a few alterations to our habits while traveling really could make a difference to this growing issue. Therefore, we did our research and we picked the best tips to make your next trip a bit more sustainable. 

1. Where to go

The process of making “greener” choices when you are traveling starts at the very early stages of planning a trip. The rule of thumb says that the closer you travel from home the lower your carbon footprint is. But if you want to travel further and explore places away from home you still can make the most optimal decision. For instance, use the European Commission listing of the “European Green Capital” of the year to get some useful information and inspiration about your next destination or the Environmental Performance index to get some more insight about the desired destination before traveling. Even if you still want to travel to a busier place, that traditionally attracts more visitors, then try to do so off-season when you will be able to engage in less mass, touristic activities and focus on local places that need your support.

2. How to get to the chosen destination

Now that we cleared out how to choose your next adventure we have to make sure to use the right means of transport to get there. When traveling to a distance that you could drive there or get there by train then choose wisely. According to Greenpeace; one-third of the EU’s busiest flights have train alternatives under six hours. This fact couldn’t stress more the importance of reconsidering the way we travel. Sometimes the time flexibility and the convenience offered when traveling by plane make us forget the other alternatives given to us however we could re-evaluate our needs and priorities and choose the best possible way for both us and the environment. 

3. Where to stay 

Before you start looking for a place to stay make sure to use any available resource in order to make sure that you choose responsibly. One of the accommodation sites you could definitely use is bookdifferent.com where they are using three different “green indicators”; ecolabels, carbon footprint, and “staygreencheck”  to list the most sustainable option based on your search. The site is also powered by booking.com which ensures that all hotels are bookable and that all information is available.  In case you are not a fan of planning or researching there are professionals out there who can help you with the process and even customize your whole travel experience keeping always in mind sustainability and the environment. Therefore, Lokal is here to help you organize a trip that would harm the planet less and help you understand the meaning of sustainable traveling. 

4. Store your luggage

LuggageHero has a mission to safely store your stuff while you are traveling the world by using its fast-growing network of short-term storage options in more than 45 countries across Europe and North America. We are contributing to the local community by giving the local shop owners a new way of making money. According to  LuggageHero founder, the company understands that it can be hard to be a shop owner in the city of New York. Therefore we are giving them the opportunity to be innovative and smart to stay in business in a city that is known for its high rents, quite high poverty rates, and strong competition.  Hence we’re creating a new way to make shops visible and relevant for travelers while we encourage them to choose local and support smaller businesses.

 

5. Extra practical tips

Now that everything is sorted out, we are presenting you with a small list of things you can do or avoid doing during your visit. First and foremost, use a reusable water bottle when possible. Not all places in the world have drinkable tap water but for the places that have please use this alternative and save tons of unnecessary plastic. Another useful tip is regarding your transportation around the city you are visiting. Try to choose sustainable options such as bikes and make your sightseeing faster, “greener” and more fun. You can find several options to rent a bike and one of the most popular ones around Europe is the donkey bike. But if you are visiting the US Unlimited Biking is your friend since they offer a whole biking tour experience, not just a bike. Along with your water bottle, it would be a good idea to invest in eco-friendly reusable travel products such as coffee mugs for your takeaway coffees, food containers, and cutlery especially if you are a fan of camping as well as bamboo toothbrushes and other solid toiletries. Also, a good idea would be to stay away from all-inclusive hotels, unless this is your honeymoon, where food waste from the constant “all you can eat” buffet idea and the endless services provided can result in big amounts of unnecessary production of non-consumed goods. Last but not least, living in 2022 the vast majority of the population especially the ones traveling regularly own a smartphone with an internet connection therefore printing boarding passes and hotel reservations is completely worthless and is just contributing to wasting paper resources. 

Now that you are ready to embark on your next most sustainable adventure keep in mind that you are not alone because LuggageHero is here to store your luggage and make sure is safely kept as you are enjoying your trip. In order to see all of our drop-off partners near you, download our app here!

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