As travellers, we have to be doubly conscious of leading a sustainable lifestyle so that we do not harm nature or natural resources as far as possible. So this World Nature Conservation Day, take a look through your travel kit and see if you can eliminate products that harm nature and environment. To help with your check list, we have listed a few of the essential things that most of us carry and how we may eliminate them.
Promoting a zero-waste lifestyle, the quickest plastic to replace in your kit is your toothbrush. Made from recycled bamboo (Bare Necessities) or a mix of wheat straw, corn starch and corn husk (Terra & Co), these are compostable too.
Plastic bottles have virtually turned into a nuisance and often account for a large chunk of plastic waste when travelling. Eliminate plastic from your bag and replace them with bamboo (Bamboo India) or lightweight aluminium bottles. Easy to refill and carry as well as long lasting, these bottles are the perfect antidote to plastic.
There is a dark underbelly of the sunscreen business. Most sunscreens are damaging coral reefs due to their ingredients such as oxybenzone and octinoxate. So may be it is time to look for sunscreen which will protect your skin while cause no harm to nature. Look for sunscreens that contain organic ingredients or are plant based, and are free of harmful chemicals (Green People, Think Sun).
A staggering amount of plastic is generated by disposable razors. Therefore, replacing your disposable razors with eco-friendly reusable ones is the right way to go. Products where the plastic handle has been replaced with bamboo (Bamboo Bae) are not difficult to find.
This is one travel essential that one cannot do without. Shampoo bars are better for the planet because they are plastic free and have a smaller carbon footprint - even if you use organic liquid shampoo they will mostly likely come in plastic bottles. So look for brands which make eco-friendly shampoo bars with natural ingredients (Juicy Chemistry, Earth Rhythm).