Our Tips for Zero-Waste Holidays

Are you trying to adopt the most environmentally-friendly lifestyle possible in your daily routine? Then, even if vacations mean getting away and relaxing, there’s no reason to abandon your good habits! Especially since we know that travel has a significant impact on our planet. Vacations can generate a lot of waste: plastic bottles and bags, disposable souvenirs, food packaging and so on.

However, with a little preparation and the right mindset, it’s entirely possible to enjoy your travels while being responsible. In this article, we share our best tips for traveling with (almost) zero waste!

What Does Zero Waste Mean?

Zero waste is a concept that offers a concrete response to overconsumption and waste accumulation. Of course, the goal isn’t to aim for impossible perfection by producing literally zero waste, but rather to commit to a voluntary and gradual approach to minimize our waste production as much as possible.

In practice, this means accessible actions like avoiding disposable items, opting for reusable alternatives, repairing instead of throwing away, buying in bulk, composting organic waste and so on. These small everyday gestures add up to create a genuinely positive impact on the environment.

The 5 Rs: The Guiding Principles to Reducing Waste

To help you along, you can follow this helpful rule, known as the 5 Rs:

1. Refuse what you don’t need (flyers, straws, free disposable products…).
2. Reduce your consumption, and buy only what’s necessary.
3. Reuse instead of buying new, favoring durable and reusable items (such as water bottles, cloth shopping bags, stainless steel cutlery etc).
4. Return to the earth (compost) organic waste whenever possible.
5. Recycle what you cannot reuse or avoid buying, following local recycling rules.

The order of the 5 Rs matters! Prioritize refusing, reducing, and reusing; recycle only when there are no other options.

The zero waste movement is based on a simple principle: consume less, but better. This applies to our daily habits as well as choices relating to shopping, clothing, cooking and traveling!

Why Is Zero Waste Travel Important?

What if vacations were the perfect opportunity to adopt good habits, or deepen your commitment to zero waste?

It’s an effective way to reduce the environmental impact of your travels and show greater respect for the places you visit. By reducing your waste, you help preserve natural resources and limit the carbon footprint associated with your trips.

Beyond benefitting the planet, zero waste travel also has perks for you: a minimalist lifestyle lightens your luggage and makes trips easier. It’s also economical, since choosing reusable or second-hand items often costs less than buying new.

1. Prepare a Zero Waste Travel Kit

Changing our habits and way of traveling is essential. Zero waste vacations start with good preparation and organization. Nothing too complicated, don’t worry!

Before you leave, put together a zero waste kit to take with you. Here are some essentials to pack:

• Stainless steel water bottle: indispensable to avoid plastic bottles. If you’re traveling somewhere where tap water isn’t always safe (or if you hike a lot), consider adding water purification tablets to your kit.
• Sealable container (like a lunch box or bento box) for picnics or taking leftovers from restaurants.
• Reusable cutlery (bamboo or stainless steel), including a straw if needed, for all your outdoor meals.
• Cloth bags for shopping, souvenirs and dirty laundry.
• Tote bag or produce bag for shopping at supermarkets or markets, without plastic bags.
• Cloth towels and napkins to avoid paper towels and disposable wipes in the kitchen.
• Beeswax wraps to replace plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

2. Switch to Solid Cosmetics and Hygiene Products

Our bathrooms are often filled with plastic bottles of all kinds: conventional cosmetics not only generate a lot of plastic waste, but also tend to pollute water. The good news? Solid cosmetics are trendy and there are more and more options available.

Besides being eco-friendly and free from chemicals and preservatives, solid cosmetics also take up less space in your toiletry bag! For your next holiday, consider packing:

• Solid soap and shampoo
• Powdered or solid toothpaste
• A bamboo toothbrush
• Natural deodorant in a jar
• Reusable cotton pads and/or microfiber makeup removing cloths
• Solid sunscreen

3. Eat Local and Avoid Food Waste

Just like in your daily life, some simple habits can make a big difference. For example:

• Choose local and seasonal products, often available at markets or small neighborhood stores. It’s not only responsible, but also a great way to discover new flavors and immerse yourself more in your destination.
• When out on walks, avoid individually wrapped snacks: opt instead for bulk or homemade food.
• At restaurants, ask for a takeaway box to bring leftovers home, instead of throwing them away. Better yet, bring your own container! In some countries, doggy bags are common and might be offered spontaneously. In others it may seem unusual, but don’t hesitate to politely explain you want to avoid food waste.
• If you do a home exchange, try to cook as much as possible using fresh, unpackaged ingredients.

4. Manage Your Waste Smartly

While traveling, get as close as possible to zero waste by applying these good habits:

• Politely refuse and avoid single-use products as much as possible, such as bags, plastic souvenirs, straws, flyers and mini toiletries often found in hotels. These small habits add up and make a real difference.
• Sort your waste even on vacation! But be sure to check the local sorting rules.
• Do you smoke? Don’t forget to carry a pocket ashtray!

5. Buy Useful and Durable Souvenirs

We all occasionally want to bring back souvenirs, to keep a memory of the place that touched us or as a gift for loved ones. So forget little trinkets that will likely end up forgotten in a drawer, and instead choose:

• Local crafts: clothing, decor, art, jewelry...
• A gourmet product bought without excessive packaging. The perfect way to share the local cuisine!
• A printed photo or a personalized travel journal.

Not only are these gifts more meaningful to your loved ones, but you also help support the local economy.

6. Choose Eco-Friendly Accommodation

Not all accommodation is equal when it comes to eco-friendly practices. By choosing a home exchange with HomeExchange, you opt for lodging that makes it easy to maintain your daily zero waste habits.

Since these homes are genuinely lived in, they’re fully-equipped for everyday life. You can use all the containers available and cook local, seasonal products for your meals, snacks and picnics.

Plus, HomeExchange is based on sharing. Don’t hesitate to ask your hosts for advice on local markets, bulk shops and more.

Conclusion: Traveling Differently Means Traveling Better

Keep in mind there’s no perfect zero waste suitcase or flawless zero waste vacation. As with all things ecological, the goal isn’t perfection (which can lead to getting disheartened and giving up) but rather doing your best consciously, with the means you have available to you.

And if your small actions seem insignificant compared to the complexity of environmental challenges, remember that change happens collectively, especially when millions of us head out on vacation.

So, this summer (or winter!), try some of these tips: you’ll see they’re not so hard to adopt, and they make travel more authentic and often more economical.