Hello from the road! I am on my way to a writing retreat in North Carolina and was inspired to share a travel tip or two that I try to remember. They are small acts that help reduce the strain a little bit on precious mother earth and sometimes save me money. I’d love to hear your tips, too!
1) Bring a reusable coffee mug and water bottle. Whether at the hotel’s continental breakfast, a gas station, or Starbucks, I use my own mug. Not only am I not contributing to more Styrofoam cups in the landfill, I sometimes save a few cents by doing so. As for water, I refill a gallon jug and keep it in my car. Instead of wasting another disposable plastic bottle and spending $1-2 each time I stop at the gas station, I top off my “Klean Kanteen” from the jug I brought. This is my daily practice, too, not just when I’m in travel mode.
2) Save the shampoo. I don’t mean actually take it, I mean save the earth from more wasteful plastic containers that get trashed after a few uses.
I used to always hoard the “free” shampoo, lotion, soap, pens, pad of paper, and coffee. It’s in my nature to (a) collect…er…hoard and (b) “get my money’s worth,” whether at a buffet, music festival, or gathering items from the hotel room. I’m learning to let both go and instead honor my body (avoid over-eating at a buffet because it’s there and go home from a festival when I’m tired) and mind/spirit (avoid collecting stuff since it often clutters my physical space, which often taxes my visual field and emotional landscape.)
Since I rarely use shampoo anymore, instead, opting for a baking soda and apple cider vinegar hair care regime, its even more reason to leave the unnecessary “beauty essentials” behind. Here’s more information about the no ‘poo method. There are plenty of other resources out there, but they are all similar:
Try to use only one bar of soap instead of unwrapping two. Is it necessary to have one in the shower and at the sink, or can you use one for both? If I do use the hotel’s soap, I often save the plastic wrapper and take the nearly full bar back home….or use it at the next hotel.
Speaking of using only one….how about if you use only one trash can in the hotel room, too? Think of all the plastic trash bags that are used when only a few items are in it!
I hope these tiny tips inspire you to think of other earth-friendly acts you can do, too, whether on the road or at home and work. I know I have lots more room for improvement and I look forward to hearing from you about your ideas. Please comment below and let me know.
Thanks for helping take care of our Mother!
Cheers,
Sara