How to Reduce Plastic Pollution and Waste While Traveling

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Are you curious how you can reduce your plastic consumption and waste to protect the planet? 

I’m sure you’ve heard before that if you get rid of your straws, you’re an eco-friendly traveler. But I’ll be honest with you real quick: None of us really need a straw to suck down that wine spritzer we ordered at lunch; in fact, most of us welcome the idea of chugging it like heathens with our gaping mouths—or is that just me? 

Straws are detrimental to the environment; in the U.S., we waste 500 million straws a year, but ridding the earth of straws won’t save it, especially if we swap them for soggy paper straws while other plastic pollution increases. Buying a reusable straw is a great starting point, but if you allow yourself to believe that this is all you need to do to be an eco-friendly person or traveler, you are mistaken. 

Don’t worry, though. In this guide, I’m going to go over all the ways you can actually reduce your plastic pollution and waste while traveling. This goes beyond just ditching single-use plastics, like straws. It involves making eco-conscious choices from the moment you choose a destination to the souvenir you choose to bring home.

Doing so can significantly impact the amount of plastic pollution on our planet. Learn about the harms of plastic here.

Why listen to me about reducing plastic waste?

Hey, I’m Sooz, I have a Master’s degree in biodiversity. I studied nature-based solutions for tourism in grad school. I am a regenerative tourism expert with 15 years in the tourism field.

I’m not going to lie; making these choices in the beginning was quite hard. It took me a while to balance reducing my carbon footprint, using plastic in places where there were no alternatives, and still finding a way to enjoy meaningful travel. I would stress about it so much that I would get anxious about the damage I was adding to the planet, and it wasn’t healthy. I had to completely alter how I traveled and figure out a system that worked for me so I could enjoy traveling and make better choices. 

I started with straws and water bottles, and as things became more manageable. I’ve now reduced my plastic waste by almost 80% in one year alone, and I have a system that works for me, so I can still enjoy traveling.

If you want to do the same, you will need to start making changes that affect yourself and the businesses from which you buy goods or services. As tourists and travelers, we travel to many places that rely on tourism to survive. SE Asia, for example, heavily relies on tourism, but this region is also named one of the worst areas for mismanaging plastic waste. Part of the problem is limited local access and money to purchase high-end items made sustainably, a lack of resources, economic issues, and water quality. 

I fully understand some people and countries can not make these decisions right now, but we, as privileged travelers, can. If we can’t change the way we travel to improve the places we visit, then we should not be traveling at all.

If we start respecting destinations as much as we do our own homes, happily spend more money to make the right choices, put our money toward eco-tourism, and plan, we can finally go above and beyond chugging wine spritzers with our mouths to save the planet.

Sit down and buckle up because this isn’t the easy-peasy post most people write about reducing your plastic consumption, AKA four easy steps that are affiliate links to zero-waste Amazon products.

My tips will make you uncomfortable, but to make a change, you have to make yourself and those around you uncomfortable. We will start by preparing for your trip, continue with packing and traveling, and finish at your destination.

Part 1: Planning to Reduce Plastic Pollution While Traveling

Over the last few years, as I tried to move toward a zero-waste and sustainable lifestyle, I realized just how important planning ahead is. Now, I research accommodation, companies, and restaurants ahead of time and make sure I go to a location prepared to make the right choices. 

When you don’t plan, you’ll wander the streets of a new city, hungry, thirsty, and jet-lagged. That’s when you have to buy a single-use bottle of water, or maybe you realize all the ethical tours are booked, so you miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Planning can make or break your new sustainable travel habits, so here’s how to do it well.

1. Choose Your Destination Wisely

You could look at this in one of two ways. One, you can choose a destination like Kenya or Denmark that has banned plastic bags to help make your travel a little more stress-free. Bans on plastic bags mean that you do not always have to fight the cashier at the store wanting to bag your items in plastic. When you tell someone you brought your own cup or don’t want a straw, they get it and are more likely to accommodate you. Additionally, you’re giving money to economies that support reducing plastic pollution.

Or, you can stick it to the man and travel to destinations like Thailand, which currently struggles with horrendous amounts of plastic waste. At destinations like this, you can aggressively refuse plastic products and make a display of bringing your reusable items. Who knows, the more businesses realize their customers don’t want plastic, the more they might move to plastic-free.

What do you think? Is it better to support economies that have bans on single-use plastics, or make a statement in a country that does not?

2. Research Hotels, Restaurants, and Activities

When it comes to accommodation and activities, don’t just book the cheapest hotel and the most affordable excursions. Sit down and do some research about a company’s ethics and sustainability. Email the front desk and ask them what steps they take to reduce plastic pollution or maintain a green property. Find a local hotel that recycles, doesn’t use mini shampoos, and sources its products locally. 

A great example of this business model might be a small local bed and breakfast or the 25-hour Hotel chain in Germany. They don’t give you bottled water, their gift shop is full of local handmade oddities, and their shampoo is provided in bulk and refilled. 

Look at photos of the hotel. Do you see plastic in the images? Read about the company on its website and in reviews. Does the breakfast buffet have single-use plastics? You can find more tips on booking ethical accommodation here.

When it comes to restaurants, try to find and save farm-to-table restaurants that have an ethical business model. Do they offer takeout? Is it in plastic?

Even if you don’t order takeout, giving your money to a company that gives out single-use plastics isn’t ideal. Instead of buying your food at a supermarket with plastic packaging, find fresh local markets you can visit. Is there a package-free store in the city?

If you star all these great restaurants and fresh markets, then use Google Maps offline, you’ll be able to find a sustainable location to eat near you at any time.

If you want to book an excursion, continue to do your research. If it involves animals, do double the research. You should look for business practices that align with sustainable methods. Email the tour operator and ask if they give lunch in single-use containers or what types of vehicles they drive. Give your money to a local company that cares about the local environment and strives to make a difference.

Avoid places like unethical zoos and SeaWorld that harm animals, and if you go somewhere like Disneyland or a theme park, make sure you have a game plan not to use their single-use plastics. You have reached your A Game if you can go to Disney without using plastic. I’m putting that on my bucket list because I love Disney.

3. Research Local Recycling Culture

I just returned from a month living on a Greek Island called Samos. This island made my skin CRAWL with the terrible single-use plastic consumption. Plastic filled the gutters and ditches. I made some progress having conversations with locals at coffee shops about reusable coffee cup and lunch box for to-go food.

However, I didn’t see any recycling options on the island until one day, one of my friends on the island told me about a specific trash bin in a particular area of the city. 

The island tried implementing recycling, but the locals hadn’t developed the habit yet. I would have never known there were bins if my friend hadn’t been hunting for recycling options. While my hotel had no recycling container, I set up my system in the hotel and took my recycling out once a week to the proper bin.

The moral of the story is to do your research before you go. Once you arrive, you might not have time to figure out what the system is. Knowing how and where to recycle while traveling is essential. The easiest option is to book an eco-hotel, but if you can’t do that, know what the recycling situation is.

4. Research Local Water Concerns

Are you traveling to a place where water comes from a pristine glacier, or are you headed to a place where even looking at a tomato rinsed in local water will make you sick for days? If the former, bring a reusable bottle and fill up every day before you head out. If the latter, you might want to invest in a Life Straw, Steripen, or water bottle with a filter.

Or maybe you will need to prepare to buy bottled water. If this is the case, stop by a supermarket and get the largest container you can, then refill a smaller bottle and recycle that. You can also use a hotel water boiler right before bed and take that water to go in the morning.

5. Learn Local Phrases

I might be struggling to learn German, but you can rest assured that I can order my drink without a straw. Phrases to look up in the local language are “no plastic,” “no bag,” “without straw,” etc.

You won’t win every round, as many drinks still come out from the bar with a straw, but it helps to have your metal straw handy and show the server you already have one if your translation fails.

6. Find Local Brands

I grew up in Alaska, where we have a logo with a bear that says, “Made in Alaska.” Here in Germany, we have a thumb giving a thumbs up that says, “Kauf Lokal.” Knowing what brands and what signs reflect things that are locally made before you travel will help your brain look for and recognize them when you see them.

When you shop local, less plastic and energy is used in transportation, the packaging tends to use minimal plastic, and you support the local economy.

What is the Shop Local sign to look for in your country or city?

Part 2: How to Reduce Plastic Waste While Packing

I would say how and what you pack can be one of the most significant factors in how much you cut down your plastic pollution while traveling. If you arrive at your destination prepared with all your reusable items and don’t forget anything at home, you are setting yourself up for success.

7. Reduce Plastic Waste in Your Toiletries

When packing your toiletries, plastic is everywhere. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. The last thing you should do is head to your local drug store and buy single-use carry-on-size minis every time.

You can use bar soap, shampoo, and conditioner from a store like Lush instead or learn to make your own. If you can’t commit to doing this, you can buy multi-use containers and refill them in bulk.

Get yourself a bamboo toothbrush and hairbrush.

To stop using hair sprays and gels, find a way to wear your hair naturally with a homemade sea salt spray.

8. Invest in a Metal Multi-use Razor

If you haven’t converted already, get a Diva Cup for your periods. They’re a plastic lifesaver and make packing for your period weeks that much easier. You can also invest in Thinx undies instead of pads.

You should be able to look in your toiletry kit and know that for every item of plastic in there, there is an alternative – you can even swap toothpaste for baking soda. When you’re rid of all the plastic, invest in a durable, clear vinyl zippered bag for carry-on. You should never use a single-use Ziploc bag again!

9. Sustainable Clothing Options

Need some last-minute outfits for your summer vacation? Do not head to H&M or a similar store. Not only does H&M promote terrible working conditions for women, but their clothing is also cheap. 

What is wrong with affordable clothing? Well, for starters, it falls apart quickly and goes out of style even quicker. Therefore you have to throw it away not long after you buy it so it creates much more extra waste. 

However, one of the most significant issues with cheap clothing are the materials used. Did you know that synthetic fabric releases microplastics into the water system every single time you wash your clothing? It doesn’t matter if you’re washing that summer dress in Thailand at a hostel laundromat or in Denmark, you are putting plastic into the water where tiny organisms eat it and thus larger animals eat it, and then we eat that… Ah, the circle of life. 

Instead, wear what you have, rewear outfits.

You can also invest in a capsule wardrobe, hit the thrift store, or invest in ethical natural clothing made from hemp, bamboo, or cotton. I love the brand Mata Traders or check out these other organic brands with classic looks for traveling. These swimsuits made from old fishing line are fantastic too!

Let’s take a little pause. We travelers get a bad rep. How can someone be sustainable and travel so much? It’s no secret the airline industry is one of the largest contributors to emissions and has a negative impact on the environment, BUT did you know that the fashion and makeup industry creates MORE greenhouse pollution than the airline industry? 

That is why one of the biggest lifestyle changes I have made is using less makeup and buying second-hand or ethical clothing that you rewear! Think about all the plastic packaging and containers they come in. Think how much energy it costs to make those cheap brands overseas in India or China and then ship them around the world.

Find a vegan makeup product with biodegradable packaging. Shop for clothing that is going to last you and is made from organic material. This is one of the most impactful changes you can make.

10. Pack Reusable Items

Finally, it’s time to talk about straws. I bet you had no idea how much there was to cover before we got to straws! Invest in a full set of reusable items. Things that make every trip with me are my coffee mug, water bottle, straw, utensils, lunch box set, a collapsible cup for to-go cocktails or wine in the park, and sometimes I even pack an iced drink option, for when I want iced tea. 

How on earth do I fit all this in my carry-on? Well, I have an Osprey backpack with two bottle holders on either side. I pack my airplane food in my lunch box, and everything else is stuffable.

It is just as essential to be able to carry these items around during the day. My camera bag has space for my reusable water bottle and my straw and utensils. They are of no use to you sitting in the hotel. Coordinate your day bag and your water bottle size to ensure you are prepared for traveling.

Other reusable items I bring are shopping bags or a stuffable hemp backpack. You can even buy a souvenir bag from your destination to do all your shopping. I always have this bag stuffed in my camera bag in case I want to buy something I need to carry on a whim.

If you plan correctly, you will never again use a plastic fork, buy a water bottle, use a straw, or put food in styrofoam. It has been 1.5 years since I bought a plastic water bottle, even while traveling.

11. Make a List and Check it Twice

This goes with the above. If you plan correctly, you can minimize your plastic pollution, but ensuring you have everything you need for your trip is critical. Let’s say you forget your headphones – no big deal, right?

You can just grab some cheap ones for $10 at the airport. But these $10 phones are wrapped in plastic and cheaply made; you’ll just toss them when you get home. You see the problem if you forget stuff at home? Make a list and check it twice, just like Santa!

12. Plan Your Carry-On

Did you pack a reusable water bottle, but it is in your large suitcase? Did you pack your headphones, but they’re not easy to get to, so you take some from the airline? All these things just mean you’re taking more from the airline and creating more waste than you need. Ensure you have all your reusable items ready for the plane so that you receive nothing wrapped in plastic from the airline.

Part 3: Low Plastic in Transit And At Your Destination

Impossible, right? Well, mostly, yes. I just admitted that flying is the second most damaging industry to the planet, so the best way to solve this is to fly less, but when you have to fly, there are ways to cut down your carbon footprint.

13. Fly Sustainably

I understand it is a bit of an oxymoron, so the best title is How to Fly as Sustainably as Possible. I wrote a whole post on this topic, and it covers everything from paying the carbon tax to which airplanes are the most energy-efficient. You can read it by clicking this link.

14. Choose Eco-friendly Alternatives

Instead of spending your long weekend flying from Portugal to Estonia, try looking in your backyard for destinations reached by train. See if you can book an electric rental car or choose a train that isn’t coal-powered – if that is still a thing? A bicycle is a great way to see a city, so research the bike rental options in each town.

15. Reduce Plastic Pollution at Your Destination

That was a lot of effort, and we haven’t even reached our destination yet! Hang in there. We’re just warming up for the grand finale to showcase all your awesome sustainable new swag and lifestyle changes. Ensuring we, as travelers, aren’t leaving plastic waste behind for the animals and locals to clean up is essential to saving our planet. Here are ways to reduce your plastic pollution once you reach your destination.

16. Ditch the Pool Floaties

It is time to give up your dream of becoming an Insta-famous traveler with unicorn floaties and glitter covering your face. If you think straws are terrible for the planet, think about pool floaties. They are large and made from thick plastic that will be here long after you’re gone. They pop quickly, and hotels will have to keep replacing them.

The same goes for beach balls, plastic wine glasses for a beach picnic, glitter to make that photo shine, and that fantastic ice cream spot that serves in single-use plastic, but everyone is Instagramming. Unfortunately, Instagram trends often involve plastic, glitter, and greed. Think critically about all your items. Do you need these items, or are they just for a pretty picture?

17. Shop Smart

Are you buying a souvenir wrapped in plastic packaging made in China, but you’re in Greece? Think about all the energy it took to get that item to Greece and all the packaging. Buy souvenirs from local craft workers and tell them you have your bag. Look for that locally made sticker or sign you researched earlier, and you will be shopping locally and ethically in no time.

18. Buy the Right Food

You already starred those fresh markets, so let’s find some food! Bring your shopping bag and don’t buy fruits and veggies wrapped in plastic. If you do buy something, like hummus in a plastic container, reuse it as many times as you can on your trip. Think about buying seasonal food too. Buy what is in season and locally grown at your destination.

19. Recycle and Pick Up Trash

You already researched the destination’s recycling habits – now put them to use.

If you’re heading out for a day at the beach, bring an extra shopping bag for trash. It never hurts to collect anything you see at the beach or while hiking and dispose of it in a place where animals won’t try to eat it, choke and die.

Talk to your hotel about their recycling habits. Ideally, you’re staying somewhere that recycles, but maybe you notice there is recycling at your destination, but your hotel isn’t implementing it. Ask them to set up something to make it easier for the guests.

Last year, I stayed at a hotel with TONS of single-use plastics for their breakfast. In reviewing their property, I reduced their stars and called them out for not recycling and using too much plastic. If you can’t change their systems, you can at least let other travelers know before they also book a stay there.

20. Prepare Your Day

Every day before you head out to explore your new destination, make sure you are ready to go. Make a day packing list and check it twice, to ensure you have all your reusables and sustainable activities planned for the day. It is a lot easier to make good choices when you are prepared to do so.

21. It’s Ok To Say No

It is ok to say no. I know it’s hard, especially when immersing yourself in local culture and embracing hospitality. If your guide offers you water, they mean well and are trying to provide excellent customer service.

It is ok to say “no, thank you,” and show them your bottle. You might like to research local customs for polite ways to turn down offers that involve plastic or waste. If you’re in a situation where you can have an intelligent conversation with a local about plastic pollution, do so.

If you’re at a beach party and someone offers to buy you a drink, but you see all the plastic cups littering the beach already, it is okay to say “no, thank you” and get your drink in your to-go cup. It is also okay to say “no, thank you” if the pool staff offers floaties.

It is also ok to go without. You shouldn’t suck all the joy out of your trip, but deciding not to get an iced tea because you don’t have a to-go cup is an option. It is a hard choice, but it is a choice you have.

This is where I struggle. I’m okay saying no, but I have yet to find the perfect balance between ensuring I have all the necessary tools, not wasting anything, and still enjoying myself. It’s taken me a while, and there have been nights I don’t drink because everything is in plastic cups, and there have been nights I use too much plastic because I don’t want to miss out.

There have certainly been nights when bartenders think I am crazy for handing them my reusable cup. However, every time I travel, I do it a little better than last time, and I’m slowly making sure I don’t miss out, but I don’t waste too much either.

Final Thoughts

Remember, plastic pollution is more than just keeping straws off the beach. The simple act of creating plastic causes pollution. Negative consequences exist whether plastic ends up in the landfill, recycling bin, or the ocean. It is essential to make changes at home, but when we travel, we tend to have an out-of-mind, out-of-sight mentality. We must preserve every destination we visit and our home to have a better tomorrow.

I will be the first to admit it is not easy. There are still things I am working on myself, but it will be worth it. This guide covered many things we can do to reduce our plastic waste as we travel, but that doesn’t mean you have to do them all right away. Pick a handful of things you can realistically do on your next trip, and implement more every time you travel. 

I hear so many people saying that one person can’t make a difference, but the amount of plastic pollution you can reduce on your next trip is much more than you think. As travelers, it is our job to educate, make decisions that push businesses to sustainable options, and leave our destinations cleaner than when we arrived.