18 Eco Travel Companies and Booking Tools to Use in 2023<\/a><\/em>
Merino Wool Clothing for Travel: A Guide to Choosing the Best Brands<\/em><\/a>
My Zero Waste Kit for Travel (and Home)<\/em><\/a> <\/em>
Is the Digital Nomad Lifestyle Environmentally Sustainable?<\/a><\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Disclosure: I have included affiliate links to some of the products in this post. This means if you click through and end up making a purchase I will get a small commission. Thank you in advance for supporting The Professional Hobo<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n Traveling can be a time when you generate a lot of trash and where your eco-friendly best of intentions take a hit. Think long flights, ready-to-eat meals, plastic bottles, travel-size shampoos, and the like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But traveling doesn\u2019t have to be waste and plastic-intensive. Below we\u2019ll explore some everyday travel essentials that are a better choice for the planet and its creatures, and that you may not have necessarily considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When education and infrastructure are lacking, people don\u2019t know better, until it\u2019s an evident problem, as it now is. And as travelers, it\u2019s our responsibility to minimize our impact and not contribute further to existing problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Switching from plastic cutlery to bamboo cutlery and reusable straws is making an impact already. It may seem small but purchasing a reusable water bottle for when you travel and avoiding buying bottled water can make a big difference. As well as getting a reusable razor and bringing reusable bags when you go shopping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These things may seem minor in the grander scheme of things, , but given the state of the environment right now, these positive habits can save waste and maintain the beauty of the place we\u2019re visiting. Beyond the ecological dilemma of whether or not to travel (which is beyond the scope of this article), there are concrete choices you can make that will significantly enhance your eco-score. The first one is to look inside your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When thinking about going abroad, it\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed with all the options, products, and in-case-of items. And for many people, the knee-jerk reaction is often to buy new (specially tailored) products to prepare for their trip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Buying new products isn’t the problem as such, especially if you are certain that you don\u2019t own an acceptable alternative. But buying mindlessly something you don’t necessarily need is not the best eco-friendly practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The smarter option to make your travel habits more earth-friendly is to use what you already have and use it for as long as you can. In the same logic, borrowing and buying second-hand are great habits too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bottom line is to become more conscious about your consumption needs and how you can help the environment by lessening your generation of (unnecessary) waste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember: one of the fundamental principles of going green is your approach regarding waste: <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the easiest ways to help make the environment better is to start living a more environmentally friendly way of life by switching from unsustainable items to sustainable ones. If you travel often, it\u2019s time to start using some reusable products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some eco-friendly travel products you may not have considered: There is A LOT to love about PAKA<\/a> and their use of traceable alpaca. So much, that I need to use bullet points: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Believe it or not, that’s not all. I dare you to visit their site and NOT be inspired by their Story<\/a> and Impact pages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I started with their classic Hoodie<\/a>, which is the piece that kicked off the whole company and the PAKA initiative. It’s incredibly soft and comfy, surprisingly lightweight, flattering, and very warm. If you use a compression packing cube<\/a>, you’ll get the best of all worlds; a comfy cozy sweater that doesn’t take up too much space or weight in your luggage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I also have their ankle socks<\/a> which are surprisingly technically sound, with triple-sole cushioning, a heel tab to protect against blisters, and a tightened compression arch. <\/p>\n\n\n Since getting these initial pieces in 2023, I got a few more – specifically the lightweight puffer<\/a><\/strong> (with a better warmth-to-weight ratio than down, though it does pack down a bit larger than a nano-puff….apparently in winter 2025 they’ll release an even more packable version so stay tuned!), the Sol Hoodie<\/a><\/strong>, and the Ultralight COOLPLUS Crew<\/a><\/strong> – both of which are made for summer\/warm weather (which one wouldn’t think alpaca wool could handle, but here we are). These three pieces are some of the most comfortable and flattering things I own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It gets even better: because alpaca is naturally odour-resistant, it needn’t be washed as much, which means it will last longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get your alpaca clothes at PAKA today<\/a>, and feel good about your contribution to the environment, the people of Peru, and of course, your travel wardrobe. <\/strong> Conventional makeup products usually have plastic packaging and casings that are either tough to recycle or not recyclable at all. Not to mention the number of ingredients that have questionable origins and are not necessarily healthy for your body and skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eco-friendly makeup is slowly becoming more accessible, as a growing number of brands are taking responsibility for their products; making packaging more sustainable, their products cleaner, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When looking for eco-friendly makeup products, consider three things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most eco-friendly makeup products are those with clean ingredients, are sustainably sourced, and are ethically made. Look for brands using reusable containers such as glass jars, and\/or come in easily recyclable or compostable cartons and containers. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Shipping-wise, opt for brands that have a sustainable and earth-friendly policy in place; for example, by compensating and offsetting their carbon footprint, or by sourcing\/distributing as locally as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for products that are naturally derived or plant-based. Avoid buying items that use nonrenewable energy sources such as petroleum. Another ingredient to avoid is palm oil, the production of which is causing massive environmental issues from deforestation and dwindling animal habitats to the displacement of indigenous communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Zero waste champion <\/strong>River Organics<\/strong><\/a> offers a wide range of clean, trustworthy makeup products. Use coupon code PROFESSIONALHOBO for 15% off! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Liquid shampoos and conditioners usually come packaged in plastic bottles that are not easily recycled and thus often end up polluting our soils and oceans. When you\u2019re traveling, you\u2019re likely to buy travel-sized versions of everything, especially considering the carry-on restrictions on liquids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A great workaround is opting for shampoo and conditioner bars. You can cut up a bar and take just what you need for your trip (a great tip for <\/strong>carry-on and one bag travel<\/strong><\/a>). <\/strong>There are no packaging or liquid restrictions to worry about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you’re balking at the price, don’t: they last way longer! I’ve been a fan of LUSH’s shampoo bars for years (they’ve been a consistent staple in my packing list<\/a>), and one bar lasts me (and my long hair) a minimum of six months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever bar-looking product you buy in bulk or online, make sure it lists ALL the ingredients. For example, vegans should avoid beeswax and other animal-derived components. Similarly, soap and shampoo (whether liquid or bar) mentioning \u2018fragrance\u2019 in the list is a typical way to \u2018hide\u2019 questionable ingredients. Cotton rounds and swabs are useful for hygienic purposes and for removing makeup. Keeping a couple of cotton rounds handy when traveling always has its benefits. However, these products are wasteful given their single-use nature. The plastic part of conventional cotton swabs in particular is difficult to work around and recycle properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"eco-friendly](\"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Professional-Hobo-Pins-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEco-Friendly Products You Must Pack with You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nEco-Friendly Products for Travelers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nEarth Loving Eco-Friendly Products For You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PAKA: Sustainable Traceable Alpaca Clothing from Peru<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PAKA-clothing-is-traceable.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/The-person-who-handmade-your-PAKA-clothes-signs-it.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"PAKA-handmade-alpaca-clothing\"](\"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PAKA-handmade-alpaca-clothing.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nLow Waste Makeup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"River](\"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/River-Organics-Low-Waste-Makeup.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Shampoo and Conditioner Bars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nReusable Cotton Swabs and Rounds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Last](\"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Last-Object-reusable-items.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n![\"Featured](\"https:\/\/birdsend.s3.amazonaws.com\/forms\/EDP5Ry0UvES1MvKT5LFW3F9O8qNZzMCT1NrQU6vV.png\")
<\/div><\/div>