Since 2013 I’ve been looking for more and more ways to reduce my carbon footprint and find eco-friendly travel products to use:
- My boyfriend and I built a house that’s smaller, but livable.
- For the past 2 years we’ve been slowly using what we’ve already purchased, then replacing as many plastic products as we can with longer-lasting, sustainable alternatives.
- We grow as many of our vegetables as we can.
- Most of our clothes are purchased at thrift stores.
Within the last few years, since I’ve been traveling more, I’ve been trying to travel more sustainably. One of the pathways to sustainable travel is to replace disposable products and find others that are made from recycled materials. Here are some of my favorite eco-friendly travel products.
Reusable Make-up Remover Pads
Disposable make-up removal products can be pricey and create waste. Purchase these Reusable Make-up Remover Pads from Our Earth Beauty.
This small business uses plastic free packaging which I LOVE! These ultra soft organic bamboo velvet pads can be used in conjunction with any face wash or cleanser and can be washed and used again and again.
This bundle also comes with 2 microfiber face cleansing gloves and a small mesh laundry pouch so your face pads don’t get lost in the wash.
Bamboo Toothbrush with Travel Case
Millions of plastic toothbrushes are are sitting in landfills all over the world, and they’ll be there for thousands of years.
The next time you need a new toothbrush get this Bamboo Toothbrush with Travel Case.
They are plastic and BPA free. The packaging and the toothbrushes themselves are both biodegratable, so when you’re finsihed with them you won’t be added more trash to the world that won’t go away.
In addition, the bristles are infused with charcoal to help whiten teeth.
Reusable Sandwich Bags
I always have snacks on hand when I’m on the road and because I’m trying to reduce my plastic usage I have Reusable Sandwich Bags instead.
They are BPA free and dishwasher safe so you know they’ll be clean use after use.
These cute, patterned baggies are zipper closed and made of 100% food-safe polyester outside & 100% polyester with PU coated lining on the inside.
Nearly 100 billion plastic baggies are used in the U.S. each year. That’s almost one bag per person each day. By using these reusable baggies you’ll be reducing that number.
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Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
I’ve been using Friendly Shampoo and Conditioner Bars for a little over a year now and they’ve changed the way I travel.
Not only do they reduce the amount of plastic that I consume while I’m on the road with travel-sized toiletries, they make it easier to travel carry on. With shampoo and conditioner in bar form, it allows me to pack more liquids like sunscreen (which I use a lot of).
Reusable Metal Straws
I know that using Reusable Metal Straws is all the rage right now, but there is actually good reason behind it. And it’s not just sea turtles. Straws affect all forms of sea life and, as they’re made of plastic they take a long time to decompose.
These metal straws come with a little carrying case and a cleaning wand (so you’re not sipping on mold after several uses.) They’re easy to pack and I always keep them in my carry on and purse.
Bamboo Travel Utensil Set
Just like straws, disposable utensils takes a very long time to decompose in landfills, if they make it there.
I use this Bamboo Travel Utensil Set which includes a spoon, fork, knife, chopsticks, and a bamboo straw. It comes with a handy carrying case and a cleaning wand for the straw.
This eco-friendly product is great for travel and everyday use. I’ve used it on food tours and on airplanes when they give out disposable utensils (why do they STILL do this?)
Sawyer Water Filter
For the past 5 years, I’ve used this Sawyer Water Filter while traveling and hiking. Because of this product I haven’t purchased a bottle of water while traveling in a very long time.
Sawyer makes great products including bug cream, but their water filter is my absolute favorite.
Each filter comes with 1 (or more) BPA free reusable plastic pouches to collect water and then use the filter to clean the water for drinking.
Sawyer’s 0.1 Micron absolute inline filters fit in the palm of your hand and weighs only 2 ounces.
Luci Light
The Luci Light is an inflatable, solar-charged light that I bring everywhere.
No matter the travel destination, power outages happen, in some places more than others, and you need to be prepared for then it does.
The Luci Light packs flat and has 2 brightness modes. I usually use the dimmer one to make it last longer.
It is also great to bring camping or hiking as it will illuminate an entire tent!
Yoga Design Lab Travel Yoga Mat
Does anyone else love doing yoga on the road, but have difficulty finding and packing eco-friendly yoga mats?
Look no further than the Yoga Design Lab Travel Yoga Mat.
Yoga Design lab’s travel yoga mat is made of 100% microfiber created from recycled plastic bottles. To create the colors they use non-fade water-based ink.
This yoga mat folds up easily making it very pack-able.
Additionally, Yoga Design Lab gives back to the yoga community with $1 of each purchase going to support yoga programs for unserved populations.
The Scrubba
I recently won a Scrubba in an Instagram contest and took it with me to Cuba.
The Scrubba is a waterproof pouch used to wash small batches of cloths in while traveling. I use it for washing my socks, underwear, and bras and it works great.
It only takes a maximum of 5 minutes to wash your clothes and it uses significantly less water than a traditional washing machine. And weighing at only 5 ounces it won’t add too much weight to your luggage or backpack.
They also have a product, that I haven’t used that doubles as a waterproof backpack, the Scrubba Stealth Pack, that I’d like to add to my travel gear. The more travel products I have that do double duty on the road the fewer things I need to pack.
Travel Towel
Having a microfiber travel towel is essential for any traveler. Not only are they quick-drying, but they pack small and don’t weigh much.
I carry mine everywhere because I tend to stay in hostels and just in case they don’t provide them I always have one.
Microfiber travel towels are eco-friendly products because they don’t require a lot of water during the washing process saving water over time.
Bare Republic Sunscreen
With so many of the planet’s reefs dead or dying it is so important to do everything we can to make a difference. One was I do that is by using mineral sunscreen.
Bare Republic makes the best reef-safe mineral sunscreen out there!
Their sunscreen has broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection, is water-resistant for us to 80 minutes, and contains no chemical actives, no synthetic fragrances, and no parabens.