I love to travel and explore new places, but unfortunately in many ways I find it very bad for the environment. I believe we should stay aware of the ecological footprint we leave at any time, also during holidays. And yet of course, nobody is able to limit their impact on the planet to zero, but all of us can make conscious decisions and make small changes that help to reduce pollution.
Some of the simple things you can do to be more eco include having your own reusable water bottle. I am very happy that recently they have become so popular that you can buy them almost everywhere. Another advantage of having one is that some of them keep temperature. Also, you can add some herbs or fruit to your water to make it more tasty. In most restaurants if the tap water is drinkable you can ask the staff to refill you bottle. This way you also save money!
Another thing that I practice is trying to have some snack always with me. The easiest would be nuts or dried fruits put into a box or a material bag. You can also prepare some homemade cookies or muffins, or a piece of bread, sliced vegetables and hummus. This way you can be sure that you would not be forced to buy some food packed in plastic, you will eat something you like (because sometimes it’s difficult to find it in an unknown place) and again – you can save up some money, since food in touristic places is sometimes very overpriced.
My next suggestion is to always carry an additional material bag with you, so if you do some groceries or decide to buy a souvenir you do not have to use a plastic one.
Dorota Stanek
Volunteer at Teatro Metaphora – Associação de Amigos das Artes
European Solidarity Corps
To know more: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en
Atlantic is calling 