Many people out there have become environmentally conscious in recent years, which is great news! It made a number of trends rise in popularity, including eating less meat and using biodegradable products, among other things.
There is one trend that appears to be particularly interesting, though, and that is making your holidays environmentally friendly. In short, it is about travelling the world while simultaneously protecting the environment. Would you like to learn more about it? In that case, this article is definitely for you!
Here, you will find a list of tips for having an environmentally friendly vacation, including choosing environmentally friendly transportation, limiting your energy use, avoiding buying souvenirs made from endangered species, choosing environmentally friendly accommodation, buying local, respecting the local environment, and selecting an appropriate destination. Check it out!
Choose environmentally friendly transportation
If you want your holidays to be environmentally friendly, you will have to use means of transportation that have a low impact on the environment. For starters, if you want to get to your destination in a car, you should go for an electric car.
There are many such cars out there, meaning that you should be able to find one that suits both your needs and your budget in no time! Unfortunately, it can be a bit problematic if the region that you are travelling to is devoid of charging stations.
In order not to get stuck in the middle of nowhere, you should plan out your route in advance and ensure that you will have access to reliable charging stations if need be. On top of that, you should charge your electric car before your departure.
You can always charge your car in your garage. If you do not have the means to charge your electric car that way, you should do something about it! There are many companies out there that can help you out, as well as ensure that your garage is in top condition.
For instance, if your garage doors make weird noises and do not close properly, you can look for a company that specializes in both charging stations and garage doors – Denver, Colorado, as well as plenty of other cities in the United States, are famous for affordable and cheap garage services!
On the other hand, if you are planning on travelling to a different country, you should choose a flight with low carbon emissions. The other thing that you can think about is taking a train, as trains produce fewer greenhouse gases than planes.
Minimize your use of energy
Energy is one of the most useful things on our planet. Unfortunately, many people use much more energy than they need, leading to increased rates of air and water pollution.
Because of that, if you are planning on having an environmentally friendly vacation, you should definitely limit your use of energy. You can do that by turning off the lights and the taps when you leave hotel rooms, as well as taking shorter showers.
Avoid buying souvenirs made from endangered species or unsustainable materials
Most travellers enjoy shopping for souvenirs. The problem is that in many countries, souvenirs are made from endangered species, meaning that if you purchase such a souvenir, you end up supporting the illegal wildlife trade.
If you decide to buy souvenirs in an area where many endangered species live, you should ensure that what you are buying is made from sustainable materials. It might be tricky to find such souvenirs for sale in tourist shops, but if you want your holidays to be genuinely environmentally friendly, it is definitely a must!
Choose environmentally friendly accommodation
Many tourists forget about the importance of choosing environmentally friendly accommodation, which is a big mistake! Hotels and other accommodation facilities can generate a lot of waste, as well as consume huge amounts of energy, which exacerbates the problem of air and water pollution.
For that reason, you should look for accommodation facilities that have a high energy efficiency rating and a green star rating. If that is not an option, just look for accommodation facilities that use renewable sources of energy. Such facilities will be able to help you protect the environment with ease!
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Buy local
It might be tempting to go for the cheapest souvenirs made of plastic and manufactured in gigantic factories thousands of miles away. However, if you make such a purchase, you end up supporting the use of cheap materials that are harmful to the environment.
If you are looking to have an environmentally conscious vacation, you should buy souvenirs that were made by the locals, such as paintings and wooden figurines. You will be able to enjoy the same things without harming the environment, as well as support the local economy!
Respect the surrounding landscapes
This one might seem like a no-brainer, but you should respect the local environment. You can do that by sticking to the public trails and footpaths, not feeding any animals, and not littering.
Choose an eco-friendly destination
Last but not least, you should select your destination wisely! Many tourists do not take this into account, though. Consequently, many destinations become over-developed, leading to the destruction of the natural habitats of many endangered species of plants and animals.
If you want to have an environmentally friendly vacation without hurting the environment too much, choose destinations located in countries with strict environmental laws. Other than that, you can look for a travel company that offers holidays that support sustainable development and provide financial support to the local communities.
To sum up, travelling is a great way to enjoy yourself and unwind, but it can have a negative impact on the environment. Fortunately, there are many things that you can do to make your holidays more environmentally friendly, such as avoiding buying souvenirs made from endangered species of animals and choosing environmentally friendly accommodation. It might not seem like much, but it will allow you to do your part in protecting the environment!
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