3 Packing Tips To Make Your Next Trip More Sustainable

Photo taken by Vlada Karpovich.

From overpacking to buying unnecessary items that you think you will need, to baggage fines and lousy travel habits, can cause a trip to start unsustainable. Before embarking on any kind of travel, be honest with yourself about what you need and the kind of experience you are wanting to have. This type of analysis will make a difference in your suitcase, budget, and carbon footprint. Read on to learn three preparation tips that can help you maintain sustainable habits, especially when on vacation!

Don’t Overpack

While it is worth daydreaming to think about how stylish you will look when exploring an unknown city, it is not practical to pack more than what you would normally wear during an average week. A study from One Poll revealed that 62% of Americans admit to overpacking their suitcases. Last-minute packing and overall anxiety about packing were some of the reasons given by respondents. 

It is suggested to make several attempts at packing before finalizing your bag. This is because overpacking tends to happen more often when the packing is done at the last minute. Therefore packing a little each day can help us make sounder choices about clothing, shoes, and accessories. After re-evaluating its purpose for a few days, we are more likely to remove something from our bag than if we were to throw things together the day before. Choosing a smaller bag or even a backpack is a sure way to limit the number of clothes packed. Additionally, finding out if there is a laundry service at or near the accommodation can help with deciding on the number of clothes.

A data study that examined baggage fees between US airlines showed that in 2019 American Airlines made more than 1 billion dollars in revenue from baggage-related fees. Other airlines such as United and Delta Airlines accumulated more than 800 million in bag fees. Passengers who overpack are often fined at check-in and lose money that could have gone toward holiday expenses, and time that is instead spent waiting at baggage claim. Moreover, if a heavy bag is problematic in an airport, it most likely will cause trouble during the entire trip. If you have ever traveled with a large suitcase, you know how inconvenient it is to move from one place to another, especially when you must take a bus or taxi to your final destination-storage services often cost extra. 

Once a bag is checked, it goes through an energy-intensive process to make it on the aircraft. Baggage handling systems, BHS, consist of conveyor belts that are constantly moving luggage from the check-in counter to a sorting station and then to luggage carts that drive the luggage up to the plane. The energy used to get a checked bag to an airplane could be saved simply by traveling with a carry-on bag.

All the extra costs of overpacking have real environmental consequences. That is because the heavier a plane is, the more fuel it must burn to stay in the air. Every checked bag, magazine, and laptop will increase the carbon emissions needed to fly. Any additional weight that you bring on board will effectively increase your carbon footprint; it saves big to travel light. 

Avoid Travel-Size Products

Travel-size products seem convenient and even cute when you are only traveling with a carry-on or backpack. In truth, travel-size products are overpriced and environmentally dangerous due to their single-use plastic make-up. A 2018 study conducted by a U.K. travel insurance agency found that British holiday-goers pay 5 times more per volume for the travel size alternative. The same study found that of the 15.5 million Britians that buy travel-size toiletries each year, 6.5 million do not recycle the product after using it, which results in improper waste management and plastic products ending up in landfills instead of being recycled. 

Travel-size products exacerbate waste culture. After all, they are marketed as a travel necessity that meets airline requirements and is low risk because they are considered cheaper than their full-sized counterparts. If a travel-size bottle gets broken, lost, or forgotten, it is less likely to affect the consumer economically or emotionally than something full size. The environmental impact, however, of plastic waste from travel-size bottles often goes unseen and unfelt. Another reason to give yourself time to pack is to avoid buying unnecessary travel-size products. 

Some examples of sustainable alternatives to travel-size bottles include using shampoo and soap bars instead of liquid soap. Unlike liquid shampoo, bars do not have a range in sizes and a regular bar can be used at home and for traveling. On average a bar provides 80-90 washes, depending on wash frequency, and does not need to be stored in a plastic container. As long as it has time to dry after use, it can be packed directly into a toiletry bag. Moreover, most brands sell bars in reusable cardboard or wrap them in recycled paper upon checkout. Lastly, bars are concentrated versions of liquid shampoo and use far less water than traditional shampoo, which, on average, is made of 80% water.

Other alternatives to plastic travel-size products include purchasing reusable bamboo or biodegradable bottles that can be refilled using at-home products. If you are staying at a hotel, you can ask the front desk to refill your reusable bottles, and if you are staying in a hostel or Airbnb there will likely be products available for free or for purchase. Depending on how long you stay in a place, it could be economical to wait to purchase toiletries until you know if the accommodation offers products. On the other hand, if you are traveling by train or bus, purchasing a full-size product to use throughout the entire trip could prevent multiple purchases of the same single-use products.

Get Into the Reusable Mindset 

Many brands are emerging that are committed to making the reduction of waste and self-care inclusive concepts meaning that reusable and refillable shouldn't be considered only for travel. Brands like Myro offer refillable deodorant, while Lush has both shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer bars. Using reusable and refillable products regularly means that packing does not have to be time-consuming or expensive. Moreover, you are less likely to make a frantic packing decision when you have already established confidence in the products you use daily. 

Although traveling is a way to break free of our routine, it should not be an excuse to make poor decisions that negatively impact the environment because we are away from home. Tapping into the reusable mindset can help us reevaluate our travel purpose and guide us through packing and preparation to encourage us to become more thoughtful about each item that we add to our bag. 

Keeping sustainability goals in mind can make for a meaningful travel experience. If you must travel by plane and must check a bag, consider purchasing a carbon offset, and if you are worried that you have under-packed as a result of preserving space or not packing products that you would later regret, relax. Part of traveling is that there will be uncertainty. After all, what we pack is not important; the choices we make while traveling are what define our trip.