More than 65% of countries in the world have some sort of plan to regulate how they make, use and dispose of single-use plastic. Some have put an extra tax on making them or buying these plastics. Others, like Kenya, Morocco and Rwanda, have upped the recycling of single-use plastics or have banned them altogether. According to Global Citizen and the UN, Africa is leading on this issue. If entire countries can go without plastic, what’s to say you can’t, too?
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Take your own
It doesn’t take much space, time or effort to throw in reusable versions of what you normally pack. Take shampoo and soap for example; instead of buying plastic bottles, buy a bar of soap and shampoo. If you think it will be messy, wrap it in some waxed cloth. Keep a food container, bamboo cutlery, (it biodegrades after six months), a glass/metal straw, and a reusable water bottle in a reusable grocery bag.
National Geographic traveller Marie McGrory recommends a foldable food container for easy storage. She urges you to remember to tell people that you have your own straw, bowl or bag.
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Take a mobile water purification device
It is tempting to buy bottled water as you reckon it should be filtered, but why do that when you can purify water yourself? You can of course boil water, but if you’re on the move you can use a filtration bottle or the SteriPEN which uses ultraviolet light to destroy whatever is in there. You can also use water purification tablets and, as LonelyPlanet suggests, you can hide the taste of the water using rehydrate or vitamin C dissolvable tablets.
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Invest in sustainable clothing – yours might be shedding plastic
Yes, it’s true. When you wash your clothes, some of the plastic microfibres enter the waterways and end up in the ocean. Make sure your travel clothing is made from sustainable, eco-friendly textiles like bamboo.
Keep doing what you’re doing at home
Don’t stop using biodegradable cotton buds, buying refills or using a biodegradable toothbrush. Keep reusing and recycling and rethinking how to manage your waste. There are even some apps to help you out, like this one which shows you were to find free drinking water in Paris so that you can fill up your water bottle, among other useful things.
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Support those who are doing things differently
Eco-tourism is not just an abstract buzz word – it’s a real thing you can be part of. Try to support those who are looking after the environment everyday. They can keep doing what they’re doing, and they can help you to do the same.
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Read Getaway’s article on cities and towns that have banned plastic
Read Getaway’s article on how far South Africa still has to go until it bans single-use plastic
Read Getaway’s article about the first airline to ban single-use plastics on its flights
Read Getaway’s 10 tips for living with less plastic
Feature image: Life is not a beach if it’s made of plastic (Dustan Woodhouse)
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