Eco-friendly Traveling Tips

Eco-friendly Traveling Tips

Traveling can be a get away and to eliminate boredom. No wonder that tourism destinations are always full during holidays.

Why Eco-friendly Traveling?

Eco-friendly Traveling Tips

The question above is based on the fact that more traveling will require more natural resources. It also deals with how much pollution, waste, and environmental damage will be produced during traveling.

Many traveling and trips are done by many people around the world each day. Either by planes, ships, private vehicles or trains, all kind of transportation must consume fuel. In addition, how many hotels and inns require electricity for accommodation, such as a bright and electronically equipped room?

Holiday or trip is fun, but it apparently can cause bad impact for the environment, especially in terms of carbon emissions. Moreover, many natural destinations are degrading because of unsustainable tourism management.

Tips for responsible and eco-friendly traveling

  1. Arrange your traveling wisely in advance.

    This includes questions like: how far the destination is? How long the journey will take? How much accommodation we need to prepare in advance? And where will we stay? would determine the resources that we will need or spend.
  2. Transportation choice.

    After having decided the traveling destination, we should think of what kind of transportation we will use. Iit is advisable to use the public transportation, especially land transportation as air planes would need fuel which is not friendly to the environment and produces more emissions causing global warming. If you have to fly, make sure it is a direct flight.
  3. Bring meal with you.

    Bring lunch from home to save more money and energy.
  4. Recheck the house before leaving.

    Make sure that electricity, water, and other facilities consuming energy are turned off.

Eco-friendly tips at the destination?

  • Choose eco-friendly or green hotels and inns. Eco-friendly hotels and inns are those that have good waste management (organic & inorganic), care for the environment by letting the birds fly, caring for plants / trees that are homes for the birds and other wildlife, and most of the employees come from local residents since they spend less energy (fuel) to get to the workplace which reduces the gas emissions into the air.
  • During meal time, choose local menu which ingredients are locally produced meaning that less energy and resources are spent to cook such menu.
  • For take-away, say no to Styrofoam packaging because it can not be degraded and recycled.
  • Bring drinking bottle which can be refilled instead of buying plastic bottled-water.
  • Bring napkin or handkerchief that can be washed and re-use many times instead of using tissue. More tissues mean more trees are cut down.
  • Bring your own toiletries (shampoo, soap, and lotion) instead of buying to reduce the packaging garbage.
  • Do not littering.
  • Buy locally made souvenirs and make sure they are not made from wildlife, body parts, or the by products. Buying souvenirs made from the illegal wildlife means there is a killing of the animal.
  • Use digital camera instead of polaroid which spends more paper.
  • Bring your won shopping bag.
  • Don't ask for shopping receipt if it is not necessary to save the paper.
  • If you go around the city, use public transportation or go on foot.
  • If you have to rent a car, choose the saving fuel and less producing emission.
  • Use the air conditioning in a car only when it is needed.
  • Check the air pressure on your vehicle tires to have the appropriate one to save the gas.
  • Use spacious cars to have more passangers at a time.
  • Turn off the machine while waiting other passengers doing shopping etc.
  • Learn how to drive well. Change gears early can reduce fuel consumption up to 15%. Before facing traffic jams or stop lights, drive slowly rather than have sudden brake. Move the gear when it reaches 2500-3000 rpm and drive at 1500-3000 rpm as proven by several surveys to save the gas.

Compiled by:

Petungsewu Widllife Education Center (P-WEC)

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