Okay, so I’ve been diving deep into this whole “eco-travel products” thing lately, and let me tell you, it’s been a journey. Thought I’d share what I’ve been up to, the stumbles, and the little wins along the way.
First off, I started by just Googling “eco-travel.” Duh, right? I wanted to get a feel for what it even meant beyond the buzzwords. Turns out, it’s not just about pretty pictures of rainforests. It’s about minimizing your impact, supporting local communities, and actually, you know, giving a damn about the places you’re visiting.
Then I thought, “Right, products. What kind of stuff do people even USE for eco-travel?” So, I hopped onto Amazon (yeah, I know, not always the most eco-friendly place to start, but hey, gotta start somewhere). I searched for things like “bamboo toothbrush,” “reusable water bottle,” “organic sunscreen,” the usual suspects. I even looked into those shampoo bars – seemed like a good way to ditch the plastic bottles.
Here’s where it got interesting. I actually BOUGHT a few of these things. A bamboo toothbrush (my old plastic one was looking pretty sad), a stainless steel water bottle (I’m always losing my plastic ones anyway), and a couple of those shampoo bars (lavender and peppermint, fancy!).
Using the toothbrush was… well, it was a toothbrush. Nothing earth-shattering. The water bottle? Total win. It keeps my water cold for ages, and I feel way less guilty about not buying plastic bottles. The shampoo bars, though? That was a learning curve. The lavender one lathered up great, smelled amazing, but left my hair feeling a bit… waxy. The peppermint one was better, but still took some getting used to. I had to play around with different rinsing techniques to get it right.
Next up, I started thinking about packaging. All these “eco-friendly” products still come wrapped in something, right? So I started paying attention to the packaging materials. Was it recyclable? Compostable? Could I reuse it for something else? Turns out, a lot of companies are using cardboard and paper tape, which is a good start. But some are still using plastic bubble wrap and those annoying little packing peanuts. I started saving the cardboard boxes to reuse for shipping stuff myself, and the paper scraps went into my compost bin.
I even tried making some of my own stuff. I found a recipe online for a solid bug repellent bar using beeswax, coconut oil, and essential oils. It was surprisingly easy to make, and it actually worked! Plus, I got to control exactly what ingredients went into it, which felt pretty good.
One thing I realised is that “eco-travel” isn’t about being perfect. It’s about making conscious choices and trying to reduce your impact where you can. So yeah, maybe I still fly in airplanes (working on carbon offsetting that), and maybe I still buy some stuff in plastic sometimes (trying to avoid it, though!). But I’m making an effort, and that’s what matters.
My biggest takeaway? Don’t get overwhelmed. Start small. Swap out one or two things at a time. Do your research. And don’t be afraid to experiment. You might just find some new favourite products (and a newfound appreciation for the planet) along the way.
Here’s a quick list of what I’m still working on:
- Finding a good reef-safe sunscreen (the search continues!).
- Reducing my use of single-use plastics when buying food on the go.
- Offsetting my carbon footprint from flights.
It’s a journey, not a destination, right? That’s what I keep telling myself!
