Okay, so I decided to really try this zero-waste travel thing on my last trip. It wasn’t my first attempt, but this time I wanted to be more serious about it, really document what I did, you know?
Getting Started – The Mindset Shift
First thing, I had to actually commit in my head. Traveling usually means convenience, grabbing stuff on the go. I knew I had to consciously slow down and think before accepting anything disposable. It started before I even packed. I looked at my usual travel habits – the coffee cups, the plastic water bottles, the little hotel shampoos. Piles of trash, really, when you think about it.
Packing Up – Less is More, Reusable is Key
This was the main action phase before leaving. I laid out my usual stuff, then started swapping.
- Out went the disposables: No travel-sized plastic toiletries. No ziploc bags for organizing (well, I reused some old ones, but didn’t buy new).
- In came the reusables:
- My trusty metal water bottle. Non-negotiable.
- A collapsible coffee cup. Takes up almost no space.
- A set of bamboo cutlery and a cloth napkin rolled up together.
- A few reusable containers – one small, one medium. Good for snacks or leftovers.
- Foldable shopping bags. I stuffed like three into my backpack side pockets.
- Solid toiletries! Shampoo bar, conditioner bar, solid soap, toothpaste tabs. This was a game changer, honestly. No liquids, no plastic bottles.
Packing cube things helped keep it all organized. My bag didn’t even feel heavier, maybe even lighter without all those little liquid bottles.
On the Road – The Actual Doing
This is where the practice kicked in. It felt a bit weird at first, pulling out my own cup at a coffee shop, but most places were cool about it. Some even gave a small discount!
Airports were easy – empty water bottle through security, fill up on the other side. Saved money too. On the plane, I asked for drinks without a cup if possible, or just used my own water.
Eating out, I tried to choose places where I could sit down and use real plates and cutlery. For takeaway or street food, I’d ask them to put it directly into my reusable container if possible. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not. If I got food with disposable cutlery, I’d just use my bamboo set.
Shopping for snacks or souvenirs, I always had my cloth bag ready. Saying “No bag, thank you” became automatic. It’s surprising how many plastic bags you can avoid just by being prepared.
The solid toiletries worked great. No spills, lasted the whole trip. I kept them in small metal tins.
Was it perfect? Heck no. There were times I forgot my cup, or a place insisted on using their packaging. Sometimes language barriers made it tricky. I definitely still created some trash – snack wrappers I couldn’t avoid, tissues sometimes. But the goal wasn’t perfection, it was just doing way, way better.
Wrapping Up – The Aftermath
Getting home was the real eye-opener. Usually, I’d have a small bag full of hotel toiletries, random plastic bags, disposable cups, maybe some food packaging. This time? I gathered up the trash I’d generated over a week-long trip. It fit into one small container I’d brought. Mostly just a few wrappers and receipts.
It felt good. Like, really satisfying. It took a bit more effort upfront, remembering to pack the reusables and actually use them. But during the trip, it quickly became habit. And honestly, using my own familiar things (like my coffee cup) felt kind of nice, more grounding.
So yeah, that was my latest attempt. Definitely sticking with these habits for future travels. It’s doable, less wasteful, and feels much better.
