7 Tips to Go Green When You Travel
Green travel has been the buzzword in the tourism industry for a while now but not everyone understands what it really means. I used to be in the dark too just like you but now I have some small green traveling tips to share. Cool right?
Before I begin, I will tell you briefly everything you need to know about green travel. Green travel, sometimes called eco-travel or responsible travel is simply turning on your environmental consciousness when you travel. This way whatsoever your activity while you travel, its impact on the environment is friendly.
For instance, instead of throwing your waste out of your car window and down to the ground, you could wait till you find a waste bin to dispose of them properly. Goof! That’s you turning on your environmental consciousness. Without further ado, here are the tips to go green when you travel below;
- Conserve Power
Before you travel, turn off your home gadgets and electronics. Green travel start from your home. Try not to stock your refrigerator before when you leave for your destination. Turn off electricity and water supply to your home too. All this could result in wastage. Learn to conserve, that’s being a green traveler.
2. Travel Light
When packing your traveling bags, you need not take what you don’t need. Take only necessities. Other things you might need can be gotten on arrival at your destination. This could help reduce your carbon footprint as vehicles and airplanes consume more fuel in relation to weight leading to the release of more carbon dioxide, a well-known greenhouse gas.
3. Take Direct Non-stop Flight
If your destination is outside or within the country, take a direct flight. They can be expensive, but if you can afford it, it shouldn’t be a big deal to you. Airplanes burn more fuel for take-off and landing than they do traveling that distance. Imagine! And if you can’t get a direct flight within Nigeria, travel by road or purchase a carbon offset.
4. Use Public Transport
If Nigeria were to be a developed country, I would have suggested you travel by road using a hybrid car. But that’s nearly impossible, so use public transport. They reduce your carbon footprint. Imagine everyone having a car and traveling with it. The traffic gridlock will not just be the problem but pollution at its peak. Choose wisely!
5. Lodge in Green Hotels
If you can afford it, try as much as possible to lodge in a green hotel, be it in Nigeria or outside Nigeria. This way you can be sure of your presence in a particular destination being of great positive benefit to the environment.
6. Buy from Locals
You can buy your bath soap, snacks, souvenirs among others from locals. You will not only be contributing to the local people's income but also be promoting their local culture. In a broader sense, you get natural products that have little or no negative impacts on the environment through production and importation.
7. Avoid Plastics
Be it a pet bottle, sachet water, chewing gum, and even straws avoid them all. Plastic pollution is of world environmental concern today and we all are being asked to help by reducing, reusing, and recycling plastics. Take your own water bottle with you and reusable plates, this will go a long way in the conservation of the environment.
Altogether, travel responsibly, travel smart by going green when you travel.
