6 ways you can use less plastic when traveling
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Global plastic consumption, and thereby, global plastic waste is a HUGE problem.
All over the world, plastic bottles, bags, wrappers, etc. are used once and then discarded. Studies show that only 1 in 5 water bottles are recycled and you can bet that number is even lower for plastic shopping bags.
How To Use Less Plastic When Traveling
1. Say no to plastic bags and straws!

2. Carry reusable water bottles


I can’t even count how many times refreshing, cold water from the Hydroflask has been a godsend in the sweltering heat of Southeast Asia.
3. Bring travel silverware
If you’re traveling on a budget, you’re going to do a lot of street eating, and these places are notorious for using single-use plastic. To eliminate this plastic from our lives, we both carry a set of travel silverware with us everywhere we go. It comes with a handy carrying case and contains a spoon, fork, chopsticks, and bamboo straw; which we bought separately. You can get the same travel set we use on Amazon for $9.99. (Disclaimer: we thought the spoon and fork were a little small so we swapped them out with ones from home)
4. Collapsible food storage containers
When you travel, all kinds of situations pop up where you want food to-go. Sometimes you want something to eat on a hike, or want to take lunch to the beach, or just want to take food back to your guesthouse or hostel. When traveling in Southeast Asia; and probably just about everywhere else in the world to be honest, it’s a good bet that to-go food will come in a plastic container.
Our solution is collapsible food storage containers that fold up to nicely fit in our packs, but expand to easily carry a whole meal. We bought ours in China, but there are tons of affordable options on Amazon. To cut down on packaging, you could probably get them in a grocery store or supermarket as well.
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, thoughtful packing goes a long way towards helping use less plastic when traveling. If you think about the times you will potentially use single-use plastic and pack accordingly, it can make a world of difference.
5. Washable food wraps
Another great way to reduce plastic food packaging is by using washable food wraps. They are perfect for wrapping sandwiches, nuts, fruits, vegetables, etc. and keeping them fresh for days. We have a set of three different sizes from Beeswrap. The wraps are made from cotton infused with beeswax and clean easily with soap and water. The wraps are also 100% compostable (yay!)
6. Bring a water filter

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I love the collapsible containers! I have some reusable silicon ziplock bags I bought because Tupperware is so bulky but I’ve never seen those before!!
Hey Amanda! We’ve been loving our reusable silicon bags lately. They are the perfect swap for ziplock bags. Another thing we use a lot especially when traveling is beeswax cloth wraps. They are perfect for wrapping up snacks, sandwiches, fruit, etc. And when they aren’t in use they take up literally zero space. Hope all is well!
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