Monday 15 February 2016

How To Be More Sustainable Abroad

It's been a month since I got back from The Gambia and it's been super hectic for me and I've had next to no free time to blog but I'm sure you've seen my recent posts about The Gambia, if not the whole trip was about learning how to be more sustainable and learning about sustainable tourism. The trip really did touch my heart and it got my thinking, why don't I share my new sustainable knowledge with my readers and teach them the baby steps towards being more sustainable abroad.



Of course there are 100s of way to cut down wastage and be more sustainable abroad but these are my favourite tiny steps towards a more sustainable you.

Reuse your towels   
I'm sure you've seen the sign in most hotels these days, telling you to reuse your towels and only leave them on the floor/in the bath tub when you don't want them anymore. This is due to the fact washing towels (and other items) account for most of a hotel's water usage. The hotels need help reducing their water consumption because believe it or not many hotels waste more water on washing towels than the water they waste in their swimming pools! By reusing your towels you're not only cutting the hotel's costs but you're also stopping their water wastage, uses less electricity and saves on labour

Don't waste water  
This one is pretty self-explanatory, I know most of the hotels I've stayed in in the past four years have all had a little sign above the sink asking us to not waste water when brushing our teeth and not to leave the water running when we are not using it. You can save water by taking shorter showers, not leaving the water running while you brush your teeth and not leaving the tap (shower or sink) running when you're not using it. Many countries have water shortages and tourists wasting valuable water does not help. I know in the past I've left a tap running for a while to heat up and then I get distracted and forget I have the shower running... Not anymore!   

Save on electricity  
The best way to save the electricity is to not leave your air conditioning running while you're not in the room. I can't lie, I have done this a lot in the past as I love to walk into a cool room when I've got back from 30+c of heat but leaving the aircon running in an empty room is pointless and wastes electricity. Many hotels now run on a key system which turns lights and air con off when you're out the room (or take out the key card) but if your hotel does not run on this system it is always welcomed to make sure you turn everything off including lights.    

Don't litter  
I have been the worst for littering in the past, if there isn't a bin and I need rid of something I completely hold my hands up and say I use to throw it on the floor or leave it on a wall or behind something, anywhere so I wasn't carrying it anymore. This is a massive no-no! Litter doesn't just make a place look unsightly it costs millions to pick up litter each year, it also harms animals as well as the planet.


Eco hotels/lodges   
If you want to make it easier for yourself you can always stay at a Eco-lodge, these lodges are made to help you be more sustainable. There isn't any air con using all the electricity, they cut down on food and water wastage and their staff will know a lot about Eco-tourism and sustainability. Most Eco-lodges are not there purely for economy gain but to help the environment and teach others how to be more sustainable. This being said some Eco-lodges  can lose their way and still talk a big game but really they're not doing half as much as they could do so if you still follow some of these simple steps you'd be helping too.

Stay locally/ Eat locally/ Shop locally  
If you're not up for a completely Eco-friendly lodge/hotel why not stay locally. There are 100s of locally owned hotels rather than the big chain hotels. Whether you decide to stay in a lodge, big chain hotel or a locally owned B&B make sure you eat at local bars and cafes and shop at local supermarkets. I always try to avoid the hotel shops as 1) they're overpriced and 2) the locals do not get anything out of it. Staying, eating and shopping locally means you are putting money into the local economy but you're also branching out and trying new things. Why travel to stay at your foreign owned hotel the whole time eating/drinking things you could have got from your local supermarket at home when you could have banter with a local shop keeper who could recommend something new.    

Respect the culture, respect the nature
The worst thing you can do while you're abroad is not respect the countries nature or culture. Observe any dress codes the country may have and behave appropriately, you need to remember that it may be your holiday and you want to have fun but it's their home and you can't disrespect that. This also means you should leave the wild life in the wild, don't pick flowers or touch/move insects/animals. Don't take home souvenirs that are in fact natural (i.e seashells, flowers). Learning a few worlds like "Hello", "How are you" and "Goodbye" in the native language is always a good idea, it shows respect and shows you're willing to respect their culture and understand their country.


I'm sure you're still thinking that these little things won't help, you're probably correct, the real issue is a lot bigger than you and I but if everyone does their small part it will stop things from getting even worse.  


Do you have any other tips of being more sustainable while you're abroad?

27 comments:

  1. I think shopping locally when you're abroad is so important. What's the point in going all that way if you're just going to stick to brands you've got at home?

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  2. These are great tips for travellers and thinking about where you are whilst having a great experience.

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  3. A great guide for sustainability abroad - thanks for sharing:-)

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  4. This is a great post, all the point you made are spot on! I always shop locally :)

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  5. some great tips and I will be sure to use them next time I am travelling

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  6. We try to be as sustainable as possible at home, naturally we also try the same when we are abroad.
    http://lilinhaangel.com/

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  7. I do all this things. I always bought food from local shops when I went abroad as I felt it's a great way to see what local people eat and how is displayed. It gives a different perspective to traveling.

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  8. I guess its one thing you dont' really think about, though alot of hotels sneak in and change your towels for you anyhow, would be quite happy re using my own towel.

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  9. I am making an effort be more sustainable too, I think the biggest one I need to change is being guilty of letting a bath practically over spill before I get inside it. i don't need all that water.

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  10. We always respect wherever we are when travelling like we would our own home and we always make sure we shop locally! You have some great tips here :)

    Charli | Beauty and Lifestyle Blogger at CHARLI B

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  11. I think shopping in independent stores rather than big chains is always good. I hardly ever pop my towels on the floor unless they really need washing because you don't need to wash towels every day x

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  12. It actually bugs me when people request a new towel set daily! So not necessary! x

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  13. Great tips here. Thanks for sharing. I try to use my towels more than once when am on holiday.

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  14. Lovely post, your ideas are so easy and yet make such a difference.

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  15. Lots of great tip! I have never understood why people ask to get new towels every day when on holiday. We can use towels more than once!

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  16. My pet hate is people who litter! it drives me mad! I always teach my children to take their litter home with them or find a bin. I was once waiting for a bus with my mum and she dropped some sweets wrappers on the floor. I just couldn't bear it, and had to pick them up

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  17. I have been encouraging my family to not run the tap constantly whilst they are cleaning their teeth. I hate to see water running straight down the drain! X

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  18. You are so right, we should do everything to save energy.

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  19. I think a lot of these could also be used at home too! Littering is a particular annoyance to me, so unnecessary. Great post.

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  20. i follow a lot of these even in the uk! respecting culture is an important point

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  21. Great tips. Tut tut to littering! I treat other countries with respect as though I was at home

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  22. I loved reading your posts on The Gambia! I've seen the sign about reusing towels in a hotel in Portugal and I didn't understand it at first but i did after I read up about it. :)

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  23. Reusing towels when on holiday is definitely something that I need to do more often xxx

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  24. Little things do matter. :) and i ma big supporter of sustainable tourism. Potentials of every country on tourism will be greatly affected if they are not getting ready for a sustainable tourism and sadly most really don't.

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  25. These are some great and simple suggestions.Simple things like reusing your towels and not overusing the water or electricity are all things I do at home but haven't always done while I am travelling. Thanks for sharing

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  26. I think I am quite good with being sustainable, I hate my towels being changed too often, same with the bedding, I like the duvet left off the bed during the day to air it, so making it is something that bugs me x

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  27. Some great tips here. I think one of the main things we can all do is reuse our towels. I really don't think there is a need to change so many towels every day

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