Plastic Free July was founded in 2011 and is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation - its aim is to work towards the vision of seeing a world free of plastic waste.
In honour of the month, I’ve pulled together some tips to help you go plastic free on your travels…
Pack a reusable water bottle and a shopping tote, plus a coffee cup, utensils and straws if you can. Not only do these items save on plastic waste, they're handy when you’re out and about refreshing yourself while souvenir shopping!
Some products / services I use include my Water To Go bottle which makes any non-salt water safe to drink (click the link for 20% off), my Chilly's bottle to keep drinks hot or cold, my Keep Cup for visiting coffee shops, my trusty aluminium straws (with cleaning kit) and the Refill app to see where I can top up my water bottles on the go.
Opt for hotels committed to sustainability and support businesses making a difference. Tick boxes include water refill stations, a ban on single use plastic and plastic free toiletries as a few examples.
Did you know Iberostar hotels have been plastic free since 2020? They were the first hotel chain in the world to go fully plastic free, which is one of the many reasons I shout about their sustainability credentials.
Get in touch if you want to plan a trip to one of their many properties worldwide.
Opt for solid shampoo bars, conditioner bars, and soap bars over liquid products in plastic bottles. They’re compact, long-lasting, and plastic-free!
An amazing business local to me (but who ship nationwide) is POSY, whose products cover deodorants, shampoo and conditioner bars, lip balms and more - everything you need on your travels and no plastic in sight!
Avoid those miniature travel versions of the products you can't live without. Where you can’t swap to solid, bring your personal care items from home in travel-sized reusable bottles.
Why not buy bulk and decant to smaller, reusable (ideally non-plastic) bottles at home too? Not only does this reduce plastic use, but it saves money in the long run.
Politely decline plastic straws, lids, and bags while on your travels. Every little bit helps and it shows the business this is something their customers care about.
Advocate by gently encouraging others to join your plastic-free journey - you could even gift them a lovely shopping tote!
I'd love to know what you do to reduce or eliminate your plastic usage while travelling, so drop me a message if you have some ideas that haven't been covered here!
If you want advice on how to make your travels more sustainable, get in touch for a no pressure chat.