Reducing plastic, zero waste, sustainable, eco-friendly. You know the drill, these are all buzz words we should be familiar with. Call it jumping on the bandwagon. One that we should all be on mind. But the fuss around reducing our single use plastic consumption and opting for zero waste products is not one that needs to disappear. It’s a phenomenon that needs to take off to infinity and beyond. So here are my tips on the ways to reduce plastic when travelling.

You may remember back in 2018 I collaborated with Wearth London and put together a post of some of my favourite zero waste products. Well including some of those products, I am trying to employ some more small changes to continue on my plastic free mission. 

If you have been following along recently you will know that I am currently on an indefinite gap year around the world.  All of the tips below can be put into practice whether you too are backpacking or just in your day to day life. Now I know there is a lot of plastic free content floating around cyber space right now, but the more this stuff is harped on about and shared the more difference we can hopefully make! 

So without further ado, here are 12 tips to inspire you to reduce your plastic use and travel/live more consciously: 

1. Say no to Plastic Bags

This is a super easy change to make. Coincidentally as backpackers, we 99.9% of the time are carrying a backpack. I mean honestly, Josh very rarely goes anywhere without one.

In South East Asia my biggest tip is to be clear and insistent, because unfortunately you’re stuff can often be put into multiple plastic bags, before you’ve even had chance to open your mouth. So just politely decline and stick your shopping in your own bag. 

2. Bamboo Toothbrushes

Shockingly every single plastic toothbrush made is still knocking around the old planet. We don’t need that. We can change that. Josh and I both use the White Teeth Box – Life Brush a non plastic alternative that is made from 100% FSC certified, antibacterial Moso Bamboo. Such an easy but effective swap to make and honestly, we haven’t noticed the difference. 

3. Metal Straws

I hold my hands up. This one has been harder than I thought. Not through lack of trying mind. Straws like plastic bags are given out like nobody’s business. Whether in 7/11, a cafe or bar you are often given a straw. It’s just a case of remembering to say ‘no straw please’ which we are not the best at doing. To try and make more of a conscious effort we picked up two reusable metal straws to keep in our bags from The Hive in Kuala Lumpur.

From experience in bigger/popular cities, i.e. KL, Bangkok, Singapore, Phnom Penh, there seem to be zero waste and plastic free shops or sections in Cafe’s popping up more and more. So it is definitely worth having a look and seeing if there is somewhere you can stop by.

4. Soap Bars instead of Shower Gel

This is a super easy one. We picked up some cruelty free lavender soap bars from Boots before we left. Just leave them to air dry after you have showered and your good to just drop them back in your wash bag.

5. Reusable water bottles

Admittedly, we cocked up a bit with this one. Due to us backpacking and visiting countries where it is not safe to drink the tap water, we have struggled with our metal reusable bottles. We both have the 500ml bottle by Atlas & Ortus. They are double walled and vacuum insulated, meaning it will keep your drink hot/cold for up to 12 hours!  Don’t get me wrong for day to day, at the office, out and about, travelling in countries where the tap water is safe to drink, our bottles would be spot on.

But for long term backpacking and a bottle we will be investing in (when we manage to find one in S E Asia/ where we are staying somewhere long enough to have one delivered) is a Life Straw Bottle. This ingenious bottle filters up to 1,000 liters of contaminated water without using iodine, chlorine, or other chemicals. It removes minimum 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria, 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites, and filters to 0.2 microns; surpasses EU and EPA filter standards. It removes E. Coli, Giardia and Cryptosporidium oocysts, and many other waterborne contaminants.

6. Shampoo/Conditioner Bars

Being a big fan of Lush products anyway, this was an easy one for me. Having curly hair that is prone to dryness and damage, can be a bit of a nightmare when dazzing about in 30degree heat all day. But I have found the shampoo & conditioner bars I picked up from Lush to work great!

Sold on scent alone I opted for Honey I Washed My Hair. Delightfully toffee scented, this bar lathers really well and leaves my hair feeling super soft and shiny. I Couple this with the Big Conditioner bar. Both store easily in the metal tins that I picked up from Lush. They last for ages, you can pack them easily in your hand luggage and you can say goodbye to endless plastic shampoo bottles.

7. Bamboo Cotton Buds

Another very easy swap to make. We picked up a box of these again in Hive Kuala Lumpur for 7RM approx £1.25. Instead of their pesky plastic counterparts, these bamboo cotton buds are compost friendly and packaged in recycled cardboard. Surfers Against Sewage stock them here or alternatively pop over to Amazon.

8. Cleanser & Washable Face Cloth

In this post I talked about how shocked I was to learn that make up wipes often contain plastic. Well I ditched them in favour of a Soap Daze Cotton Face Cloth and Ultrabland cleanser from Lush. Although more expensive than my standard £1.00 make up wipes and slightly heavier in my wash bag, I really love this combination. I have not even used a quarter of the 225g tub I picked up on Oxford Street. So again, a simple yet very effective switch.

9. Mesh Laundry Bag

I mentioned in this post about laundry days being a chore and a half. But you know, a necessary evil. Well a lightweight mesh laundry bag is A) a great way to keep your smelly washing separate from your clean clothes and B) hostels/hotels/guesthouses will then have a bag to return your washing in rather than using several plastic bags for your clean clothes.

We ordered this one from Amazon, you can’t really argue with £1.50 and it’s been so handy!

10. Moon Cup

Another simple way for women to reduce waste when they travel is to opt for a menstrual cup. I picked up a Moon Cup before leaving the UK which not only means that I can reduce my plastic waste/waste in general with single use applicator tampons and pads, but I also don’t have to carry endless amounts of the latter in my backpack.

11. Reusable Cutlery

If you’re going to be eating street food, 7/11 pot noodles or just want to make sure you can avoid single use cutlery then I would recommend getting a Spork or a reusable bamboo cutlery set.

12. Reusable Coffee Cups

If you’re partial to a flat white or caramel macchiato, then I wholeheartedly recommend getting yourself a reusable coffee cup. Also, quite a few coffee shops seem to offer a small discount now if you use your own. This compact collapsible invention is a great option to pop in your backpack. Or if you’re after a more traditional coffee cup then I love these little cups from Pottery for the Planet.

So there we have it, the twelve little things you can do too that will make a huge difference. Whether in your everyday or to travel more consciously.

What have I missed? Let me know of any changes you have adopted. Also if anyone has any zero waste/plastic free shop recommendations please let me know in the comments.

Check out these travel guides to Singapore, Porto and Lisbon.