Zero Waste Travel
A travel style that aims to reduce as much plastic, food, and chemical waste as possible!
3 TYPES OF TRAVEL WASTE AND HOW TO REDUCE THEM
FOOD WASTE
Do you know?
15% of food waste comes from tourism and is more likely caused by taste preference & portion size?!
Among other types of waste, food waste is also the biggest carbon emission contributor that causes climate change.
Common Source
Taking too many buffet meals
Common Source
Ordering too many meals
Common Source
Bringing too many snacks
How to Reduce them?
- Try to avoid buffet, but if you have to, share your plates or only take a small portion of food that interests you. Be mindful and make sure you finish them all.
- In the restaurant, ask about the portion size. If you think you can’t eat them all, ask for a smaller portion, consider sharing your meals with your friends, or ask the staff to put the leftover in a food container to take away.
- Take a sealable container to take your leftover snacks home.
- Choose a restaurant/hotel that has a food waste composting program.
PLASTIC WASTE
Do you know?
Aside from making beaches and mountains ugly, plastic waste endangers up to 700 wildlife species and poses a health hazard for animals and people.
Common Source
- Shopping
- Takeaways
- Drinks
- Single-use Toiletries
- Wet Wipes
Plastic Waste Decomposing Time
Plastic Bags
20 years
Plastic Straws
200 years
Plastic Toothbrush
500 years
Plastic Bottles
450 years
Plastic Cups
450 years
Plastic
Bags
20 years
Plastic Straws
200 years
Plastic Toothbrush
500 years
Plastic Bottles
450 years
Plastic Cups
450 years
How to Reduce them?
- Refuse plastic packaging when shopping for souvenirs and other things.
- Bring a tumbler. You can almost always ask for a refill everywhere, and if you have to pay, it is fairly cheaper!
- Bring sealable or foldable food containers for takeaways and leftover foods.
- Bring your personal toiletries to avoid using single-use hotel toiletries
CHEMICAL WASTE
Do you know?
Every cleaning product could end up affecting water bodies in the area and destroying the ecosystem balance. It also contaminates the water, which poses a health hazard for the local people.
Common Source
Common Source
Laundry detergent
Common Source
Body-care products such as
soaps, shampoo & sunscreen
Body-care products
How to Reduce them?
- Reuse your hotel towels – avoid having them washed every day
- Avoid having your bedsheet washed every day unless necessary
- Bring your organic soap and shampoo. If you can’t, use soap & shampoo mindfully
- Mindfully use sunscreen, and use an organic or reef-safe sunscreen