How to Create a Sustainable Packing List

We produce 300 million tonnes of plastic every year. More than 8 million tonnes of that is dumped into our oceans every year.

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Reducing our plastic usage needs to become one of our top priorities. 

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It needs to be something we consider both at home in our day-to-day lives, but also while travelling, whether domestically or internationally. 

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Even at home, cutting plastic waste can be difficult, so when we travel, it becomes less of a concern, no matter how wrong that is. 

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However, we can take similar steps to cut down our use of plastic while we’re travelling, too - including our travel packing list.

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The best thing we can do is be prepared. Plan ahead and really think about the things in your luggage. 

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How many plastic items do you have? Can they be replaced with a more sustainable option? 

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We sometimes forget how much plastic we use and buy during our travels. It’s almost as though we’re on holiday from reality - but in truth, plastic pollution isn't going away. 

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It's up to us to decide what to do about it, especially when we're away from home.

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Below, we've listed some of our favourite sustainable alternatives, which will not only reduce your plastic usage, but reduce your heavy load of bottles, cans and tubs. 

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It may not be possible to cut your plastic consumption to zero, but we do have a few tips to reduce it, and make your travel packing list (and life) more sustainable.

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1. Toiletry bars

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Shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant bars are an eco-friendly alternative to bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and cans of deodorant. 

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A leak-proof soap bar container will make sure the rest of your stuff stays dry on the go.

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Alternatively, you can save money (and the environment!) by purchasing some reusable travel squeeze bottles and refilling them with your favourite eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner. 

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My favourite products come from Lush - they've got eco-friendly products for men and women, and it’s a bonus that none of their products are tested on animals.

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2. Bamboo in, plastic out

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If you usually use a plastic toothbrush while travelling, I'd recommend swapping it out for a bamboo alternative. 

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Bamboo toothbrushes are much better for the environment, and often come in handy toothbrush travel kits like this one.

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You can also get bamboo razors, which typically last longer than cheap plastic disposables, as you only have to buy razor heads (which, of course, means less waste). 

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Bamboo has become a popular material in most sustainable travel packing lists for good reason.

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3. Sustainable first-aid

It pays to be safe while travelling - and especially in the post-COVID 19 world, sanitisation will be a critical part of every travel kit. 

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Biodegradable travel wipes are easy on the environment, but allow you to keep clean on airplanes.

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A travel first-aid kit is often a great idea too - small enough to fit in your bag, and it will come in handy for obvious reasons. However, first aid kits often contain a lot of plastic - one way to counteract this is to swap a few items for more eco-friendly alternatives. 

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For example, biodegradable plasters from Patch are a more sustainable option than traditional plasters like Band-Aids.

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Other things to toss in your first aid kit include - eco-friendly pain ointments and, of course, eco-friendly insect spray. If you’re able to, you can buy painkillers in a glass bottle instead of plastic. As a general rule, jars are always more sustainable than plastic. 

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These are small changes, but still allow you to have those all-important items.

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4. Ethical entertainment

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Stay entertained on the move by downloading some games on your phone or a few books onto an E-reader. 

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There's nothing better than cracking the spine of a new book, but an E-reader is much easier to carry around, and will stop you from buying bulky, expensive books in the airport lounge. (We've found that the Kindle is the best E-reader, with 3 different options at various price points: the Oasis, the Paperwhite, and the budget-friendly standard option.)

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Of course, all these devices need power - so keep a power bank in your hand luggage and charge up at the airport.

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We've also found that wireless headphones are a more sustainable product than cheap plastic headphones. Not only are the wireless headphones better quality, they're less likely to get snagged or break and end up in a landfill. 

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Depending on your needs, you could get an over-ear option like the Bose Quietcomfort, or the less expensive Sony WH 900 - or you could roll with some affordable in-ear headphones like the Usoun 5.0.

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5. Planet-friendly cutlery

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There are so many great alternatives to plastic ‘on-the-go’ cutlery.

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I recently invested in a travel utensils kit which included a metal straw and straw cleaner brush, a bamboo fork, spoon and knife, all wrapped up in a fabric pouch. 

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It’s perfect if you’re wanting a quick snack in the hotel or on the go and no cutlery is available. Alternatively, you can buy a metal cutlery travel kit if you're not into bamboo.

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The travel utensils kit will pair nicely with fold-up food containers which I’ve recently been introduced to. They take up barely any space, as they fold in on themselves and are perfect if you have any leftover food from your last hotel stop. 

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They will also come in handy if you end up making a sandwich for yourself to take out when sightseeing.

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6. Reusable water bottle

So many plastic bottles are bought when we travel and it can be easily avoided. More than “100 million plastic bottles are used worldwide every day” and of which “they take 700 years to decompose” . 

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As such, one of my favourite things of all time is my Chilly’s water bottle, which is available in different prints and is super easy to clean. They can hold both hot and cold liquid, so it’s a win-win.

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Other options include a collapsible water bottle to help you save space on the move, or, if you're going to a place with an iffy water situation, a more heavy-duty option. 

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Water can be an issue in a lot of countries, but you can stay safe by bringing a filtered water bottle or Lifestraw bottle. 

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Of course, it's important to do your research into whether the filter will work for your needs - right now, the best portable water filtration option is the original Lifestraw.

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Extra option - packable tote bag

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Of course, you'll need to carry all of this around, so we've tried to include options that are compact, as well as environmentally-conscious. 

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Plastic bags are one of the leading causes of pollution worldwide. They end up in landfills and water sources, and often have a negative impact on wildlife populations. If you're going to the shops, whether at home or abroad, please do your part by carrying a reusable bag instead of asking for plastic.

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A great option to do this abroad is to use a packable daypack - they fold up nice and compact to put in your suitcase or travel pack, and they're a perfect option to carry around for the day if you're going on an excursion. 

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Whatever you're buying, this option is very likely the best way to ensure you're travelling sustainably, and leaving no trace on this beautiful planet during your travels.

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So there you have it. These items are a great start for any sustainable travel packing list.

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They're among the smallest and easiest steps you can take to more sustainable travel - and they might even save you some of your hard-earned cash. 

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They last just as long, and are lighter to pack, so you’ll have more room for other necessities. 

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This definitely isn’t a perfect or massively extensive travel packing list. There are so many more alternatives we could use as a population, but this is a definite learning curve for us all and we’re still on this journey.

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As we always say, it doesn’t have to be huge drastic changes or a complete restriction. 

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Yet the small steps still count towards making the world a better place. 

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If we make small changes like these to have a more sustainable travel packing list, then we’ll thank ourselves for it - as will our planet.

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About the author

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Meg is a freelance writer and blogger with a passion for sustainable travel, mindfulness and foods from around the world.

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Her blog, The Freesian Elephant, looks at various healthy, with dashes of travel and mindfulness from time to time.

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