the road is my home

Did you know that enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth twice a year? Or that next year, more than 300 million tons of plastic will be produced worldwide? When hearing this facts it is even more shocking to know 50 percent of the plastic we use, we use just once and then throw it away. This summer I worked for a factory which produces plastic packaging and I swear to myself that I would change something about my consumer behaviour.

Usually I don't follow the recent social media trends. I even tend to avoid them. But when I saw the "zero waste movement" I knew I had to be a part of it. Here is a small guide how you can reduce and avoid your plastic consumption while traveling:

 Say no to plastic produce bags.

In one week we go through 10 billion plastic bags worldwide. It is a really simple step to bring your own containers and bags with you when you are shopping. It will make it easier to avoid plastic because one single reusable bag has a lifespan of over seven hundred disposable ones. My favourite essentials are fruit- and vegetablenets because in most countries they put every single kind of fruit into a single bag.  

Pack zero waste.

You can already start avoiding plastic packaging when packing your suitcase. For example bring a bamboo tooth brush, a shampoo bar, a safety razor or bamboo cotton swabs. I even bring self-made cotton rounds and a cloth with me to reduce waste. If you think of the amount of plastic tooth brushes, the shampoo packaging etc. You use in your whole life, it definitely makes a difference.

Bring “To-Go” dishes with you.

Plastic takes up over 1,0000 to degrade in a landfill. So this is a great way to reduce your consumption of paper plates, cups or single use knives and forks. You even can bring a food container to a restaurant if you want to take away your leftovers.

 Spend your money on experiences, not things.

This is probably the trickiest one: Avoid buying things in general. Buy the things you really need. Don’t buy a lot of souvenirs, instead use your camera to save your memories. It's more unique, totally free and takes up no space.

Buy food with alternative packaging.

As you arrived in your destination and you are shopping groceries always keep an eye open for alternative packed items. Buy your food in glass jars or even unpacked if it is possible. Glass can be easily reused as a container for something else. That is why I love local markets where it is easy to avoid plastic. You can also buy fresh bread that comes in either paper bags or no bags of choose milk in returnable glass bottles.

Give up bottled water.

If you know that using a reusable bottle, you can eliminate the need for 100 disposable bottles per year, it easy to change something about this. If there is no drinkable water in the country you travel to, you can easily filter your water, boil your water or at least buy it in big canisters and decant it. 

   

Fazit of my time in Peru: I really try my best to avoid as much plastic as I can, but of course it is impossible to say no to plastic all the time. Also I lost my whole "Zero-Waste" toiletbag and had to replace most of the items with the plastic version as it is hard to find an alternative product. But what works is avoiding plastic bottles and plastic bags: I boil my own water to make it drinkable and always bring my water bottle when I go out. I also try to buy as many things as possible in the local markets. That is a rewarding experience because the vendors already know me and say when I come to them: "No bolsa, si?". Funny was it when one women started packing things into a plastic bag and the vendor next to her told her: "Don't you know that she doesn't want plastic?" I also raise awareness through that because they tell me how automatically they pack everything into plastic bags and that they think it is a good idea to avoid it. Overall, it is possible to avoid plastic in some situations while traveling but not in general.

If you want to dive deeper in to the theme:

Documentary “Plastic Planet”

TED-Talk: “Why I live a zero waste life” by Lauren Singer

Plastic-Free-Guide: 100 Steps to a Plastic-Free-Life