A Sustainable Roadtrip

I recently went on a trip up north to Tutukaka and Ngunguru with one of my wonderful friends to enjoy a day out diving with Yukon Dive Charters. It was important to me to be aware of what waste I was creating when travelling. I was in a hurry when I left for the trip but I did make an effort to grab a few things that would enable me to avoid getting more plastic than I needed while I was away. These are all things that you should have at hand and I’m a huge advocate for using what you already have rather than buying into the ironic zero waste consumerism of getting all the fancy new steel and bamboo gadgets. I intend to use what I have until it’s well and truly unusable, at which point I will replace it mindfully and sustainably.

First of all, there are the obvious things:

• Take a travel mug for your takeaway treats on the road. I love to start a road trip with a nice cuppa tea (I’m addicted) so it’s a good way to make sure that I have my travel mug with me.
• Remember to take a few reusable grocery bags with you (and produce bags if you have them). These take up next to no space – the biggest trick is to remember to use them. Keep them somewhere handy so that they’re easy to grab if you stop at the store on the way to your destination.
• Don’t forget your bottle of water – pack 2 if you think you’ll need them. We often take 2 with us if it’s going to be a long trip, although more water does mean more bathroom breaks! Also, why aren’t refill stations a thing? I’d happily fill my bottle for a small charge rather than having to purchase water. I’ve just discovered an amazing website www.refillmybottle.com and I’ll hopefully have more news to post soon.

Then there are the less obvious things that you can think about to make a difference:

• If you’re going to be on the road for a few hours, see what you can take from home for snacks. Fruit, nuts, boiled eggs or even sandwiches are easy to throw together or throw in the car and will not only save you money on your trip but also be healthier and create less landfill waste than gas station chippies, chocolates and drinks. Don’t forget to pack a chilly bin if you need to keep things cool!
• More on the point above – if you do need to stop for food on the way, I highly recommend stopping somewhere for a proper sit down meal if you have the time rather than buying fast food. You’ll get a better break, some time out of the car and feel so much more refreshed when you get back to driving. It doesn’t need to be expensive, it just needs to be somewhere that you’ll be served with proper cutlery, crockery and glassware.

Here are my latest favourite things to do:

• We compost at home, so it seems really silly to let all the nutritious compost goodies go to waste while we’re away. On a recent trip I just popped tea bags, egg shells and fruit peels into a plastic bag and kept it in the fridge while we were at our holiday home (and yes, I felt bad about using a plastic bag so I brought it home and cleaned it for re-use). When we left I simply put it back in the chilly bin and brought it home to add to my own compost bin. I have also just discovered Share Waste which is a great option if you’re going to be away for longer or you have quite a bit of compost to bring home with you.
• Pack a few empty resuable containers and honey wraps. That way, any food leftovers that you make while you’re away can be kept fresh and glad wrap free. It’ll also make it a whole lot easier to get your leftovers home at the end of your trip!
• Make sure that you know what the recycling policies are in the region that you’re going to. If there is no readily available recycling where you’re staying, try to contact the local depot to see if you can drop it off on your way out of town. I’ve been known to bring home bags of recycling after camping trips so know that there’s no shame in that either!

These are all small and practical changes. I think anyone could adopt these without too much stress, it’s just a case of trying to remember until it becomes a habit. Remember that small changes can have a big impact over time! You don’t need to be perfect all the time, you just need to care enough to try to make a small difference.

Here’s a little check list of what I try to remember to take with me when heading away to a holiday home or on a weekend road trip. Please grab a screen shot, print or download the image to help jog your memory when packing for your next road trip.