Eco-friendly travel - a possibility or our new reality. Hello and welcome to another post by Swagg Earth Buddy Tanisha Agarwal. In this article I am going to share some of my experiences and I would like to share some tips on how travel in 2023 has changed and become more conscious and mindful for me and for the ecosystem. The conscious choices that have been made and how effective it has been and how simple it is for anyone to follow
So hop along with me on this exciting adventure !!
Image Title : Eco-friendly travel a changing reality
Image Source : https://africantravelcanvas.com/travel-tips/eco-friendly-travel-kits-for-the-conscious-traveller/
India a land of colorful diversity and beautiful landscapes. A country that so many people aspire to come to from near and far for it is today not just one of the top 5 economies of the world but is also on the forefront of sustainable practices under the leadership of its able prime minister Shri Narendra Modi. The G20 leadership that goes by the theme of Vasudeva Kutumbakam "One Earth, One family, One future" is like a feather adorning the many hats of achievements of our country's leader.
Image Title : G20 Leadership India
Image Source : https://www.indiaties.in/19802/india-will-host-over-200-meetings-in-over-50-cities-as-part-of-g20/
While world renowned spiritual leader "Sadhguru" is already adding to the climate discourse with the very essential and revolutionary movement called "Save Soil" we the Earth Buddies of S.W.A.G.G (Save Water and Go Green) are here to share how we are doing our bit to give back to environment the love care and respect it so truly deserves.
Image Title : Save Soil Movement by Sadhguru
Image source : https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sadhguru-speech-global-leaders-unccd-save-soil-7902821/
Travelling sustainably means taking steps to minimize the impact of your travels on the environment and local communities. Here are some tips to help you travel more sustainably
Avoid single-use plastics: Bring a reusable water bottle, shopping bag (preferably cloth bags) and utensils. Refill your water bottle instead of buying bottled water, and say no to plastic straws. Metal straws are easily available in the market today or glass straws too. I always carry my own steel bottle and a cutlery kit with me at all times that has a spoon a fork a napkin and a metal straw.
Image Title : Eco-conscious travel
Image Description
1. In the top - left hand corner - Cutlery pouch
2. On the bottom - left hand corner - Mesh Cloth Bag
3. On the bottom - second to left - Steel water bottle
4. In the centre - Regular Cloth bag with reusable coffee cup covered with a cork strip
5. On the top right hand corner - bamboo plate
6. On the bottom right hand corner - set of bamboo cutlery kit with bamboo spoon, fork, knife, straw, straw cleaner and bamboo chopsticks
Image Title : Travel bottle (sourced from personal gallery)
2. Support local businesses: Eat at local restaurants, shop at local markets, and stay in locally-owned accommodations. This helps support the local economy and reduces your carbon footprint. One of the ways that me and my mother practice this is stitching and buying clothes from local boutiques, exploring exhibitions and picking up handmade soaps, homegrown brands which means brands from Coimbatore, supporting growing and small businesses on Instagram. #VocalforLocal
3. Vegan Awakening : I attended the most fun wedding in Kolkata recently and while researching for the latest trending fabrics in the market I came across vegan silk. As an environment buddy I wanted to choose conscious clothing labels that use fabrics which are breathable, plant-based, light and can be reused and styled in many ways. All the outfits were chosen from homegrown stunning Indian designers locally sourcing their material in India thereby supporting handicrafts, handwoven textiles etc. One of the dresses that I wore was made out of vegan silk
What is vegan silk ?
(Vegan silk, also known as "cruelty-free silk," is a type of fabric that mimics the texture and feel of traditional silk, but is made without harming silkworms. Traditional silk is made from the cocoon of the silkworm, which is boiled alive to extract the fiber)
Vegan silk, on the other hand, is made from alternative materials such as plant-based fibers like cotton, bamboo, soy, and modal, as well as synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon. These materials are processed to create a fabric that has a similar sheen and texture to traditional silk.
Image Title : Bamboo Silk
4. Travel light : Take your toiletries in tiny travel bottles that can be resued. I recently replaced toothpaste with dental tablets that come in mini steel boxes with 30 pieces as toothpaste generally come in plastic tubes which is difficult to dispose and often get clogged in drains. Try to take soap bars with a small dabba or a bamboo case to protect it - if that is not possible use brands that support recycling of plastic and use recycled plastic bottles for packaging. Types 1 and 2 plastics may be tossed into standard recycling bins. One of the most underrated yet common and affordable sustainable product that we can switch to is the bamboo toothbrush with charcoal bristles. Plastic toothbrush again are not compostable.
Dispose waste responsibly in sections of dry waste wet waste and digital waste bins etc accordingly designated
Image Title : Responsible waste disposition
Image Title : Lifecycle of a plastic toothbrush
Choose conscious and eco-friendly online market places : Last but not the least choose from responsible brands and eco-conscious market places as much as possible. For eg : Sustainkart by Flipkart, Brown Basket etc
Wishing everyone a safe mindful planet friendly travel :)))
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